Medical Tours
Need for Medical Tourism Facts & Figures Facilities Available in India
 
 
 
1. Apollo Hospitals Group - Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad & Madurai


Need for Medical Tourism

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as provision of 'cost effective' private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and other forms of specialized treatment. This process is being facilitated by the corporate sector involved in medical care as well as the tourism industry - both private and public.

Medical or Health tourism has become a common form of vacationing, and covers a broad spectrum of medical services. It mixes leisure, fun and relaxation together with wellness and healthcare.

The idea of the health holiday is to offer you an opportunity to get away from your daily routine and come into a different relaxing surrounding. Here you can enjoy being close to the beach and the mountains. At the same time you are able to receive an orientation that will help you improve your life in terms of your health and general well being. It is like rejuvenation and clean up process on all levels - physical, mental and emotional.

Many people from the developed world come to India for the rejuvenation promised by yoga and Ayurvedic massage, but few consider it a destination for hip replacement or brain surgery. However, a nice blend of top-class medical expertise at attractive prices is helping a growing number of Indian corporate hospitals lure foreign patients, including from developed nations such as the UK and the US.

As more and more patients from Europe, the US and other affluent nations with high medicare costs look for effective options, India is pitted against Thailand, Singapore and some other Asian countries, which have good hospitals, salubrious climate and tourist destinations. While Thailand and Singapore with their advanced medical facilities and built-in medical tourism options have been drawing foreign patients of the order of a couple of lakhs per annum, the rapidly expanding Indian corporate hospital sector has been able to get a few thousands for treatment.

But, things are going to change drastically in favour of India, especially in view of the high quality expertise of medical professionals, backed by the fast improving equipment and nursing facilities, and above all, the cost-effectiveness of the package.

As Indian corporate hospitals are on par, if not better than the best hospitals in Thailand, Singapore, etc there is scope for improvement, and the country may become a preferred medical destination. In addition to the increasingly top class medical care, a big draw for foreign patients is also the very minimal or hardly any waitlist as is common in European or American hospitals. In fact, priority treatment is provided today in Indian hospitals

The Apollo Group, Escorts Hospitals in New Delhi and Jaslok Hospitals in Mumbai are to name a few which are established names even abroad. A list of corporate hospitals such as Global Hospitals, CARE and Dr L.V. Prasad Eye Hospitals in Hyderabad, The Hindujas and NM Excellence in Mumbai, also have built capabilities and are handling a steadily increasing flow of foreign patients. India has much more expertise than say Thailand or Malaysia. The infrastructure in some of India's hospitals is also very good. What is more significant is that the costs are much less, almost one-third of those in other Asian countries.


Facts & Figures

India offers world-class healthcare that costs substantially less than those in developed countries, using the same technology delivered by competent Specialists attaining similar success rates

If a liver transplant costs in the range of Rs 60 lakhs-70 lakhs in Europe and double that in the US, a few Indian hospitals, such as Global in Hyderabad, have the wherewithal to do it in around Rs 15 lakh-20 lakhs. Similarly, if a heart surgery in the US costs about Rs 20 lakhs, the Chennai-headquartered Apollo Hospitals Group does it in roughly Rs 2 lakhs.

Procedure Charges in India & US (US $):

Procedure
Cost (US$)
United States
India
Bone Marrow Transplant
2,50,000
69,000
Liver Transplant
3,00,000
69,000
Heart Surgery
30,000
8,000
Orthopedic Surgery
20,000
6,000
Cataract Surgery
2,000
1,250

Here's a brief comparison of the cost of few of the Dental treatment procedures between USA and India

Dental procedure
Cost in US ($)
Cost in India ($)
General Dentist
Top End Dentist
Top End Dentist
Smile designing
-
8,000
1,000
Metal Free Bridge
-
5,500
500
Dental Implants
-
3,500
800
Porcelain Metal Bridge
1,800
3,000
300
Porcelain Metal Crown
600
1,000
80
Tooth impactions
500
2,000
100
Root canal Treatment
600
1,000
100
Tooth whitening
350
800
110
Tooth colored composite fillings
200
500
25
Tooth cleaning
100
300
75

In India, the Apollo group alone has so far treated 95,000 international patients, many of whom are of Indian origin. Apollo has been a forerunner in medical tourism in India and attracts patients from Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The group has tied up with hospitals in Mauritius, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Yemen besides running a hospital in Sri Lanka, and managing a hospital in Dubai.

Another corporate group running a chain of hospitals, Escorts, claims it has doubled its number of overseas patients - from 675 in 2000 to nearly 1,200 this year. Recently, the Ruby Hospital in Kolkata signed a contract with the British insurance company, BUPA. The management hopes to get British patients from the queue in the National Health Services soon.


Facilities Available in India 

Indian corporate hospitals excel in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, joint replacement, orthopedic surgery, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, transplants and urology to name a few. The various specialties covered are Neurology, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, ENT, Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Neurology, Urology, Nephrology, Dermatology, Dentistry, Plastic Surgery, Gynecology, Pulmonology, Psychiatry, General Medicine & General Surgery

The various facilities in India include full body pathology, comprehensive physical and gynecological examinations, dental checkup, eye checkup, diet consultation, audiometry, spirometry, stress & lifestyle management, pap smear, digital Chest X-ray, 12 lead ECG, 2D echo colour doppler, gold standard DXA bone densitometry, body fat analysis, coronary risk markers, cancer risk markers, carotid colour doppler, spiral CT scan and high strength MRI. Each test is carried out by professional M.D. physicians, and is comprehensive yet pain-free.

There is also a gamut of services ranging from General Radiography, Ultra Sonography, Mammography to high end services like Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Digital Subtraction Angiography along with intervention procedures, Nuclear Imaging. The diagnostic facilities offered in India are comprehensive to include Laboratory services, Imaging, Cardiology, Neurology and Pulmonology. The Laboratory services include biochemistry, hematology, microbiology, serology, histopathology, transfusion medicine and RIA.

All medical investigations are conducted on the latest, technologically advanced diagnostic equipment. Stringent quality assurance exercises ensure reliable and high quality test results.


APOLLO HOSPITALS GROUP
Located at Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad & Madurai

The Apollo Hospitals Group is today recognized as the "Architect of Healthcare" in India. Its history of accomplishments, with its unique ability of resource management and able deployment of technology and knowledge to the service of mankind, justifies its recognition in India and abroad. Their mission is "to bring healthcare of international standards within the reach of every individual. We are committed to the achievement and maintenance of excellence in education, research and healthcare for the benefit of humanity"

Apollo's capabilities have received international acclaim resulting in the replication of its Indian models at international locations. Apollo group is also in talks with private healthcare groups and government authorities in Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Mauritius, Yemen, Muscat, Bahrain, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and other neighboring countries to establish its presence

World Class Clinical Efficiencies
 
Among the few providers of quaternary care for complicated medical conditions, Apollo saves millions of lives everyday
Touched the lives of over 10 million patients till date.
Over 4,00,000 Preventive Health checks done.
Has the largest and the most sophisticated sleep laboratories in the World.
Has pioneered orthopedic procedures like Total Hip and knee replacements, the Illizarov procedure, and the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing technique.
Has performed over 750,000 major surgeries and over 10,00,000 minor surgical procedures till date.
Has performed over 49,000 cardiac surgeries at a 98.5% success rate.
Has performed over 2,00,000 angiograms, 16,200 angoplasties (PTCA) and 3,500 mitral balloon valvuoplasities.
First heart transplant patient is alive, 7 years after the operation.
Has performed over 9,400 renal transplants.
130 Bone Marrow Transplants performed at high success rates.
Over 30 Liver transplants done (Live and cadaver)
Has over 4,000 specialists and super specialists, 3,000 medical officers spanning 53 clinical departments in patient care.

International Affiliations

Apollo Hospitals is recognized as a training centre by the National Board of Examination in India for post-graduate training in 16 medical departments.
The Department of Radiology at Apollo is recognized by the Royal College of Radiologists, United Kingdom for training for fellowship examinations like FRCR.
Recognized as a centre for conducting research work leading to Ph.D. of the Anna University, Chennai, in medical physics and digital signal processing.
Apollo Hospitals is recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Edinburgh for training postgraduates in radiology, surgery and trauma care.
Apollo Hospitals is the only International training organization for the American Heart Association Technical support from Texas Heart institute and Minneapolis Heart Institute for Cardiology and Cardio Thoracic surgery.
Apollo Hospitals has exchange programs with the Hospitals in the US and Europe.
Apollo Hospitals have an association with Mayo Clinic & Cleveland Heart Institute, USA.
Apollo Hospitals is also associated with Johns Hopkins University.


ESCORTS HEART INSTITUTE & RESEARCH CENTRE

Located at Delhi and Faridabad

Escorts is steadily consolidating its presence in healthcare, which is likely to emerge as the largest service sector industry. Currently, Escorts is operating three large hospitals in New Delhi, Faridabad and Amritsar. Together with 11 heart command centres and associate hospitals, Escorts is managing nearly 900 beds.

Escorts excellence in providing healthcare services has received due recognition. Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre (EHIRC), New Delhi, has been ranked as the best cardiac hospital in India by an Outlook-Cfore survey and has been given the highest grade by CRISIL - an acknowledgement of the quality of delivered patient care.

EHIRC is a leader in the fields of cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology and cardiac diagnostics. The Institute has introduced innovative techniques of minimally invasive and robotic surgery. The Institute's latest addition of state-of-the-art Cardiac Scan Centre providing a combined power of CV-MRI and Smart Score CT Scanner to diagnose coronary artery disease at its very early stage. This facility is the first of its kind outside America. State-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment has made this set-up technically the largest and the best dedicated cardiac hospital in the world. The 332-bed Institute has nine operating rooms and carries out nearly 15,000 procedures every year.



DR. VIVEK SAGGAR'S DENTAL CARE & CURE CENTRE

Located at Ludhiana

Dental Care and Cure Centre is, centrally located in Ludhiana, easily approachable from any part of Punjab by rail or road. It takes not more then two hours from any part of Punjab to reach this place. Theirs is a 6 chair operatory with an in house dental lab, the Dental Caps, Crowns and Beyond Dental Lab, which has been designed on the European standards. The office has been designed to provide an environment of comfort that combines exceptional skill levels, a respectful approach to treatment, Clinical and technical excellence with an individualized care approach by providing the most advanced, optimal dental care to the best of our ability.

Theirs is a full service cosmetic and general dental office specializing in creating beautiful smiles. The in house facility of Dental Caps, Crowns and Beyond ... Dental Lab gives them the unmatched time advantage plus international quality control. For NRI's and foreigners they provide special care in the form of appointments at a short notice and the work is completed within the span of 3-5 days keeping in mind your tight schedule.

Service Spectrum

Standard Procedures:

Oral Prophylaxis (gum cleaning & polishing)
Sub Gingival Root Planing
Invisible Composite Fillings
Simple Tooth Extractions
Root Canal Therapy

Advanced technology:

Smile Designing
Crown & Bridge Work
Tooth Whitening
Dental Implants (single tooth or entire set of teeth)
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (third molar extractions, apicoectomy surgeries, management of mandible fractures)
Geriatric Patient (partial & complete dentures, implant supported dentures, complete extractions under local anesthesia)
Diagnostic & Preventive (cancer screening, occlusal splints, tooth desensitization)
Care of the Child Patient (fluoride treatment, milk teeth as well as permanent teeth restorations, preventive orthodontics, fixed orthodontics, habit breaking appliances, sedation dentistry (licensed anesthesiologist))

The Lab

Dental Caps, Crowns and Beyond Dental Lab was established in with the goal of supporting Dental Care and Cure Centre and providing dentists of north India with restorations of superior quality and value. The lab has been set up as per European standards. They specialize in crown & bridge Metal Ceramic and Metal Free Ceramic restorations. Their highly skilled technicians with state-of-the-art techniques, materials, and equipment guarantee exceptional quality restorations with correct fit and shading. Quality is the cornerstone of their work. They were the first lab in north India to start metal free ceramic work.



NM EXCELLENCE

Located at Mumbai

NM Excellence was formed from one man's vision to provide a healthier future for the citizens of Mumbai. Established in 2001 by M.D. Radiologist Dr. Nilesh Shah, this modern and sophisticated preventive health checkup centre aims to revolutionize the way healthcare is perceived and practiced in India. Backed by over two decades of diagnostic experience under the banner of NM Medical, NM Excellence employs the latest, top-of-the-line imagining modalities, operated by qualified and professional doctors, with a friendly and efficient staff to make a client's experience as memorable as possible. Having viewed the vast range of diseases that can be prevented if detected early enough through its diagnostic experience, NM Excellence philosophizes that a preventive health checkup in today's day and age is an absolute must

NM Excellence is one of Mumbai's foremost preventive healthcare centres boasting of top-of-the-line diagnostic equipment, highly qualified doctors, a well-trained service staff, and a professional yet warm environment that makes one feel at home immediately.

Health Packages

Their diagnostic experience has guided them in forming their health packages for different age and professional categories of people. They believe their health plans are comprehensive enough in covering the entire spectrum of life-threatening ailments you face in today's fast-paced, constantly stressful world. The health plans range from those for busy executives, to senior citizens, from housewives to working women, from kids to pre-employment clients. The health plans are most affordably priced, mostly discounted to the tune of forty percent

Health Plan for NRI's & Foreigners

The Plan Price starts from US$ 225+ and includes the following:

Pathology Tests
Complete haemogram, test for diabetes, test for liver disease, test for kidney disease, test for heart disease.
Diagnostic Tests
Digital Chest X-ray, ECG, Sonography, Stress Test, 2D Echo, Spirometry, Dexa Bone Densitometry, Body Fat Analysis, Mammography, Transvaginal Sonography
Consultations
Physical Examination by MD Physician, Dental Checkup, Eye Checkup, Diet Consultation, Gynecological Checkup, Pap-Smear

Highlights of the package are:

International Quality of Equipments
Highly Qualified Doctors
Life & Stress Presentation
View Reports on Net
Reports on CD
Health Gift Certificates


PD HINDUJA NATIONAL HOSPITAL & MEDICAL RESERCH CENTRE

Located at Mumbai

An ultramodern hospital on the busiest artery in Central Mumbai, PD Hinduja National Hospital & Medical Research Centre was established by the Hinduja Foundation in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston. The fulfillment of Founder Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja's dream, the 351-bed hospital offers comprehensive services covering the gamut from diagnosis and investigation to therapy, surgery and post-operative care. As a tertiary care hospital, the services offered are comprehensive covering investigation & diagnosis to therapy, surgery & post-operative care.

The inpatient services are complemented with a day centre, out-patient facilities and an exclusive center for health check for executives. Hinduja Hospital was the first multi disciplinary tertiary care hospital to have been awarded the prestigious ISO 9002 Certification from KEMA of Netherlands for Quality Management System

The Hinduja Foundation's quest for up gradation of healthcare facilities in India has prompted it to join hands with the 32,000 member American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI), with the objective of bringing to India well qualified and experienced doctors from USA to upgrade the expertise of HNH doctors, provide quality medical care and continuing medical education; to ensure co-operation in research and pursue joint projects in the fields of: Coronary artery disease, Osteoporosis and Asthma; and to provide consultancy, technology and treatment support to AAPI dispensaries in India on case to case basis

Cutting Edge Technology in Diagnostics

Hinduja Hospital has a fully automated Laboratory Medicine Department. The Laboratory offers over 500 different types of tests some of, which are exclusive. It also offers an emergency / Stat menu of tests with a very short turn around time.

The department participates in International Quality Control programme conducted by the College of American Pathologists, WHO & National Quality Control Programme where it has achieved and maintained a high ranking consistently for a number of years. Imaging forms a key part of the diagnostic facility at the hospital.

Technology Upgrades

The hospital keeps upgrading its technology by acquiring new state-of-the-art diagnostic & therapeutic equipment. Hinduja Hospital was the first in India to acquire the Gamma Knife-gold standard in Radio surgery, a non-invasive neurosurgical tool. The hospital was also the first to acquire the Holmium Laser in the country thus replacing the surgeon's scalpel. The Oncology Services are wholistic & complete with installation of the Linear Accelerator with Multileaf Collimator (MLC) & Micro MLC. The hospital is the first centre in India to have installed the sophisticated state of the art GE-LCA Digital Subtraction Angiography System. In keeping with the quest for continuos improvement in quality & technological advancement, the hospital has recently commissioned the Bone Mineral Densitometer (DEXA), an addition to the Imaging department.



LV PRASAD EYE INSTITUTE
Located at Hyderabad

In October 1987, L V Prasad Eye Institute began the work of realizing its mission to achieve excellence, equity and efficiency in eye care. In addition to treating patients dealing with a wide range of vision problems, LVPEI began to conduct research into eye diseases and vision-threatening conditions, train eye care workers, product development and rehabilitate those with incurable visual disability. The focus, right from the start, has been on providing eye-care services to underprivileged populations in the developing world

Set up as a not-for-profit trust, LVPEI has now come a long way in its journey towards realizing these goals. However, our changing world continues to throw up new challenges and new threats to health, and LVPEI too continues to search for ways in which these challenges can be overcome, in the field of eye health. In partnership with international health organizations such as the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, LVPEI designs and implements innovative eye health programmes that reach people in the most remote rural areas. While the range of our research and training activities is international, our focus is on bringing this quality of care to the poorest segments of India and the developing world. Our successes include the establishment of rural eye health centers that provide high-quality eye care at the lowest possible cost, or at no cost to those to whom such care would otherwise be inaccessible. In fact it is this same model that operates successfully in our nodal center in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. At the L V Prasad Eye Hospital, nearly 50 percent of our patients are treated free of cost.

The Eye Hospital forms the nucleus of the Institute's activities. Designed along the lines of the finest eye hospitals in the world. Patients with a wide range of eye disorders are treated which is staffed by a world-class team of dedicated doctors representing all ophthalmic sub-specialties and a highly competent support staff. The Hospital's comprehensive facilities also include the in-house expertise of physicians, microbiologists, pathologists and biochemists trained to apply their knowledge and skills to eye care.