surgery in India

[Monty Python]

This caught my eye today, privately forwarded to me by a friend in California:

In today's Los Angeles Times there was an interesting article about
employers who are offering their employees who need elective surgery to have
that surgery in India. The company pays for the entire hospital stay, the
trip for the patient and spouse (friend) and hotel.

It also mentions a consulting firm that is working with several major
companies to offer similar services.

It seems like hospitals here may be placed in a position of doing uninsured,
elderly, poor and very acutely ill patients.

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[militarymd]

Time magazine did a piece on this a few weeks ago.

 

[Laryngospasm]

This caught my eye today, privately forwarded to me by a friend in California:

In today's Los Angeles Times there was an interesting article about
employers who are offering their employees who need elective surgery to have
that surgery in India. The company pays for the entire hospital stay, the
trip for the patient and spouse (friend) and hotel.

It also mentions a consulting firm that is working with several major
companies to offer similar services.

It seems like hospitals here may be placed in a position of doing uninsured,
elderly, poor and very acutely ill patients.

Old Issue. Dont believe that will hurt us in our lifetime.

 

[seattledoc]

two years ago it was "plastic surgery in Thailand". I personally haven't heard of anyone take them up on that offer!

 

[Antibiotix2006]

I guess I can give you a bit more insight about this from the other side. I live and work in India, and my hospital is one of the many here who accepts patients from other countries. There are not too many american patients, but the NHS (UK) sends quite a few here. The reason being that patients do not want to wait several months to undergo elective surgery.

Most patients come to the hospital I work in for orthopedic or neurosurgical surgeries. Cardiac surgeries are carried out in other hospitals. Surgeries are scheduled immediately and is *extremely* cheap. A simple lumbar discectomy would cost about $1000-1500 (Inclusive of hospital stay and drugs).

The level of care is pretty good. Most surgeons/anesthesiologists are very experienced. Hospitals are well equipped. A most of the patients i've interacted with have been happy with their stay here.

However the number of patients that come in are not that high, and it is highly unlikely that medical care will be 'outsourced' anywhere. Its just a different path some patients take for treatment.