A Palmerston North woman has found relief from years of severe pain through spinal surgery performed in India, describing the procedure as “life-changing.” Faced with long wait times and prohibitive costs in New Zealand, Karolyn Carroll chose to travel to Mumbai, where advanced medical facilities and affordable care allowed her to regain mobility and improve her quality of life, Stuff has reported.
Karolyn Carroll reached out to Stuff after reading about Tauranga nurse Claire Olsen, who opted for robotic double hip replacement surgery in India to avoid years-long waiting lists and an $80,000 cost in New Zealand. Olsen paid $20,000 for her procedure.
Carroll said she paid just $13,000 for spinal surgery in India last Christmas Eve, after being quoted a minimum of $85,000 for the operation in New Zealand, which would have required using her KiwiSaver funds. She said the story of Olsen resonated with her completely and expressed frustration with New Zealand’s medical system, agreeing with Olsen’s view that the country was “third world” in this regard.
After nearly two years confined to a wheelchair and reliant on very high doses of pain medication, Carroll is now walking, attending the gym, working as a nail technician, and has taken up line dancing.
She told Stuff that she was struggling to get adequate help through the public health system despite a referral from her GP to a specialist. Carroll said she was unable to stand for more than two minutes, needed a chair in the shower, and required rest before getting dressed. She also could not drive, leaving her husband to manage their business alone.
Carroll explained that private surgery in New Zealand was prohibitively expensive and would have involved a major operation “cutting me in half, front and back, to work on my lower spine.” In desperation, she researched options overseas and, like Olsen, found India through Indicure, a private healthcare operator that facilitates surgeries for international patients.
Though initially worried, Carroll was reassured by testimonials from other New Zealanders she contacted. She described Mumbai’s facilities as “state-of-the-art,” and said her surgery left only two horizontal scars on her spine. She was able to move the day after surgery and returned home within a week.
Back in New Zealand, Carroll joined Sport Manawatū’s Green Prescription programme, which supports physical activity through trainers and coaches. A coach involved with the programme said Carroll’s participation marked the start of a transformative journey to regain independence following her major spinal injury and surgery. Prior to joining, Carroll had been largely wheelchair-bound, in significant daily pain, and her health had suffered due to prolonged high-dose pain medication use.
Carroll, once fearful of movement, now exercises up to five times a week, walks regularly, and line dances twice weekly. She said she no longer takes opioids.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of New Zealanders are exploring surgery options overseas due to difficulties accessing timely care at home.
The Indian Weekender spoke with Dr Chellaraj Satyasdas Benjamin, a leading Oncologist in New Zealand, in the first week of July, who said 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
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.