MEDICAL TOURISM IN INDIA - 7 MYTHS BUSTED

Hesitating about getting the perfect cosmetic procedure because of the expenses or tired of being stuck on a long waiting list for a joint replacement surgery? Your solution is Medical Tourism in India

Travelling to India for medical treatment is a very important decision to make. This decision should be made wisely based on appropriate research.

The fear of losing out on the quality can lead you to give up on the idea of travelling to India for medical treatment. Before you do that, recheck your facts.

Let’s take a peep at some of the most common myths that might be fogging your judgement about medical tourism in India, and bust them.

Myth 1: Medical Treatment in India ensures bankruptcy

This is a common belief that the cost of travel in medical tourism will consume most of your bank balance and this is not at all true. In the case of India, the overall cost of medical treatment is quite low than the cost of medical treatment done locally.

Moreover, India being a developing country, people coming from developed countries like the US will experience cost savings up to 80-90%. Lakhs of medical tourists have been saving on many procedures like joint replacement surgeries in India. This amount will also include the travel costs and hospital stay besides the medical treatment you have opted for.

Myth 2: Cheap Treatment equals Low-Quality Treatment

India is a developing country and hence the cost of living here is lower as compared to other developing or developed countries. So, cheap treatment is due to the availability of cheap labor.

For years now, the recognition of medical tourism in India has elevated the healthcare quality in this country. The state-of-the-art medical technology in India is at par or even better than the medical infrastructure in countries like the US.

Additionally, most of the best hospitals in India are accredited by JCI, NABH, and NABL that have set an international bar for standards and quality in healthcare services. Many hospitals and clinics have ensured to provide 24-hour care with fully equipped facilities. The medical professionals and doctors are also highly-skilled and experienced that provide the best and successful surgical outcomes.

Hence, all these factors ensure that despite the cheap medical treatment available in India, the quality is not compromised.

Myth 3: Indian doctors are not at par with those in the USA

India owns a large pool of highly-skilled and experienced surgeons as well as medical professionals. Many of the doctors have been educated in countries like the US. They have received quality training and years of work experience and consistently contribute to improving the quality of medical treatment in their home country. In fact, few of the best doctors in India are also counted among the best doctors in the world!

Doctors in Indian accredited hospitals follow international protocols through their stringent practice and performance.

Moreover, many Indian doctors are working in US hospitals, which implies that Indian doctors should not be judged on their abilities to deliver quality services.

Myth 4: The Healthcare Infrastructure in India is substandard

Medical tourism in India is currently booming and the fastest growing market in Asia. Decades of significant growth in the economy has enabled the healthcare infrastructure to grow in India.

The technological advancement and consistent funding for research activities has proved that the infrastructure quality in India is getting boosted at a greater margin. Most hospitals in India are privately owned that are well equipped with modern medical facilities, which easily attract medical tourists from across the globe.

Also, India has over 30 hospitals recognised by the JCI, which is considered as the golden standard in healthcare service. This serves as a proof of good quality healthcare services and not just substandard.

Myth 5: Nowadays, Medical Tourism in India is all about Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery remains a popular form of treatment all over the world and so it is in India too. As discussed earlier, India offers a host of many other medical treatments which include heart surgery, bone marrow transplant, cochlear implants, cancer treatment, spine surgery and and various other options.

An increasing number of emergency procedures are being sought in the neighboring countries of India. For example, a large number of Bangladeshis are traveling to India for heart surgeries. Many medical tourists arrive from Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, and Kenya. Moreover, patients from the US and UK also travel to India to avoid long waiting lists and also to get affordable medical treatment.

Myth 6: Medical Tourism in India comes with a risk of contracting infections

A lot of people are hesitant to travel to India due to the fear of contracting deadly infections. They have a perception that most of the developing countries lack sanitation facilities.

Most of the hospitals in India have adopted the strictest sanitation protocols to match the gold standards of healthcare in developed countries. The hospitals are JCI accredited and thus follow the stringent international laws of infection control.

If you closely compare the rate of nosocomial infections or the infections contracted by the patients in the hospital, the prevalence is much less in India than its Western counterparts.

Myth 7: Medical Tourism in India is not an established industry

Medical tourism in India can be traced back to years now due to the availability of Ayurveda. People from all over the world have been visiting India for cost-effective medical treatment. The industry has been in the news more frequently due to its sudden burst in growth.

According to a report by IMS Health and FICCI, India has nearly 18% of the global medical tourism market. Adding to this, the medical tourism industry in India would be worth $9 billion by 2020. The potential of this industry and its significance has only been increasing every year.

Opting to medical tourism in any country is not a piece of cake and such myths can only make it harder for you to decide the best path. Now that these myths have been busted, all there is left for you is to pick your hospital for your medical treatment and start packing your bags!