India will with no doubt become the global health destination. It aims to replicate the Thai model, which is still the first Asian destination for International Patients.

With prices at a fraction (sometimes only 1/10th!) of those in the US or EU, the concept has broad consumer appeal – if people can overcome their prejudices about health care in developing countries. The reality is that Indian private facilities offer advanced technology and high-quality procedures on par with hospitals in developed nations.

India is the leading country promoting medical tourism in the world. It is even moving into a new area of "medical outsourcing" where subcontractors aim to provide services to the overburdened medical care systems in western countries. Medical tourism to India is growing by 30% a year and the Indian education system is churning out an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 doctors and nurses each year.

India benefits from a large staff of world class experts and the ultra-competitive cost advantage it offers. While a heart surgery costs $30,000 in the US, it costs $8,000 in India. Similarly, a bone marrow transplant costs $26,000 here compared to $250,000 in the US. You can add to this that Indian doctors are among the best in the world.

Howard Staab, a 53-year-old carpenter-contractor from North Carolina, was diagnosed last year with a serious heart condition. Mr. Staab's doctor recommended surgery as soon as possible. But he had no health insurance. The estimate for hospital care alone was nearly $100,000. The cost for the surgeon, the cardiologist, the anesthesiologist, the radiologist, and the pathologist, along with the cost of a heart valve and prescription drugs, has brought the total up to a staggering $200,000 - assuming no complications. Howard Staab did some research and decided to go to Escorts Hospital in New Delhi, where the estimated cost was under $10,000, including airfare, surgery, and rehabilitation! Howard Staab said, "I was apprehensive in the beginning because I had no experience with India or about the quality of care, and the situation there. But my experience was superb. From the time we arrived at the airport, Hospital people escorted us to the hospital, gave us excellent care. The surgeons and all the staff were extremely professional, kind and caring. Everything went very well and I was so satisfied and impressed with the care".

Most non-urgent Western patients usually get a package deal that includes flights, transfers, hotels, treatment and often a post-operative vacation. There are many brokers specialized on the Indian market.

Medical tourists are also increasingly coming as well for the renewal of Indian traditional medicine such as yoga, ayurveda and meditation and combine this with the western treatments they receive during their stay.

In Bangalore, as in New Delhi, Kolkatta, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, private sector healthcare centers are giving birth to veritable "islands of excellence":

MRSA Facts (METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPH . AUREUS)

++ MRSA killed nearly 1,000 people in British hospitals in 2004.

++ 1% to 1.5% of the total population in European Patients get infected with
     MRSA in the hospitals.

++ The European Commission will circulate the findings of the project and its
     recommendations to hospitals in Europe.

++ The worst is in the South Europe. Turkey is the worst offender but the UK
      is not far behind.

++ The MRSA affects less than 0.05% of the patients treated in the Top
     Indian Hospitals.

SOURCE : - The European Commission and The Centre for Disease Control

Travel to India is best suited for the following treatments:

For CARDIAC SURGERY AND CARDIOLOGY
- Open-heart surgery.
- Angiographies.
- Angioplasties.
- Pediatric cardiac surgery.

For ORTHOPEDICS
- Total knee replacement.
- Total hip replacement / Birmingham Hip Resurfacing
- Bilateral knee replacement.

For OPHTHALMOLOGY
- Surgery for correction of Refraction (LASIK LASER)
- Squint correction.
- Phaco emulsification foldable lens (Cataract).
- Glaucoma.

For COSMETIC PACKAGES
- Facelift.
- Breast Augmentation.
- Liposuction.
- Nose Surgery.

For DENTISTRY
- Tooth extraction.
- Root canal filling.
- Periodontics.
- Prosthetics.

For GYNAECOLOGY
- Laparoscopy assisted vaginal hysterectomy.
- In Vitro Fertilization.

For ONCOLOGY
- Chemotherapy.
- Radiotherapy.