The Maharashtra government is planning to launch a website on medical tourism in the state and provide necessary information about treatments and costs to foreign patients.

The website, which is expected to serve as a single window for information, is likely to be functional in a month's time, said a statement issued by state health minister Dr Deepak Sawant on Saturday.The portal will provide details of various services related to medical tourism as well as other important information, like the administrative procedures to be followed for procuring visa and the documents required.The representatives from private and charitable hospitals were earlier invited by the health department for a discussion regarding the portal, said the statement.

The need to develop standard operating protocols was felt when Egyptian woman Eman Ahmed, who weighed around 500 kgs, left Mumbai's Saifee Hospital in May this year amid a row, after receiving free treatment for 83 days.Noting that exaggerated expectations can sometimes give rise to misunderstandings, Sawant said the aim of the portal is to give a realistic picture to patients about the hospitals, facilities, expenditure, duration of treatment, visa and cost.

The government also plans to set up kiosks at the international airport to ease travel and logistics for those visiting the state for medical tourism, he said.