Medical tourism — the practice of travelling abroad to access healthcare — is coming to light, as patients look for affordable alternatives to high-cost procedures in their home countries.
A recent example is that of Claire Olsen, a New Zealand nurse who travelled to India for a double hip replacement.
Speaking to Stuff, Olsen said she saved up to $60,000 by opting for surgery at what she described as India’s “world-class” hospitals.
The procedure cost her around $20,000, compared to an $80,000–$100,000 price tag in New Zealand.
Dr Chellaraj Satyasdas Benjamin, a leading Oncologist in New Zealand, told The Indian Weekender 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.
“With the range of sophisticated medical tools, facilities and equipment, everything is available in India,” he said.
Olsen, the Kiwi nurse who visited India for her treatment told Stuff she found India’s hospitals far more advanced than New Zealand’s “third world system” described the Indian hospitals as internationally accredited and staffed with top-tier surgeons, many of whom had worked or trained abroad.
Olsen advised others considering surgery in India to thoroughly research their options and avoid travelling alone, Stuff reported.
Dr Benjamin noted that while medical tourism is not widely advertised, it continues to grow steadily, with India attracting patients from African nations and the Middle East. He added that some private hospitals in the UK have also started referring patients to India for treatment.
He believes medical tourism will thrive further if it continues to deliver quality care. “Some Pacific Islands definitely need good medical technology and sophisticated treatment in a cost-effective manner, which patients often can’t afford in New Zealand or Australia,” he said.
Dr Benjamin has made contributions to the community in South Pacific. He has worked with NZAID and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for years as the coordinator of New Zealand Medical Treatment Scheme for seven South Pacific countries that includes Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Highlighting the high cost of cancer treatment for Pacific patients — around $30,000 — Dr Benjamin said this remains unaffordable for many. He also shared his personal experience, stating,
“I have personally sent hundreds of patients from Samoa and Fiji to India, and it has gone very well.”
According to Dr Benjamin, expanding India’s healthcare footprint through medical tourism in the Pacific could offer life-changing treatment options at a fraction of the cost.
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