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Patients from Scotland a boost to medical tourism

      Edinburgh: Medical tourism is picking up in the country. Patients from Scotland are making a beeline for Indian hospitals, since they get better treatment here at almost one-third of the rates charged in their home country. Another advantage for them is that they don't have to wait in long queues in UK hospitals. And, after getting the required treatment, they also have an option of enjoying an exotic holiday at famous tourist destinations in Dehli, Mumbai, Kerala, Goa, Bangalore and Ghana, reported The Scotsman. The Scots patients are reportedly turning to Indian hospitals after getting 'sick' of medical facilities at the NHS, said the paper. According to it, a few travel groups in Scotland have begun preparing health tour packages for the patients.

     Globe Health Tours - which usually provides entertainment for stag weekends - has already sent 30 patients to hospitals in India, where private surgery is a fraction of the price charged by UK clinics. NHS waiting lists for some procedures are still up to six months and private clinics in Scotland charge pay-as-you-go patients up to 10,000 pounds for hip or knee replacements. But those prepared to travel to India can have the same operations for less than 3500 pounds. Sholto Ramsay, a director of the firm, insisted that he only sends patients to hospitals with the highest standards. "People are coming to us because they are sick of the NHS waiting list and have decided to get on with it themselves. This is not for you if your only thought is to save money. But it does work if you are thinking about having a holiday," he added. He further said: "If you are getting dental implants, for example, it's one day of surgery then the next day you have pretty much got over it and you can have a few days of holiday. It suits women who want cosmetic treatment such as a tummy tuck or a nose job and don't want people to know about it." Ramsay said: "We started off organising stag parties then got into this after talking to some doctors. It's the same thing except with a clinical aspect added on." But Dr Peter Kerry, chairman of the BMA Scotland, said: "Sometimes the training of staff will not be up to the standards we insist on here. Even if the surgeons are fully trained, other staff might not be. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be a risk. It's not advisable to fly long distances after major surgery and DVT is one of the reasons for it. Margaret Davidson, chief executive of the Scotland Patients' Association, said: "If patients want to travel abroad for treatment, and they feel they are safe doing so, and they can afford to, then they should do so. It is just unfair that they are not able to get that service in the UK."
-Dec 11,  2006

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