Medical Tourism in India Offers Cheap Health Care for Tourists

Cheap Health Care in India

Life saving health care can be out of the financial reach of many people in Western countries.  For such uninsured and underinsured foreigners, however, India is emerging as a safe and affordable option for cheap health care. New success stories of patients who travel to the country for medical procedures are created everyday.  Like James Shipp who traveled to India with his 58-year-old cousin who needed a life saving cardiac surgery.  Faced with an exorbitant $200,000 price tag in American hospitals, the Shipps chose a medical jaunt to India where the entire procedure cost just $20,000. The surgery was a success, and the Shipps have nothing but praise for their medical tourism experience in India.  Thanks to the Indian government’s promotional campaign advertising “first world treatment at third world prices,” the number of foreign medical tourists who flock to the country for such cheap health care services is growing by leaps and bounds.  

Safety and Affordability of Medical Tourism in India

A visit to the Escorts Heart Institute and Research Center in New Delhi will reassure those who remain doubtful of the safety of medical tourism in India. Operating theaters are well maintained and boast of the most sophisticated equipment. Add to that the fact that the Escorts Heart Institute performs close to 5,500 operations a year, and you have a facility manned by specialized doctors who have clocked in many valuable hours of experience performing intricate cardiac procedures. The success rate of these operations is 99.2% and this high rate, coupled with the extremely competitive pricing attracts patients from over 60 nations around the world.  In fact, foreign patients account for about 10% of the hospital’s annual roster.  

For those who wonder how Indian hospitals are able to offer such cheap healthcare, the answer lies in the lowered labor costs in the country.  In addition, Indian surgeons are not faced with high cost law suits like their American counterparts are and hence, they can offer prices ranging from $6,000 for a cardiac procedure to $26,000 for a bone marrow transplant. 

Medical Travel Insurance in India

Indian Tourism Minister, Ambika Soni, has introduced a “medical visa” system for patients opting for medical tourism to India. These visas are issued for a year and extend to companions as well.  Soni also encourages patients to use the extended time period on their medical visa and the money saved on their medical procedure to enjoy other tourist activities around the country.  Patients can also spend the money saved to secure good medical travel insurance to cover their stay in India. The high standards at Indian hospitals and their elevated success rates for medical procedures, it is believed, will also help lower the cost of medical travel insurance to India.