Why Harvard Is Coming to India

Brand Name Healthcare Boosts Medical Tourism

Bangalore isn’t the city that springs to mind when you think of medical tourism in India. That honor goes to far more established players in the region like Chennai. India’s Silicon Valley however is saying hello to more than its share of big names in American healthcare.  On Bannerghatta Road, tucked away among the likes of Oracle, Samsung, and other companies that have helped put Bangalore on the map, is a new breed of international brand names.  Here an American visitor will find names like John Hopkins and Tufts University – big names in US healthcare system that have begun to make an impact on healthcare systems in emerging economies.   

Harvard Medical International’s Indian Connection

Wockhardt Hospital is one of India’s fastest growing hospital chains with an established presence in Bangalore, and one of the best hospitals for coronary angioplasty in India.  It’s not yet the largest chain in India, but it’s taking ambitious steps to get there.  A partnership with Harvard Medical International is one way to speed up the journey.  

As one of the fastest growing cities in Asia, Bangalore has had little difficult attracting investments and attention, and thus, hospitals like Wockhardt that boast of international affiliations and advanced technology are seeing a very healthy bottom line.  

Cost of Coronary Angioplasty Surgery

The cost of coronary angioplasty surgery in Bangalore can be up to $3,500, not a small amount by Indian standards, but not out of reach for most patients who walk through Wockhardt’s doors either.  It’s also much lower than what you could expect to pay in the US.  Barely one in 10 patients who arrives at Wockhardt (one of the best hospitals for coronary angioplasty surgery in India) is a foreigner.  The majority are Indians, impressed enough by the Harvard name above the entrance of the hospital to shell out the cost.   

So why exactly is Harvard in India?  It’s certainly not the money.  Healthcare experts say it’s because they realize that healthcare is moving towards an international platform, where healthcare will be of the same high quality no matter which region of the world a person is in.  In this new high stakes global playing field, brands like Harvard don’t want to be left behind.

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