How does the process flow (live examples)

Joseph Berkeley (name changed) from New York was diagnosed with a heart problem. Doctors advised him to undergo a surgery. The cost of coronary bypass surgery is around US $ 28000, not taking into account other additional costs.

Mr. Berkeley is informed of a package in which he can get his medical treatment with a holiday for his family in India for just $ 18000 with all five-star facilities. He then sends his medical reports to doctors from a well anointed hospital in through the US medical tourism agent.

The hospital gives details of the surgery package which is sent to Mr. Berkeley back in New York. Once Mr. Berkeley decides to come to India, the agent gathers details of his interests in tourism in India and the number of family members accompanying him.

Once Mr. Berkeley gives his choice of hospital and holiday itinerary, he signs an MoU with facilitation agent for travel, stay, tours, transit and with hospital for treatment/surgery in India and pays 100% per cent of the total tour package and 25% of the hospital surgery package in advance. He lands in India with three other family members. Once in India, he is taken care of very professionally and empathetically by the US agent’s representatives as regards hotel accommodation, transfers, hospital visits, nursing assistance and admission to hospital. Once he is checked into the hospital, he pays balance 75% of the surgery cost in advance to the hospital where he undergoes a successful bypass surgery.

After surgery, Mr. Berkeley is put up at a spa resort for rest and recuperation. While his wounds heal, his other family members are on a shopping and sight-seeing tour. Mr Berkeley and his family returns to New York when the doctors certify that he is fit to travel.

India has immense potential for medical tourism as medical costs are skyrocketing in the developed world. “In comparison to most developed countries such as the UK or the US, treatments like those for dental problems or major procedures like bypass surgery or angioplasty come at a fraction of the costs in India. Cardiac surgery, for instance, costs one-tenth here compared to the US,” according to CII national healthcare committee chairman Dr Naresh Trehan spearheading the medical tourism mission.

There is no doubt that the Indian medical industry's main appeal is low-cost and yet high quality treatment. Most estimates claim treatment costs in India start at around a tenth of the price of comparable treatment in America or Britain. For example, in April, a leading Indian hospital successfully conducted a complex heart operation on an 87-year-old American patient at a reported cost of $8,000 including the cost of his airfare and a month's stay in hospital. The patient claimed that a less complex operation in America had earlier cost him $40,000.

Other procedures such as diagnostic services also facilitate significant cost-savings. Take the rising popularity of "preventive health screening". At one private clinic in Boston, a thorough men's health check-up that includes blood tests, electro-cardiogram tests, chest x-rays, lung tests and abdominal ultrasound costs $574. In contrast, a comparable check-up at a clinic operated by a Delhi, India-based healthcare company costs $84.