Posted By :  Admin1

Kochi: Next week, 7,000 doctors will be arriving in Kochi from various parts of the country. In addition to them, there will be 3,000 individuals representing their families and various company delegates. The national conference of pediatricians, PEDICON, organized by the 61st Indian Academy of Pediatrics, is taking place at the Grand Hyatt and Lulu Bolgatty Convention Centre in the district from the 24th to the 28th of January. All hotels in the district have been booked for the event. To accommodate the arriving doctors for the conference, 3,000 to 4,000 hotel rooms are required. An estimated expenditure of 15 crore rupees is anticipated for this purpose. Bookings are also extended to nearby districts outside Kochi. The surge in 'conference tourism,' similar to national medical conferences, is set to boost business, commerce, and tourism sectors in Kochi. At present, Kochi is hosting national conferences of both the Indian Psychiatric Society and the All India Occupational Therapists' Association, with the active involvement of 3,000 to 4,000 delegates. The organizers estimate that there will be a financial infusion of 100-150 crore rupees associated with PEDICON. The organizers themselves expect an expenditure of 22-25 crore rupees for conducting the conference. The conference, which involves international experts, is expected to generate revenue of around 14 crore rupees through air travel ticket sales for airlines. All taxi cars in the city are booked in advance. This leads to substantial revenue for private taxi agencies, amounting to millions. The revenue in the range of millions generated through GST will accrue to both the central and state governments in these transactions. According to Dr. Sachidanandan Kammath, the Chairman of PEDICON 2024 organizing committee, such conferences can yield profits ranging from small scale businesses, auto rickshaw drivers to large malls.