How about visiting a doctor abroad?

Although the young American culture does not have the concept of going to the mountains to practice and go to the sea to seek medicine, more and more Americans have traveled across the ocean to seek medical advice in Asian countries such as Thailand and India. Many people left the United States breathless, unable to walk, but came back hale and hearty. Others leave with wrinkles on their faces and come back with youthful looks. In the summer of 25, there were millions of Americans traveling overseas, many of whom were for the purpose of treating diseases and keeping fit. Of course, they went to those ancient Asian countries to treat diseases, not by searching for ancient recipes, nor by asking for immortals to worship Buddha, but by going there to enjoy world-class medical services at the price of the third world.

Thailand: Patient United Nations

Thailand's tourism has always been famous for its temples, beaches and pornography, but more and more tourists come here to stay in Bumrungrad Hospital. This hospital is magnificent and advanced in technology. When it comes to the number of foreign patients, no hospital in the world can match it, so it is called "Patient United Nations". There are more than 5 doctors in the hospital, most of whom have overseas training experience. The key for hospitals to attract so many foreign patients lies in the low cost of medical care compared with western countries. In the United States, it takes 8 dollars to cure the disease, and here it only takes 1 dollars to get it all.

A reporter from CBS once interviewed Byron Bonwill in Shreveport, Louisiana. A year and a half ago, he had a heart attack, and the doctor said that it would take a bypass operation to recover. He didn't have medical insurance, so he paid $1, out of his own pocket. "If you spend all your money to buy a life, it's boring to live. It's better to die." He said.

Bonwill's condition is getting worse and worse. Just one day, he read an article about Kangmin Hospital from Business Weekly and learned that it only costs $12, to do heart bypass surgery there. He went to Kangmin's website, chose a doctor and flew to Thailand in a few days. Three days after admission, I went to the operating table, and after half a month, I went home healthily.

Speaking of Kang Min's medical conditions, Bonwill was full of praise. "All the doctors I met have practiced in the United States," he said. The doctor who operated on him once worked in the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. "I wonder how they have so many registered nurses. In the United States, all you can see in the hospital are nurses and assistants. It is good to have a registered nurse in the hospital. In Thailand, there are eight registered nurses in my ward alone Care is too good to say. "

Thailand is not only cheap for medical treatment, but also cheap for beauty treatment. Kim Atwater of Bend, Oregon, originally went to Thailand purely for tourism, and decided to stop by Kangmin Hospital for beauty treatment. The total cost of the operation was $1,5, including the cost of a single room during hospitalization. Speaking of Kangmin, Atwater is also full of praise.

"None of the hospitals I have lived in America can compare with this one." The ward is like a five-star hotel. There are also clothing stores and restaurants suitable for people of all countries in the hospital. She's right. Kurt Schroeder, the head of Kangmin Hospital, admits that the hospital's business philosophy is to create an atmosphere so that patients don't feel like they are in the hospital.

India: From exporting doctors to importing patients to attract tourists and increase their income with medical services, Thailand can no longer specialize in the United States. India has started to be a leader in medical tourism. At present, in india tourism, in addition to the familiar scenes of crowding and poverty, newly-built luxury private hospitals can often be seen on dusty streets. This is partly because of the increasing number of middle class and partly because of attracting overseas patients.

The returned doctors in India constitute the main body of private hospitals. Although the income is only one-tenth or even one-twentieth of that in the United States, these people resolutely choose to return to China because of their usefulness. Vicars Correy is a pediatric cardiologist who has worked in new york and Miami. He said: "There are 1,5 to 2, pediatric cardiologists in the United States, but in India, there are only four of me."

The most famous private hospital in India is Apollo Group, which ranks first in India and third in the world. Agari Kapoor, director of the group's international patient office, believes that they mainly rely on price advantage to compete with Thailand.

Anne Bell works for the British High Officials Office in New Delhi. She just gave birth in a hospital in India. She said that she was glad that the baby was born in India instead of Britain, because in India, you can stay as long as you want after giving birth, and there is medical care to take care of the baby and mother. "In Britain, as long as it is a normal delivery, you have to leave the hospital within five hours." In a hospital in India, she has a single room and a separate bathroom, which is impossible in Britain, not to mention that there are people who use massage and yoga to recover for her. Moreover, doctors in India are world-famous and all speak English. Maybe the doctor who treated you is the one you met in Europe or America, because all of them have the experience of practicing medicine abroad.

Stephanie Sedmel of Furlong Beach, Florida, has a hip problem, and it will cost tens of thousands of dollars to operate. It happened that her doctor was an Indian, so she had a whim and decided to go to the country where the doctor was located to treat the disease. Although she doesn't have medical insurance, it's not all about saving money to go to India for treatment, because the hip prosthesis she needs has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. Unapproved surgery can only be done in the name of clinical trials, but the price is not cheap at all.

Hip resurfacing has been officially recognized in India, and doctor Vicky Bos, who operated on Sedmel, has performed more than 3 cases. Such an operation costs 2, to 3, dollars in the United States, while Sedmel only spent 5,8 dollars in India. And after the operation, there is a full-time nurse to take care of it. When anything rings, the nurse answers and comes in.

The seaside sanatorium is an hour's drive from the hospital where Sedmel was treated. After the operation, the hospital suggested that she go there to recuperate. "My daughter and I spend $14 a day, including a big breakfast, until 1: 3."

Although these stories of treating diseases by traveling together sound beautiful, they are not without risks. For example, it takes 2 hours to fly to India. Malaria is prevalent in some areas of India, and some patients complain that there is something wrong with their stomachs. If the operation goes wrong, you will have to go to the local court in India to accuse the hospital of dereliction of duty, and you will have to cry and wipe your eyes to admit that you are unlucky. ?