Medical Tourism: The Other Side of the Coin

By Sanjana Antony

Medical tourism is a phrase that has become a rage among westerners these days. It is a practice that conjures up images of dream exotic vacations in beautiful locations in India while getting treatment for various illnesses during the same trip. It has become so popular that people abroad, who are fed up with rising prices of hospitalization and treatment in their respective countries, decide in favor of getting treatment in India as they know they can save a lot of money in the process and also get luxurious holidays in the bargain. However, despite various advantages, there are several negative features of medical tourism in India that will be enumerated in this article.

It is true that India enjoys a big lead in terms of cost effectiveness over its rivals when it comes to prices of hospitalization and critical care facilities. Even the skills of its doctors are second to none as is evident from the praise they receive from celebrities who have undergone their treatment. However, all this does not automatically translate into a dream vacation while one gets high quality treatment for his illness. There are some disadvantages that are inherent in medical tourism and require attention of all those planning to take a lunge in medical tourism.

Weak malpractice laws

It is an open secret that India has a poor record when it comes to protecting the interests and rights of patients. In the eventuality of something going wrong during or after the surgery, it is very hard to sue a doctor or the hospital and to get a compensation that is commensurate with the level of problem. It is this lacuna in the jigsaw puzzle that has the capacity to derail the entire concept of medical tourism. After all, who would like to compromise with the quality of legal help or assistance that one easily gets back home in lieu of a saving of a few thousand dollars?

Forgoing warmth of family care for the saving

Savings are the prime motivating factor in medical tourism but you certainly cannot bring along your near and dear ones as that would escalate the cost. This means you will have to recuperate on your own without the warm care of your family members. How far are you willing to compromise for the sake of saving that would allow you to spend some time in a vacation?

Is there something behind the fine print?

No matter how much skilled the doctors may be, you are still setting foot in an unchartered territory. You are never sure about the quality of services as well as standards of rules and regulations that are followed in the medical setting that you are used to in your own country. Is the compromise in the quality of pre and post operative surgery the reason why the same procedure in your own country is so exorbitantly high? Last but not the least, there is an increased risk of catching infection as patients are in a hurry to enjoy their vacations and take little precautions and care after their surgery is over.

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