Surat :
Dr Harshad Joshi, a knee replacement surgeon, would be performing nearly 200 surgeries during November-December.
Around 70 per cent of his patients who would be operated upon during this period are non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) from the USA, the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Specialized and planned surgeries have become a lucrative business for the city doctors. Also medical tourism is picking up in south Gujarat.
Five years ago, just 10 per cent of NRGs from south Gujarat used to plan medical treatment to coincide with visit to their native places. Now, this percentage has gone up to 60 per cent, medical fraternity sources said.
In south Gujarat, the peak months for the NRG visit are November, December, January and February. It is during this period that the doctors work overtime to attend to the huge number of patients coming for ophthalmology, knee and joint replacements and spine surgeries.
“A simple Lasik treatment that costs $ 3,000 abroad can be done here for Rs 25,000. With falling rupee, it is not only affordable but more than affordable for the NRGs,” said Dr Paresh Vaidya, ophthalmologist.
A simple knee-joint implant is available for Rs 90,000 in India as against $80000 in foreign countries. As a result, many NRG patients, who are without insurance in the USA and the UK, pre-plan their treatment during the visit to their home towns in India.
Dr Harshad Joshi, a knee-replacement expert, told TOI, “The treatment here is affordable. It is a huge saving for the NRGs. We have started receiving bookings from NRIs in South Africa and the UK.”
Cervical disc surgery is done in Surat for Rs 1.5 lakh. But, it costs nothing less than $10,000 abroad.
“The cases of NRGs coming to India for spinal surgeries have gone up. It is not as big compared to knee-replacement or eye surgery cases, but there has been a steady 10 per cent increase year-on-year basis,” said Dr KC Jain, a neuro-surgeon.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Surat> Medical Tourism / by Himanshu Bhatt & Melvyn Reggie Thomas, TNN / September 13th, 2013
