Medical Tourism Offers Treatment Opportunities for Patients from Canada

---

---

Necessity of Medical Tourism Draws Patients from Canada

Affordable healthcare and access to much needed medical procedures can often be just a dream for the middle class section in Western society.  According to the Fraser Institute, the total wait time for patients in Canada in 2006 was 17.8 weeks, up from 17.7 weeks in 2005.  This extended waiting period for GP consultations and medical procedures has resulted in an increase in medical tourism with patients from Canada.  Medical tourism offers those on long waiting lists in Canada the opportunity to not only reduce their wait times, but also to have access to affordable healthcare options.   

Affordable Healthcare Can Save Lives

Bone marrow transplants are used in patients who have blood disorders such as acute leukaemia.  Their own marrow is destroyed and replaced with clean, donor marrow.  Often, it is hard to find a bone marrow donor, and even when one is found, bone marrow transplants can cost around $250,000 (USD).  Therefore, patients often make use of medical tourism to India to have their bone marrow transplant, and this allows them access to affordable, lifesaving healthcare.  

It is important that timely and affordable healthcare is accessible to those who need bone marrow transplants since without the operation, the chances of death are extremely high. Bone marrow transplants have a success rate of 90%, and this rate is also achieved outside of western countries, making medical tourism to India popular for bone marrow transplant patients.  

Medical Tourism in India Offers Life Saving Bone Marrow Transplants

Medical tourism in India allows bone marrow transplant patients to receive the life saving procedure for around $30,000 (USD), a fraction of the cost they would pay back home.  Indian hospitals perform this life saving surgery with the same 90% success rate as hospitals in Europe and the UK, who, because of their reduced infrastructure costs, are able to pass the savings onto their patients.  Having the procedure in a country which is leading the global medical tourism success story, allows bone marrow transplant patients access to affordable healthcare and a chance at a new life.