People discuss

? So here is the answer: Patients from UK, Germany, USA, Canada and Australia with serious orthopaedic ailments are being attracted to India. Patients are flocking to India for a number of reasons, the major one being affordable cost.

In India, patients can get a cost-efficient cure, paying a quarter or sometimes even the 10th of the cost that they are supposed to pay in their native countries. Other factors that play a key role in drawing foreign nationals to India include personalised care, high-quality low-cost treatment, skilled surgery, clean hospitals and the absence of hidden charges and intermediaries. The average cost of medical treatment in India is almost 1/6th of that in developed countries.

Not only patients but travellers also are turning to India in search of medical or health tours. They find it an excellent option to team up a tropical vacation with elective orthopaedic surgery. There are many private hospitals in the country offering health tour packages including medical treatment and sightseeing tours. Even for people from countries like Africa, Bangladesh, Yemen, South East Asia and the Middle East, India has become the most preferred healthcare destination.

India is expected to witness a growth of $2.2 bn per year in the medical sector. Today, the country features world-class medical care, high-quality equipment and state-of-the-art facilities. More and more hospitals are busy earning necessary accreditation, conforming to standard medical practises and getting recognised by the government. According to the CII McKinsey Study, medical tourism in India is expected to fetch Rs 5,000-10,000 crore of additional revenue for upmarket tertiary hospitals by 2012.

Orthopaedic Treatment

Day-to-day surgical operations like total knee and hip replacement, hip resurfacing and arthroscopic surgery of shoulder and knee are very much required by medical tourists coming to India. People aged 60 years or above suffering from chronic ailments of the hip and knee are unable to afford surgical treatment in their own countries.

Most of the people (45 million in the US) in the age group of 60-70 also do not possess insurance. A long waiting list of up to a year in the UK for elective orthopaedic surgery also happens to be a major deterrent for patients. Under these circumstances, people with orthopaedic ailments find it a feasible option to travel to India.