Medical Tourism In India – Worth Doing!

Updated: Sep 28, 2019 @ 8:31 AM

Medical tourism in India
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The Atrium at Artemis Hospital, our medical tourism destination.

Medical tourism in India? Healthcare in India? I can almost hear you ask incredulously. Yes..says yours truly. It is definitely a booming industry. In fact, our visit to India for was for medical tourism, and no..it is not a tour of medical equipment or traditional medicine men, but a profitable business in developing countries.

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India is not only about the Taj Mahal or the other wonderful sights, it is also about excellent medical care. This is something we can vouch for as both my brother and l received excellent medical care.

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Medical Tourism In India:

Medical tourism India , Artemis hospital
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The International room at Artemis hospital which caters to foreign medical tourism patients. We spent a lot of hours in there ๐Ÿ™‚

What is medical tourism?

Medical tourism is defined as people traveling abroad to receive medical treatment. Medical tourism has been around for a while, a long while actually. In the good old days, the norm was for people from underdeveloped or third world countries to seek medical help in the developed countries such as the United States and England if they could afford it.

Health Tourism:

The reasons for seeking out health tourism then differed. For some, it was a matter of perception that medical care was better in a first world setting. For others, specific medical equipment needed might not be readily available in theirย  home country.

Many people considered seeking medical tourism overseas essential for bragging rights, after all, it sounds cool to say you actually flew to the U.S for some surgery ๐Ÿ™‚ . Nowadays though, the tide has changed. Medical care in first world countries has become so insanely expensive that a lot of people are shut out of seeking medical care.

A lot of so called third world countries have picked up the slack and now offer affordable healthcare in their own countries, using state of the art equipment. There are so many types of medical tourism in India, you can just take your pick.

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ย India medical tourism treatments and surgeries include:

  • Dental medical tourism in India
  • Orthopedic medical tourism
  • Cosmetic surgery
  • Heart surgery
  • Weight Loss Bariatric surgery
  • Fertility health tourism
  • Oncology (cancer) treatment
  • Eye surgery
  • Stem cell therapy
Medical tourism India Artemis hospital isolation room
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Isolation room at Artemis hospital in New Delhi (Gurgaon)

Types of Medical Tourism in India and Beyond:

  • Outbound medical tourism – this is when a patient travels from their home country to a foreign country for medical services.
  • Inbound medical tourism – this is when a patient travels from a foreign country back to their home country for medical help.
  • Domestic (Intrabound) – this is when a person travels from one part of their country to another for specialized help, no foreign travel involved.

I first noticed this health tourism phenomenon several years ago while still working as a pharmacist. I would have some patients come in for extra supply of medications and in conversing with them would discover that they were headed to exotic places like Costa Rica, Thailand, and India to undergo surgeries like hip replacement and organ transplants.

You have probably heard of people heading to places like Mexico and Brazil for vanity cosmetic surgeries. Some had no insurance and were self paying. Some, however had insurance and were going with the blessing of the insurance companies who doled out Visa cards for the patient to charge their expenses directly to the insurance companies.

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I won’t disclose names of the insurance companies, but think big..very big..yep! Big!!! It was way cheaper for the companies to pay for the flight of the patient, spouse or caretaker to say Israel, have the operation, private room, rehabilitation etc..total first class care than to have them do the operation in the U.S.

For instance, a liver transplant costs north of $375,000!!! Most patients would have a copay that could amount to thousands. I asked the co-ordinator here at one of the top hospitals in India how much the transplant would cost here, and his answer was about $47,000!!!! Do you now see why it is more cost effective to outsource it? The disparity is mind boggling ๐Ÿ˜‰ .

Photos by Artemis Hospital doctors at work in lab
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Photos by Artemis Delhi Hospital in Gurgaon shows some of the Indian doctors on staff.

Medical treatment for foreigners in India is a booming business. There are also a growing number of insurance companies specialising in foreign medical insurance similar to ones offered in your home country. They are often cheaper for both the patient and the insurance company.

My brother has an autoimmune disease that is causing him a lot of problems. He has been hurting for a while and the decision was finally made to transfer his care to Delhi, India as Nigeria does not have the specialists to deal with it. His previous care had been in the U.S, but without insurance, there was no way to self pay.

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Medical Visa India:

A medical visa for India needs to be issued if you are going there for medical treatment. The first requirement is that you have been examined by doctors in your home country who have recommended further care.

Medical Visa India requirements:

  • Recommendations for further specialised care from qualified medical practitioners in your home country. The official documents from the doctors must be obtained.
  • The required treatments must be serious in nature as not all ailments qualify for a medical visa
  • Passport with 6 month validity and copy
  • Passport photos
  • Your residential address
  • Up to two blood relatives can accompany the patient. Proof of relation is needed
  • Recommendation from your home country doctor to visit a particular specialty hospital or centre in India
  • Your medical history copies of past treatments
  • Medical visa fees, roughly around $150, updated costs can be found here.

I didn’t want him to go through the ordeal alone, and so we made the decision to accompany him. He had to apply for a medical visa through the Indian embassy which was a real pain in the ass. They had this vision of everyone wanting to “stay” in India, which is the farthest thing from the truth.

When you have a third world country passport, you are treated horribly by most countries’. It’s even more horrible when it’s a Nigerian passport ๐Ÿ™ . ย In the end, the visa came through very close to our trip and we had to come at the last minute.ย  l made the detour to Nigeria to pick him up and flew to New Delhi together.

Related Reading: Our honest feelings about New Delhi

Hamayun tomb, one of the amazing sites we visited during India trip
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Hamayun’s tomb in New Delhi. We did get to do some sightseeing during our medical tourism trip to India.

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In the last week and half, he has been poked, pricked, scanned and had every sort of test done. He has been a trooper, and l am happy to say that the tumor found is not cancerous, but part of his condition . This is such a great relief. Having lost my immediate older sister to breast cancer, l definitely did not want to lose my younger brother. He underwent a 13 hour delicate surgery, but l am glad to say he sailed through it fine. His surgeons were amazing.

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Healthcare in India:

I can confirm that healthcare in India is excellent. I decided to get a complete physical since l was already here. I settled on the Gold Package, one of 6 offered by the Artemis hospital in Gurgaon. This package included:

-blood panel with differential

-serum creatinine

-eye exam

-dental exam

-echo test

-lung function

-heart, with treadmill

-thyroid, progesterone, occult stool, pap smear,

-liver scan

-bone density

-whole abdomen with TVS

-mammography

There were some others, a crap load of stuff, and all was done in 1.5 days! A nurse took you to each department, and once done there, you go back to the nurses station and then were taken to the next one. Two days later, my report was ready and l was taken to see a general practitioner who told me everything l already knew ๐Ÿ™‚ ..high sugar, fatty liver, overweight. It totally sucked to hear it still..so of course l have to make some changes, back to the gym.

They were surprised at my lungs, heart, and fitness level..not even breathing hard on their treadmill no matter how steep they set it ๐Ÿ™‚ . Haha..there is muscle hiding under all that fat!!! The grand total of my package? $204.39. I did add on a dental cleaning for a further $17 ๐Ÿ™‚ . You just can’t beat the price.

Why medical tourism in India?

  • Excellent medical care
  • Lower cost for the operation/care but also lower cost for staying at hotels, care facilities for both the patient and for extended family
  • Communication ease. English is widely spoken by locals and medical staff, making it comfortable to make yourself heard.
  • Alternative treatment. Other healing forms of therapy are often practised and are recommended
modern medical equipment in India
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Health tourism in India is a thing. Modern equipment and excellent care. You can’t go wrong.

Top Hospital in India: One of the best

The name of the hospital is Artemis. It is located in a bustling industrial city about 20 miles outside Delhi called Gurgaon. The staff has been top notch. You are assigned a coordinator who herdsย you from place to place and makes sure things run smoothly. So far, we have spent less than $1500 including the colonoscopy and biopsy, whole body pet scan, consultation with the head oncologist, gastroenterologist , urologist and surgeon.

Artemis hospital offers everything from cancer care to transplant to women and childcare, even cosmetic surgery. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to use them again. They are so organized. They will set you up with an Indian SIM card, there is a currency exchange office right in the building.

The cafeteria has great food, including a Subway and Costa coffee. They also arranged for lodging for my brother at a wonderful guest house close to the hospital. They cook him breakfast and drop us off at the hospital daily, all for $23.10 daily at the current exchange rate.

Cow in India on road, common sight on trip to India
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Cow are sacred for the Hindus, so you find them everywhere. These ones were in our way on the freeway.

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Is medical tourism in India worth it?

Yes!! Most definitely! Would l recommend medical tourism in India??? You better believe it! The care is excellent. The hospital is well maintained. They have the latest machines, and the doctors are wicked knowledgeable. The waiting rooms are like a mini United Nations. Really, people are from everywhere ๐Ÿ™‚ . ย I know my brother is in very capable hands. In my mind, this is one of the best hospitals in India from the care we received.

The only bad thing l can say about the hospital is that there is no real privacy. I think it is the norm for all of India though. Nobody knows how to give you a bit of personal space. Even when consulting with the doctor, prepare to have other patients barging in, sitting around you waiting their turn, several patients with several doctors in the same room.

It’s not like anybody gives a crap about your stuff, it’s just very weird when you are not used to it. I did also get to have my Shirley Mclaine moment like in Terms of Endearment when they were wasting time instead of giving my brother a shot of dye the doctor had requested. He was getting dizzy from not having eaten and couldn’t do so until after the dye. After that incident, we had 2 extra people clearing the way and everything went smoothly.

 

Health Tourism India: Updated: My brother came through his surgery fine. He continued to get excellent care. He was assigned a caretaker to help with his diet and get him accustomed to his new lease on life. Even after flying back home, his doctor called often to check up on him which is amazing all in itself. He has been back for a second surgery to remove the colostomy bag and recently went back for post checkup and is doing very well.

He still goes back to New Delhi yearly to have a thorough checkup. The amazing thing is that his surgeon checks up on him constantly throughout the year. They have WhatsApp sessions to check on his health. I find that absolutely amazing. I am very grateful that we sought out medical tourism in India.

Medical Tourism in India #excellenthealthcare #healthcareIndia #health #medicaltourism #Indiasurgery #India #NewDelhi
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Are you fully insured? Would you consider medical tourism as an alternative if you could save lots of money? Which countries would you visit for a nip and tuck or more?

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25 thoughts on “Medical Tourism In India – Worth Doing!”

  1. Romania is also an extremely cheap country when it comes to this matter and many Romanians who live in the Western countries come back here to get things done. However, it’s not other foreigners, as far as I know, who come here for medical tourism. But as long as the quality is there, I see no point in not doing it.

    I remember watching a documentary a while ago that was related to this, in a way: there are also many people who bribe some shady doctors in India to get health insurance money. The guy in the documentary managed to go as far as being able to have a doctor sign his death certificate, which I found to be pretty scary. Of course, these were shady cabinets that looked like shacks with no equipment, and nothing like the one you presented above, which seems to have really modern equipment.

    Reply
    • Romania is definitely on the list of popular destinations for medical tourism. I think it’s great that so many places are picking up the slack. When you get priced out of your own country, you need to get help wherever. A lot of the doctors are also highly educated, quality is definitely there. I know what you mean about shady doctors, l’m sure they are plentiful and take advantage of poor people. I’ve seen the selling the kidneys etc stories. So sad what people do to survive. Today, l met a Russian couple in for tests etc..I was even asked if l wanted a job..lol..in the pharmacy because they needed English speaking ones :-). No..thank you!!!

      Reply
  2. Wow that’s a crazy price for all those tests, although the cost of a plane ticket to India or some other far-flung place would probably set the price in favor of getting those kinds of tests done here. I’m happy for your brother though and hope the surgery is a success!

    Reply
    • I wouldn’t fly there just for simple tests. I don’t think it would be worth it. I did go online to get the average costs of some of the tests, just 4 of them and l am over $1100 without insurance. No wonder people go broke. I wonder even with a copay, if it still pays.. :-). Thanks for the good wishes!!!

      Reply
  3. Wow, impressive facilities. But you nailed it on the costs. About 10 years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and decided to go with the hard core treatment; double masectomy. No way she was going to do it in Canada: we have health care but lots of waiting and red tape because a double masectomy probably not what the doctor would have recommended.
    So she decided to have it done in Thailand where she’s been semi-retired. The cost was about 3k and they kept her about a week if memory serves me right. She has nothing but great things to say about the doctors or the kind nurses that took care of her. She’s happy today with what she decided, nothing to worry about.

    So does that mean we’ll see you in tights and breaking a sweat? And no more photos of cake and stuff….

    Frank (bbqboy)

    Reply
    • Wow! Your mom was super progressive and hip before it became so. I love that! I just wonder why the costs and red tape continues to sky rocket unchecked. How is an average person supposed to afford “affordable healthcare” ? Don’t get me started on the drug prices as well.. ๐Ÿ™‚ . I’m so glad it worked out for your mom. Excellent care at an affordable price ..what a concept right??? ๐Ÿ™‚ . Oh heck no! No sweating here..lol.. Now that the weather is much better, l will go back to walking which l enjoy, and will,cut out fried stuff, and yes, add more salads. The core foods will still be there though. If pasta is going to kill me, then so be it ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ .

      Reply
  4. I’m happy that your brother is getting treatment. At the end of the day it’s the quality of care that ‘s most important and the peace of mind you get especially if you’re far away. All the best to him. I hope the surgery goes well.
    I look forward to all those posts and pics about salads ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Yeah, he is quite relieved to finally get answers he was afraid to get…I think he is ready to just move on after such a long time. He is getting good care, and we are hoping for the best ๐Ÿ™‚ . Hah hah! I will not go crazy with the salads…fruit salad maybe..or Caprese salad..tomato and cucumber salad..will be mixing it up..hah hah..let’s hope l can keep it up ๐Ÿ™‚ . Just don’t hold me to it..

      Reply
  5. Wow it looks so professional and neat! When I was in India, I only noticed very dodgy dentist offices – beautiful posters of smiling people were attached to the incredibly dirty and literally falling apart walls of decaying buildings. And the cows everywhere. Crazy bus and boat rides. Great memories. I suppose that’s the charm of India ๐Ÿ™‚ It was the most eyes opening country I’ve ever seen. Nevertheless, this clinic in your post looks amazing – and the price comparison is shocking.

    Reply
    • It is a very good hospital and l’ve been impressed so far. I know what you mean about the dodgy places, and of course all the reports of shady doctors and organs being harvested. It should be a cause for concern, and one needs to do their homework like we did ๐Ÿ™‚ . I say in my next life, l want to come back as a cow in India..they have total freedom..haha! Insane, at home..a whole lot of pots would be full of cow meat ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ . I don’t know what the boiling point would be for the prices in the U.S for instance to come down, there’s a problem when even the insurance companies have to outsource ๐Ÿ™ . Thanks for the comment, glad you have good memories..

      Reply
  6. After my recent bout in the hospital I would say without a doubt that I will never have surgery in the States again if I can help it. The care and amenities here in Thailand were simply AMAZING! I am glad you found the same in India. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • How nice to have someone corroborate the good care that you receive in so called their world countries! I loved reading about the excellent care you got from the hospital when you had your appendicitis. The cost differential is simply insane!!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  7. I’m very sorry to read about your brother’s health issues. That must be difficult for you, especially since losing a sister. It was wonderful of you to accompany him on that journey; you’re all in my prayers!
    I’ve heard of medical tourism, but I didn’t realize that insurance companies will sometimes actually pay for people to be medical tourists- wow! I feel for your brother; healthcare in the U.S. is such a travesty. I taught kids from families in poverty for many years and their only access to healthcare most of the time was when things were so advanced that they needed emergency services. It’s inhumane.
    I do very much appreciate having full medical coverage in the Czech Republic. It’s a privilege! But the price you paid for a full physical was pretty good, too.

    Reply
    • Thanks Em for the good wishes. It was scary for a while, but happy to say he is getting better. It really is a sad state when even insurance companies need to send their clients out of the country. Something’s got to give, and they have been doing it for a long too :-(, l don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon! I’m sure there is excellent care in your neck of the woods too, it’s one of the go to places ๐Ÿ™‚ .

      Reply
  8. Heeey! *waves*. It has been such a long time, I am trying to catch up on all your posts. I hope your brother is doing better.
    Travelling to India for medical care is a very common thing in Kenya, especially for cancer and transplant patients. There is of course the issue of the cost of treatment here but mostly it is the lack of facilities that ends up making most patients travel to India. I find it very frustrating that our government has lost billions to corruption yet that same money could have been used to build hospitals and improve facilities in the current ones.

    Reply
    • Hello! The groundhog emerges.. ๐Ÿ™‚ !!! Hope you have been good. Yeah, we met a lot of Kenyans on our trip. It is exactly as you say , the lack of medical equipment, just like in Nigeria that forces most to go outside of the country. It sucks for such rich countries to have so many crooks ๐Ÿ™ . You know, l was hearing one of the many corrupt assholes who stole the country’s money who buried so many millions of dollars on his farms a la Pablo Escobar. They needed so many trucks to retrieve the money after someone snitched ( he had refused that person a loan of $5000!). Things are looking a bit up as the new President is rooting out these evil ones..good luck to him and the people.

      Reply
      • Buhari seems serious about fighting corruption, I hope he keeps at it for the rest of his term. As for Kenya… *sigh* a governor approved the purchase of wheelbarrows for Kshs100,000 per wheelbarrow!!(about $980). apparently they’re non carcinogenic *rolls eyes*

        Reply
        • The best part about Buhari is that he hasn’t even begun to act and things are already better :-). A lot of people are shaking in their boots and rightly so!!!yeah, there is a lot to be done still with government waste and corruption ๐Ÿ™ .

          Reply
  9. I live in Spain and I hope I will never be put in the situation to have to fly to another country for medical service, especially as it is provided for free in Spain. One can only hope that in the future things will change and medical service will get to be a basic right provided for free for everyone.

    Reply
    • Yeah..Spain rocks as far as healthcare. We have had to use it recently, and it was aces. It is kind of sad when it’s cheaper to send someone out of the country, and still have it way cheaper…I hope things change as well. It really needs to..

      Reply
  10. Wow. I really should thank my lucky stars that we have free healthcare in Canada and that I can use my husband’s benefits. I have heard of people going down south to get procedures done, but I have never heard of India. Although, when you think about it, it makes sense. A lot of people outsource to India for many things nowadays. Strange as it may be seem, there is the added advantage of being able to tour the country during your stay/recovery.

    Reply
    • Yep! You are lucky indeed. It really sucks that it has to come to this. Outsourcing healthcare. You would think it was a basic thing for all. A lot of retired people move countries because of health care. Which is just sad. We were in the industrial side of Delhi and all the companies had these huge buildings for their call centers, from Amex to banks etc..it has to come to a head at some point. Glad it is an option though, the care is very good .

      Reply

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