Medical treatment in India from Uganda: flights, visa and cost

Getting there: From Entebbe, usually one stop via Addis Ababa, Nairobi or the Gulf
Visa: Medical visa after a hospital accepts your case. Indian High Commission in Kampala
Language: English throughout, so interpreting is rarely needed
Currency: Shilling is not convertible in India. Plan a transfer or carry US dollars
Commonly travelled for: Cancer, cardiac surgery, kidney transplant, orthopaedics
First step: A specialist reviews your reports on video, free

Getting there

From Entebbe, most itineraries route through Addis Ababa, Nairobi or one of the Gulf hubs, with one connection. If you are travelling with a child or after surgery, pay attention to the connection time rather than only the fare: a tight transfer with a wheelchair or a sedated child is worth avoiding.

Airline routes, mission locations and visa requirements change. Everything on this page is an orientation, not a timetable: confirm current routes with the airline and current visa requirements with the Indian mission before you book anything.

What Ugandan patients travel for

Cancer. The most frequent reason. Radiotherapy capacity in the region is limited relative to need, and delay changes outcomes, so this is where an early opinion is most valuable. Send scans and pathology and a specialist can often tell you what is realistic before you commit to anything.
Blood cancers and bone marrow transplant. Autologous transplant from an indicative $12,000 to $15,000, a fully matched donor transplant at $20,000.
Cardiac surgery. Including rheumatic valve disease in younger adults and congenital heart defects in children, where timing genuinely matters.
Kidney transplant at $12,500, with a living near-relative donor. See the donor rules.
Sickle cell disease, where a transplant can be curative in childhood with a matched sibling.

If you are travelling for a child

A substantial share of Ugandan enquiries concern children, most often with a congenital heart defect or a childhood cancer. Two points matter more than price. Congenital heart defects can become inoperable if left long enough, because pressure in the lungs rises past the point where closure is safe. And childhood cancers frequently respond very well to treatment but punish delay.

So the useful thing is to send the echo or the reports now, even if you are nowhere near deciding about travel. It costs nothing and it tells you whether you have time. See treatment for children in India.

Visa and documents

India maintains a High Commission in Kampala. The medical visa follows the hospital's invitation letter. Apply for a medical attendant visa for your companion at the same time, and for a child, for both parents. See our medical visa guide.

What to bring

Scan images as DICOM files on a CD or USB, not only the reports
Full pathology reports, and slides or blocks if cancer is involved
Previous discharge summaries and any earlier scans for comparison
Current medicines in original packaging with generic names listed
Children's vaccination and growth records
Yellow fever vaccination certificate, commonly required when travelling from Uganda

Money

Hospital bills are settled in Indian rupees or in US dollars depending on the hospital. The shilling is not convertible in India, so plan on transferring funds or carrying US dollars rather than expecting to change money on arrival. Ask the hospital's international patient office which payment methods they accept before you travel, and be aware that international card limits catch people out when a large deposit is requested. Arranging a bank transfer in advance is usually simpler than everything else.

Budget beyond the package price. Every cost table on this site excludes flights, visa, accommodation outside the hospital stay, pre-operative investigations and treatment for complications. Build in a contingency, because the most common reason a trip becomes stressful is a stay that runs longer than planned.

After you go home

This is the part of medical travel that most often goes wrong, and it is entirely preventable. Before you leave India, make sure you have your discharge summary and treatment record in writing, your medication list with generic drug names rather than only Indian brand names, a clear follow-up schedule, and the name of a doctor in Uganda who will take over your monitoring.

Then check, before you fly, that the specific medicines you have been prescribed are available and affordable where you live. Anti-rejection medication after a transplant, blood thinners after a mechanical heart valve, and thyroid hormone after thyroid surgery all have to continue without interruption. A treatment that succeeds in hospital and fails at home for want of a tablet is the outcome all of this planning exists to prevent. Follow-up consultations continue by video.

Questions patients ask

How much does cancer treatment in India cost for a Ugandan patient?

The same as for anyone else, and it depends entirely on the type and stage. Indicative partner-hospital figures include $800 per chemotherapy cycle, $3,000 for an IMRT radiotherapy course and $6,500 for combined chemoradiation. Your written estimate follows an oncologist's review of your scans and pathology.

How do I get a medical visa for India from Uganda?

Through the Indian High Commission in Kampala, after a hospital has accepted your case and issued an invitation letter. Apply for a medical attendant visa for whoever travels with you at the same time, and for a child, for both parents. Confirm current requirements with the mission.

My child has a hole in the heart. Is it too late?

It depends on the defect and on the pressure in the lungs, which rises the longer a large hole is left, eventually past the point where closure is safe. That is precisely why sending the echo now is worth doing even if you are not close to deciding about travel. Repairs are priced from an indicative $5,000 with stays of two to five days.

Will I need an interpreter?

Generally no. English is the working language in both Ugandan medical records and Indian hospitals, so most Ugandan patients manage without one. If a relative travelling with you would prefer another language, an interpreter can still be arranged on request.

How long is the journey from Entebbe?

Usually one connection, through Addis Ababa, Nairobi or a Gulf hub. If you are travelling with a child or after surgery, look at the connection time rather than only the fare, because a tight transfer with a wheelchair or an unwell child is worth paying to avoid.

Can I pay in Ugandan shillings?

No. The shilling is not convertible in India, so plan an international bank transfer or carry US dollars. Ask the hospital's international patient office which payment methods they accept, and check your card limits, since large deposits often exceed them.