The Haryana government will promote health tourism and various projects involving an investment of over Rs 100 crore would be given the status of industry for the purpose of incentives.

"Haryana holds great potential for development as centre of medical tourism. It also has the potential for investment in the health sector through establishment of hospitals offering primary, secondary and tertiary level health care facilities and allied services like pharmacies, diagnostics, pathological labs, training and skill development for para-medical services," an official spokesman said here today.

The state government will work towards establishment of facilities like common bio-medical waste treatment, proper disposal of biomedical waste generated by hospitals, laboratories and Research and Development Centres, effluent treatment plants for treatment of liquid effluent generated from government hospitals and liquid oxygen plants in hospitals with bed-strength of more than 100, he said.

Various state agencies like Haryana Urban Development Authority, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation and the urban development bodies would endeavour to earmark separate clusters at appropriate locations for medical care service providers.

Referring to the pharmaceutical industry, he said that the sector has a vast growth potential in the country and the state recognises the need for development of this sector on a sustainable basis.

The Union Government has selected Haryana to set up a Bio-Technology Park along with research and development facility and also establishment of a Pharma Industrial park in the state, he said.

"The state government has decided to earmark or acquire about 1000 acres of land for the development of a dedicated Pharma Park in the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway Global Economic Corridor for this purpose," he added.