Is it safe to travel to India?

I have not gone through medical treatment in India, but I have traveled extensively there for business. If you go to any of the premium hotels, the standards are as high, if not higher, than in the the US, and the service orientation typically better. I have to believe that if you go to to the top private hospitals, the standards would be just as high. There is a large segment of the Indian population (large in absolute terms) that is very sophisticated and demands the best.

There are enough numbers traveling for medical treatment abroad. Can we not create a mechanism for collecting data regarding the way they were treated and compare it with the local best. This may be the only way to come out with evidence based reccomedations.

Vijay Agarwal

Executive Director

Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital

As David has said there are first rate hospitals and doctors in India who deliver world class quality of care.  And yes, these "five star" hospitals are nothing like the typical, rather miserable hospitals and medical facilities mentioned in WHO reports.

The infrastructure question is good, and answered well in the first comment above.  The four biggest medical tourism destination cities in India are Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore.  Of these, Mumbai has the least power problems and Delhi the most, especially in the summer months. But thanks to back-up generators, power outages are not a concern in the super specialty hospitals and the upscale hotels where medical travelers generally stay. 

If you're out in the open the Western traveler should be prepared for something of a cultural shock.  The roads may be choked with traffic.  Lots of people may be milling about, with dirt and poverty around.  But once inside the hotel or hospital you'll find it much more like home, and probably better in terms of the attention and care you receive. 

It is highly advisable for medical travelers who are not familiar with India to have someone local to guide and accompany them from the time of their arrival at the airport.  They should use the "meet and greet" facilities provided free or inexpensivlely by the hospital itself, or the local representatives of the independent medical travel facilitators that they may choose to work with.  It is also common at the time of this meet and greet for the medical visitor to be given a locally operable mobile phone with a list of frequently needed contact numbers. 

As already mentioned you should only drink bottled water.  Buy it only from a regular establishment and check that the seal is intact.  Avoid eating anything raw or uncooked such as salads, cold milk and "chutneys" (local sauces that frequently contain uncooked vegetables, spices and/or tap water.)  Some upscale establishments will assure you that they serve and wash or prepare everything with "Aquaguard" (purified, germ-free water) but it's safer to stick to bottled water and cooked food.  Consume fruits only if they are peeled and cut in front of you.  I don't do this myself, but meticulous travelers even brush their teeth only with bottled water.  I don't want to make you paranoid, but diarrhea is an avoidable nuisance and it's better to play it safe.    

These precautions are probably easier to observe than they sound, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend India as a medical travel destination.

 Sandip Madan

http://sandipmadan.blogspot.com/

Yes, of course, it is. Like any country -- even the US -- there are places you would not go into without an escort and places you wouldn't eat in without knowledge. We have millions of road side eateries which for the most part I would never even look at. They are called "Dabbas." But there are some that I eat in regularly. To date, those which I'm sure about I have never had diarreah. Drinkiing water, of course, should simply be bottled, and it's cheap. Roughly thirty cents per liter.

Though you didn't ask, let me tell you about the hotels. There are hotels in the same categories. There are both good and bad ones for $25 per night, but the general range of prices for anything very nice would be the same five star hotels we have in the States and their prices are US not Indian.

It really means that knowledge of what an American would expect is exactly what America's Medical Solutions provides. We are three Americans and we know what you want and need, and would never recommend something we ourselves wouldn't accept. We are here for over 20+ years with extensive traveling and staying throughout the country.

Lastly you asked about "reliable power supplies." Yes, almost all businesses have back up power generators because power outages are a reality. I have it for my affiars and when it goes out, it's business as usual. I may not even notice that it went out.

"Under-developed infrastructure" is a reality, but every day you will see a change here or there that wasn't that way yesterday. If you're living right on top of these changes it seems they take forever, but if you're gone for a fortnight and come back, you're stunned as to the progress.

Finally, there is really no reason for one to imagine they would get ill for any reason if they came here. Knowledge of what to do is essential and we provide that, but at the same time we shouldn't dismiss common sense. No one with common sense would be in trouble. He'd only spend a LOT more than he needs for the lack of knowledge, and he'd miss the things most tourists never get to see and do.

"Saving our patients thousands of dollars on medical of the highest standards!" http://www.americasmedicalsolutions.com