A 62-year-old Nelson woman in need of urgent double hip replacement surgery is among ten New Zealanders preparing to travel to India next month for medical treatment, after being unable to afford private surgery locally and facing long delays in the public health system, Stuff has reported.
The woman, who previously led an active life, has suffered from severe leg pain for years. Her condition worsened when the pain spread to her hips, leaving her unable to walk. She used her savings to consult a specialist in Blenheim, who informed her that she required an urgent double hip replacement. According to the specialist, her left hip was beyond repair, and her right hip was rapidly deteriorating.
She has since been prescribed opioid medication and placed on a public waitlist for treatment. However, her mobility has continued to decline, and she told Stuff that she is now in excruciating pain and unable to care for her family. The estimated cost of up to $100,000 for private surgery in New Zealand made local treatment financially unviable.
After reading a Stuff article about Kiwi nurse Claire Olsen, who saved over $60,000 by undergoing a double hip replacement in India, the woman contacted medical tourism agent Jackie Brown. She is now one of ten New Zealanders travelling with Brown to Mumbai in September for surgery.
According to a July report by KPMG, treatment in India can cost up to 90% less than in Western countries, with complex procedures such as heart bypasses offered at a fraction of the global price. The report noted that this pricing makes high-quality care widely accessible.
Brown said that since Olsen’s story made headlines, she has received a flood of inquiries. A former academic and lecturer with expertise in global medical tourism, Brown also organises tours to Mexico for bariatric surgery and to Thailand for cosmetic procedures. She noted that India is rapidly emerging as a world leader in medical tourism.
Brown explained that she was initially concerned that the average New Zealander might be hesitant to consider India, but perceptions are changing. She said that after 17 years of organising medical tours, she finds Indian hospitals offer an unmatched level of care — describing them as real working hospitals that exceed the quality typically expected in New Zealand. She added that patients receive daily physiotherapy sessions, regular doctor visits, attention from nutritionists, and consistent cleaning, which she described as holistic care not often seen elsewhere.
Brown cited long public waitlists, rising health insurance costs, and steep private healthcare fees in New Zealand as reasons why many Kiwis are now looking overseas for medical treatment. She said some of her clients have waited months just to see a specialist, only to be told they are years away from qualifying for surgery.
When asked about the growing number of New Zealanders seeking surgery overseas, Health Minister Simeon Brown told Stuff that his focus remains on ensuring timely, quality healthcare for all citizens. He said the Government is progressing with its elective boost programme, aiming to deliver an additional 21,000 elective treatments over the next year through coordinated efforts between public and private providers.
Dr Chellaraj Satyasdas Benjamin, a leading Oncologist in New Zealand, told The Indian Weekender earlier last month that Indian 
hospitals offer a viable solution to rising surgery costs in countries like New Zealand and Australia.
“Surgeries in New Zealand and Australia are costly,” Dr Benjamin said. “A cardiac surgery that costs around $100,000 in a private centre in Auckland can be done in India for $20,000.”
Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Dr CS Benjamin has worked as a cancer specialist for the past 30 years at the Auckland Public Hospital where he has treated more than 500 patients a year. He was the Clinical Director of Radiation Oncology at Auckland Hospital where he efficiently ran the oncology department until September 2007. He has organised several health expos for the community.
He named institutions such as Apollo and Fortis as key players in India's medical tourism industry and suggested that these hospitals could consider expanding into Pacific countries like Fiji and Samoa.
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