Medical Tourism in Developing Countries

50 ● Medical Tourism in Developing Countriesthe point of view of the supplier, namely, what are the costs to the supplierthat enable consumer prices to stay low.According to an UNCTAD-WHO study, India can offer medical servicesestimated at around one-fifth to one-tenth the cost of those offeredby industrial countries. 32 The services provided by Santiago Salud in Chileclaim to cost up to 50 percent less than the services in not only the UnitedStates but also Mexico. 33 Surgery in Thailand and South Africa costs aboutone-tenth of what it would cost in the United States or Western Europe. Aheart valve replacement that would cost $200,000 or more in the UnitedStates, for example, costs $10,000 in India—and that includes round-tripairfare and a vacation package. Similarly, a metal-free dental bridge worth$5,500 in the United States costs $500 in India, a knee replacement inThailand with six days of physical therapy costs about one-fifth of what itwould in the States, and Lasik eye surgery costing $3,700 in the UnitedStates is available in many LDCs for some $730. In India, the cost of coronarybypass surgery is about five percent of what it is in more developedcountries, while the cost of a liver transplant is one-tenth of what it is inthe United States. 34 Moreover, Malaysia offers health-screening packagesthat cost one-half of what is charged in Singapore, and less than one-fifthof the price in United States or UK. 35 With respect to preventive healthscreening, Max Healthcare, operating in New Delhi clinics, charges $84 fora checkup that includes blood tests, electrocardiogram test, chest X-rays,lung tests, and an abdominal ultrasound. In London the equivalent testcosts $574. 36 The Bumrungrad Hospital in Thailand lists prices for thefollowing procedures. A coronary angiogram costs about $3,000 whilebreast augmentation with saline implants sells for $2,000. Cosmetic surgerysavings are even greater: A full facelift that would cost $20,000 in theUnited States costs about $1,250 in South Africa.Even the press has taken to price comparisons. The New York Times reportsthe best deals: “It is still possible to save money in Asia on ready-made suitsor gemstones, but some of the best bargains now seem to be things like open-heartsurgery [italics mine].” 37 The Financial Times reports that according to mostestimates, the cost of Indian treatments begins at about one-tenth of the priceof comparable treatment in Britain or the United States. 38 For example, theMadras Medical Mission in Chennai conducted a complex heart operationon an 87-year old American patient for $8,000, including the cost of airfareand a month’s stay in the hospital. A less complicated version of the operationwould have cost the patient $40,000 in the United States. 39 People and Timemagazines have also jumped on the bandwagon. 40The above examples underscore impressive price savings. Even when avacation package is tacked on to the medical procedure (including airfare,