India fills medical gap

Need a new hip? Go to India and save a bundle

Getting treatment beforehand and paying up to 90% less – that is possible in India. That eye-opening fact is the most surprising from what emerged from the convention held last weekend in Toronto. The main objective was to look at what can be learned from New Delhi’s private health care system, which has been growing at a dizzying rate over the past year and today is able to offer at moderate costs – up to 90% less – treatments that require long wait times in Canada or that are exorbitant if one travels to the U.S. for treatment.
The premise of many sector workers in Toronto from the subcontinent, and also that of some Canadian experts, is that there is now an alternative: fly to India. It’s not an option for every illness, but the testimony of those choosing to make the trek across the world to alleviate suffering is clear: “It’s like buying back one’s own life.” This is the kind of testimony that Janet Walker, University of British Columbia professor, makes reference to in her speech explaining how patients in the study she conducted found themselves waiting up to three years for the required surgical procedures: 18 months wait period for the first consultation and another 18 months before arriving at the operating room. It’s a difficult situation, explains the expert, that can burden the lives of many Canadians for years.
“They’re not for essential surgeries – they are wait times deemed acceptable by teams of experts,” she explains. “But wait times of several months are not easily tolerable for those in constant daily pain.”
Many Canadians, to put an end to their pain, decide to travel abroad: half decide to travel to the U.S., 20% to India, and another 20% to Europe. Medical expenses for those deciding to travel abroad for treatment are reimbursable by the province. But the reality, explains Walker, is that “getting reimbursed is very difficult.”
And prices paid south of the border by the one in two Canadians who travel abroad are anything but moderate – a hip replacement can cost $35-40,000. In India, it would cost $14,000, including the flight and a rest stay at a five-star hotel.
“Someone coming to us can save up to 90%,” explains Pradeep Thukral, executive director of the Indian Medical Travel Association – and not to the detriment of quality. On this issue, Thukral explains that the private health care sector in India is in rapid expansion, as almost all other industries on the subcontinent are.
“Many of these hospitals were created in recent years and feature avant-garde equipment on an international level,” Thukral says.
And the personnel are top-quality as well. The proof is the fact that “one in 20 doctors in the U.S., where many Canadians travel for treatment, is from India.” Furthermore, she adds, due to the rapid expansion of private health care, many of these doctors now wish to return to their homeland – further proof that there is the same level of treatment in India as in the U.S.
The only apparent problem is the distance to India – not everyone can afford the travel expenses.
“What we can offer are surgeries that do not require continuous follow-ups,” says Thukral. “Simply put, travel to India is possible for those who, for example, require orthopedic surgery, while traveling to the subcontinent is not advised for those with cancer who would require further checkups."
Walker’s opinion on this last point is that beyond the type of illness, a more important factor is the current condition of the patient who is considering travel.

Publication Date: 2009-11-29
Story Location: http://www.tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=9628