Originally Published: 2009-11-29

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“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.

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