Myth #1: It will be riskier to get treatment in India as compared to Australia. Remember, Medical care always entails risk. Top hospitals in India are accredited by the Joint Commission International - Leadership for Quality & Safety in Health care, which certifies through painstaking periodic inspections that procedures and practices meet international standards for delivering patient quality care. JCI is the sister organization of Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the U.S. hospitals certifying body. And most facilities have management and staff training tie-ups with leading U.S. medical organizations such as Harvard Medical International. Many facilities are super-specialty hospitals, equipped with the most advanced equipment for diagnosis and treatment. These hospitals employ hundreds of highly-trained, experienced and specialized surgeons with impeccable credentials. Many have been either trained or have previously worked in the U.S., Europe or Australia.

Vast majority speaks English fluently and most of the leading hospitals in India recognize that international patients have special needs and requirements. In order to provide a highly specialized service, these hospitals offer seamless patient services of world-class quality. Most of the hospitals boast of a separate and discreet International Patients centre, providing five-star luxuries and maintaining the standards at par with the western hospitals. Myth #2: Indian doctors will not be as qualified as the Australian doctors. India's medical schools are highly rated. What's more, most of India's leading doctors have also studied and worked in the best medical institutions, generally in U.K and U.S.A. Moreover, the doctors from the hospitals /specialty centers in our network keep abreast of the latest technologies accepted worldwide by attending refresher courses from time to time. Their global acceptance can be gauged from the fact that every year, hundreds of renowned Indian doctors visit Europe and USA to teach at leading hospitals and universities by invitation. New and innovative techniques are constantly being adapted and mastered by Indian surgeons who have success rates as good as those in the world's best hospitals.

Myth #3: Benefits are not substantial in going to India for medical treatment. There are significant benefits in traveling to India for your next major medical treatment or it may be incidental if you are planning a trip to India; those in this category are generally cosmetic & aesthetic procedures or minimally invasive procedures such as dermatology or dental procedures. One can save 50-80% on treatment costs. In addition to the treatment cost savings, you can get instant access to any medical treatment, bypassing any waiting lists in Australia. Most of the top corporate hospitals will have a separate section for international patients, offering the five star luxuries, in addition to the best of the healthcare excellence.

Myth #4: I know of people going to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore.. I will be the first one to go to India for surgery. India is a recent entrant into medical tourism. The combination of high quality, world class, affordable surgery costs and Healthcare Services is attracting a regular stream of foreign patients to India. Many people from UK, USA, Europe, and Canada go to India for medical treatment. In 2004, Indian facilities treated an estimated 150,000 medical tourists; the Apollo group alone has so far treated 95,000 international patients... The Indian government predicts that India's $17-billion-a-year health-care industry could grow 13 per cent in each of the next six years, boosted by medical tourism, which industry watchers say is growing at 30 per cent annually. According to a study by McKinsey and the Confederation of Indian Industry, medical tourism in India could become a $1 billion business by 2012.

It is understandable that for many people, travelling to unfamiliar country for medical treatment can sound daunting. That is why knowing someone who has worked in India as a doctor, has understanding of capabilities of healthcare facilities as well as local knowledge of both India & Australia, can prove to be a great asset in making ones treatment choices.