New Delhi: Aimed at providing qualified manpower to the booming medical tourism sector, the Institute of Clinical Research India (ICRI) Tuesday said it would start teaching healthcare management.

The ICRI has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Academy of Hospital Administration (AHA) for jointly conducting hospital operation management and healthcare industry related courses.

"We wish to bring in a paradigm shift in the healthcare and wellness segment using the science of management and training to ensure continuity, maximize capacity and improve quality of care," said S.R. Dugal, chairman of the board of directors, ICRI.

"India has a huge potential in terms of capability and quality and this is what we need to harness today in the healthcare and wellness segment," he added.

According to a McKinsey and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) study, medical tourism in India can become a $1 billion business by 2012.

The government has predicted that India's $17 billion-a-year healthcare industry could grow 13 percent in each of the next six years, boosted by medical tourism.

ICRI is one of India's leading clinical research institutes