Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Why Travel Abroad for Medical Treatments?

Stepping outside your comfort zone can be nerve racking, especially when it includes a minor or major medical procedure in a foreign country.Yet, millions of patients every year pack their bags  for various treatments across the globe. The motivation being the ability to save 
money on exorbitant medications and surgeries. Many tourists have saved thousands of dollars by getting dental work, undergoing surgeries, picking up prescription medication, and even giving birth in other countries.

According to healthcare providers, there are a myriad of factors that are responsible for driving up the cost  of healthcare in their home countries. Most people who travel for medical procedures claim that, despite the low cost of health services in other countries, the quality is comparable — or even superior — to that of their home country, with almost almost 85% of 
patients find they received more personalized medical care than in their own country.


Given the high cost of healthcare in Europe and America, medical tourists cite savings as the most common reason to travel abroad for health treatment. For people without health insurance, the difference in cost can be staggering. While uninsured Americans can expect to pay $30,000 for a knee replacement in the US, they could get the same surgery for $12,000 in India.

And even for those who are insured, most health insurance policies do not cover everything. Most medical insurance plans do not cover dental work, cosmetic surgeries, and many prescription medications. Even giving birth in a hospital can be prohibitively expensive. As a result, many would need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket to receive these medical services.

In regards to the quality of healthcare, most of the patients who have traveled abroad for medical reasons, said the quality of healthcare in other countries was excellent — though some reported having a less favorable experience. They are often pleasantly surprised by the modern facilities and the extensive training of the doctors at the hospital. Despite costing a fraction of what it would have back in their home countries, patients receive exceptional customer service, efficiency, and lower costs beyond anything they had experienced back home. Almost 70% of patients rated their medical care as excellent. Almost 86% of the patients said they would travel again overseas for medical care and nearly 27% of patients had previously travelled to a foreign country to receive medical care, most were female, all were between ages 45 and 64.




Also, the government has removed visa restrictions on tourist visas that required a two-month gap between consecutive visits for people from Gulf countries. A visa-on-arrival scheme for tourists from select countries has been instituted which allows foreign nationals to stay in India for 30 days for medical reasons, making medical travel even more convenient for patients.

And lastly, despite India's diversity of languages, English is an official language and is widely spoken by most people and almost universally by medical professionals. In some states, a number of hospitals have hired language translators to make patients from other countries feel more comfortable while at the same time helping in the facilitation of their treatment.

All these factors have catapulted the growth of medical tourism in India and if you would like to learn more about your treatment option here, visit our website healingtrails.co.in or drop us a mail at mail@healingtrails.co.in

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Kerala - Asia’s Emerging Medical Tourism Destination

Envision sparky white sheets of sands, gazing at palm trees in Gods own country. After a long flight, the urge to hit the beach and relax is strong but there’s a bit of business to attend to first: The first stop on the tourist itinerary in this tropical locale is a hospital, to go under the knife for a replacement knee, a minor surgery which costs a fraction of which it would have cost in your home country, even including airfare and wellness-resort stays. You would be just one of the thousands of surgery-seeking vacationers who have packed their bags for Kerala in recent years.

Medical tourism is a huge magnet, attracting thousands of tourists to this southern state of India, dotted with breathtaking beaches, serene backwaters and incredible hill stations to charm its visitors. With Kerala already being on the map as a favourite tourist destination, more and more people are turning towards Kerala’s growing popularity as the preferred option for covering rising in medical costs. There are numerous fine resorts spread out all over the state to provide for the needs of the discerning tourists. With fine tropical weather, warm and friendly people, a great culture and abundant gems of nature, there is something here to charm every back-packer.

Thanks to cheap international travel, a strong pharmaceutical industry, and quality health care which is increasingly making Kerala a preferred medical tourism destination. For example, a heart bypass surgery costs roughly $140,000 without any insurance in the US. The same procedure, however, costs only around $7,000 at one of Kerala’s leading surgery centres.  Procedures such as hip and knee replacement, facelift, and gastric bypass are far more affordable in India, including the travel costs and accommodation, compared to the US. Moreover, these cosmetic procedures are not covered by most insurance providers in Western countries.

Kerala has many top-notch centres for open-heart surgery and paediatric heart surgeries like KIMS hospital and NIMS which are equipped with the latest equipment that is on par with its Western counterparts. Another reason why Kerala is a popular medical tourism destination is the fact that it is also home to a number of Ayurvedic and alternative medicine like Sidha, Unani, Yoga, Acupuncture and Homeopathy which are very popular among foreigners. Such treatment opportunities give Kerala the edge over its competitors like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and the UAE.

So what it like to come to kerala for a treatment? For visitors, it’s like booking an all-inclusive holiday package, with the added bonus of a face-lift or new dentures. And we at Healing Trails ensure your time in Kerala smooth sailing.

We understand it can be hard to keep anxiety at bay, though, when you’re undergoing a procedure thousands of miles away from home, which is why our services cover hospital appointment management and in-hospital support, visa assistance, ticket booking, hotel and accommodation booking, holiday and wellness packages & local transportation arrangement.

From the moment you plan your medical travel till the moment that you board the return flight Healing Trails will be with you throughout the journey to give you an experience that you will cherish and make you feel relaxed and calm. For more information visit https://bit.ly/2GFXYRJ

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