There is an ever increasing list of foreign patients who have undergone successful treatment ranging from cardiac procedures and fertility treatment to orthopaedic and weight loss surgeries in India. The fact that the treatments are much more affordable as compared to other countries also makes India a favourable destination for medical tourism.
The proof can be found in the treatment cost of various diseases as detailed in the following paragraphs.
Heart problems
Cardiac diseases are common ailments afflicting millions of people all over the world. However, the issue becomes more serious when children are born with various defects of the heart which are named as congenital heart defects. Children with congenital heart defects are plagued by a variety of health problems such as cardiac attack, stroke, heart failure and growth problems. Therefore, medical intervention is absolutely essential for correcting the deformities of the heart and enable the patient to lead a normal life. The treatment cost of congenital heart defects in India is about 1/4th the cost in European and other countries of the developed world. The quality of treatment combined with low cost has led to an influx of medical tourists in the country seeking treatment for congenital heart defects.
A number of tests are done by the doctor to determine the type of defect that the child has in his/her heart. For example, electrocardiogram is done to assess the electrical activity of the heart in order to detect rhythm problems or chest x-ray is performed to find out whether or not the heart is enlarged. Other tests include pulse oximetry and echocardiogram.
The surgeon can fix the defect without employing surgical procedures by a method known as cardiac catheterization. However, in case of major defects, surgery is the only option. In case the defect cannot be ascertained by the doctor, heart transplant is performed. Thus, congenital heart disease treatment cost in India is naturally affected by the type of procedure being performed.
Fertility Treatment
Childless couples who are not able to conceive a child are increasingly turning towards India for conceiving a child through assisted reproductive techniques or removing impediments from the reproductive system that are preventing conception.
In Vitro Fertilization cost in India is about $3500. This is an assisted reproductive technique in which an egg is fertilized by a sperm in a laboratory dish and transferred to the uterus of the mother.
Fibroid treatment is a surgical procedure to remove fibroid from the uterus followed by its repair and reconstruction. Fibroid causes a number of problems which prevent the woman from conceiving. The cost of fibroid treatment in India is about $2200.
Orthopaedic Treatment
Knee replacement surgery is an orthopaedic surgical procedure that is used to resurface the knee joint. The damaged knee joint is replaced with an artificial knee joint. The knee joint is either partially or completely replaced. The cost of knee replacement surgery in India is about $4200.
Hip replacement surgery is another procedure in which the hip joint afflicted with arthritis is replaced with an artificial hip joint. Cost of the procedure is around $5700.