Talk to the doctor before you get on the plane
Send your reports and speak on video to the Indian consultant who would actually treat you. Not a coordinator, not a call centre. You will know what is wrong, what it would cost and whether the journey is worth making, before you spend anything on it.
Free, and with no obligation to travel. A good number of the people we speak to are told their treatment is available closer to home.
"Send me the biopsy report and the scan. I will tell you honestly whether coming to India is worth it for you."
Our partner hospitals
Why we start with a doctor rather than a brochure
Most medical travel services are built to get you on a plane. The consultation comes after you have committed, and by then the answer is always yes. We do it the other way round, because the most valuable thing we can give you is an honest answer while you can still act on it.
Sometimes that answer is that your treatment is available where you live. Sometimes it is that surgery is not due yet. Sometimes it is that what you have been offered elsewhere is more than you need. We would rather be the service people recommend than the one that filled a flight.
How it works
- Send your reports. Scans, blood results, biopsy or angiogram films, and a few sentences in your own words. Write to us by WhatsApp or email.
- Speak to the specialist on video. The consultant who treats your condition, who has read your file before the call. An interpreter can join, and so can family from other countries.
- Get a written estimate. Covering the treatment, the expected hospital stay and follow-up, so you can budget properly or decide against it.
- Visa and travel. The hospital issues an invitation letter for your medical visa, and a companion travels on a medical attendant visa.
- Treatment, then follow-up from home. Reviews continue by video, with your medication and instructions given to you in writing.
What we cover
Eighteen specialties, with real partner-hospital prices and the expected hospital stay on every page. Start with your condition, or with the procedure you have been offered.
See all treatments with prices, or scans and tests and health checks. If your condition is not listed, a teleconsultation still covers it.
We publish real prices
Most sites in this field quote nothing, or quote a number with no explanation. Every figure on this site comes from a partner-hospital price list, is dated, and states what it includes. Where we have no figure, we say so rather than estimating one.
| Procedure | Indicative cost | Hospital stay |
|---|---|---|
| Kidney stone removal | $2,000 | 1–2 days |
| Thyroidectomy | $3,500 | 2 days |
| Knee replacement | $3,700 | In your estimate |
| Angioplasty, one stent | $3,800 | 3 days |
| Heart bypass surgery | $4,600 | 6–7 days |
| Hip replacement | $4,500 | In your estimate |
| Weight loss surgery | $6,000 | 2–3 days |
| Kidney transplant | $12,500 | 6–10 days |
| Bone marrow transplant, matched donor | $20,000 | Extended |
| Liver transplant | $22,000 | Extended |
See all fifty-plus priced procedures.
Where our patients travel from
The medicine is the same wherever you fly from. What differs is the journey, the visa, whether you will want an interpreter, and what to arrange for once you are home again.
Not listed? Write to us anyway. We help patients from well beyond these nine countries. See all country guides.
What you can expect from us
What we do
- Put you in front of the consultant who would treat you, on video
- Publish real partner-hospital prices, dated, with inclusions stated
- Give you a written estimate before you commit to anything
- Arrange interpreters, visa invitation letters and attendant visas
- Tell you plainly when travelling would not help you
What we will not do
- Charge you. The hospital pays us, so your bill is never marked up
- Quote a figure we cannot support from a real price list
- Promise an outcome, a success rate, or a cure
- Offer to find you an organ donor, which is a criminal offence in India
- Chase you for months if you decide against it
If you are having chest pain, sudden weakness or difficulty speaking, sudden loss of vision, or a limb that has gone cold and pale, go to a hospital where you are now. Some things cannot wait for a flight, and arranging travel around them costs the outcome.
Questions patients ask
How much does it cost to speak to a doctor?
Nothing, and there is no obligation to travel. If you go on to be treated at a partner hospital, the hospital pays us. You are never charged and your hospital bill is not marked up to cover us.
Will I speak to an actual doctor or to a salesperson?
To the consultant who treats your condition, and they will have read your file before the call rather than seeing it for the first time while you talk. A coordinator helps with the arrangements around it. See how the teleconsultation works.
How much does treatment in India actually cost?
It depends entirely on the treatment. Indicative partner-hospital prices start at $2,000 for kidney stone removal and $3,700 for a knee replacement, with heart bypass surgery at $4,600 and kidney transplant at $12,500. Over fifty procedures are priced on our treatments page, with the expected hospital stay beside each.
What is included in the price?
Hospital charges, the surgeon's fee, medicines given during your stay, and any implants and consumables. Not included: pre-operative investigations, flights, visa, accommodation outside the hospital stay, or treatment for complications. The implant point matters most, because stents, valves and joint implants are frequently quoted separately elsewhere.
Do I need a visa before I can talk to a doctor?
No. The consultation happens on video before you travel. The medical visa comes later and follows the hospital accepting your case and issuing an invitation letter. Do not apply for a visa or book flights before that. See our medical visa guide.
Can a family member travel with me?
Yes, on a medical attendant visa applied for alongside your medical visa. For longer treatments such as a transplant or bone marrow transplant a companion is not really optional. Apply for both at the same time rather than one after the other.
Will there be someone who speaks my language?
English is widely spoken in these hospitals, and an interpreter can be arranged for the consultation and for the stay. Ask in advance rather than on the day. It matters most for Portuguese and Russian speakers, which is why our Mozambique, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan guides raise it first.
Can I just get a second opinion without travelling?
Yes, and many people do exactly that. A specialist reviews your reports and gives an independent view, and if the answer is that your current plan is right, you have lost nothing. See getting a second opinion.