American goes to Nepal for "medical tourism"

[Steve Tall]

Faced with surgery cost estimates of $12,500 and $17,000 from hospitals in the USA, this guy from Nebraska instead went on a 70-day vacation in Tibet and Nepal (and got the surgery done at a new private hospital in Kathmandu). The total cost for this long vacation, including the cost of the surgery, was less than $9,000 (saving him $3,500).

The surgery and hospital stay cost him about $2,500.

He says he had excellent care, the medical equipment was new and modern, and he was treated like a king by the hospital staff.

http://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-man-turns-to-nepal-for-health-care-solution/article_02bd80c9-f3da-5c4f-ac85-ee57c1beb133.html

 

[ndoghouse]

I would have to go to Mexico on my budget but would probably have to plan a trip to Nepal afterwards to patch up all the bulllet holes!

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Gotta love Capitalism.
Whoever in India (and probably Nepal too) can afford it travels to the US to get medical treatments.

But I have only average income and usually have to take standard treatment. Probably couldn't afford the upper class US doctors were rich foreigners like to travel to.
So if it comes to average doctors I trust medicine men in Germany more. There everybody kind of gets treated the same no matter how much income they have and the standard seems to be higher than for normal income in the US. Surely the dentists' equipment's are more modern across the board in my home country. The drills I've seen in the US look kind of old and they really require numbing injections in my mouth. Never needed any anesthesia back in Germany. Don't get me started with the ancient look of the dental x-ray cannons. They make me want to poo in my pants and even the dentists cant tell me how much x-radiation they pump into my head :0 (I admit that I worked with radiation in my last job and might be too sensitive regarding this)
But I'm sure if I pay more in the US I would get the same or even better treatment and equipment. Probably the best in the world

I love globalization. Just more opportunities for everybody to get what they need or can afford. Works both ways btw. The best kids doctor in my area in California is from India...

edit:
Even if I think the medical system treats better on average in Germany, it doesn't mean its better from all aspects. It could for example be more expensive for the average person because of what's deducted from their paycheck every months without them having any choice. Kind of what is planned in the US. Also doctors and insurances have no interest in decreasing costs ever. Whenever money is lacking they simply increase what gets deducted from everybody's paycheck.

 

[Howard Wallace]

If he was up for the exotic he could try Tibetan traditional medicine. Many years ago while staying at a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Nepal, I attended a lecture by a Tibetan medical lama.. He lectured about a system similar to accupuncture, but rather than inserting tiny needles into the point the points were cauterised with a red-hot iron rod. He showed us the implements, the rod with a triangular tip and another instrument was a rod with a metal plate with a hole in iton the end. The plate was placed on the skin and served as a heat sink to protect the surrounding tissue when the glowing rod was inserted through the hole to the accupuncture point.

Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it here. I hope the Tibetan monasteries are not overwhelmed with western medical tourists seeking treatment.

 

[kronckew]

when i was in saudi, i heard of the traditional arab medicinal practice of using red hot nails in a similar acupouncture type procedure.

you never saw a sick saudi.

(they were all dead )

actually the hospitals there were fairly good. ARAMCO especially had state of the art facilities, good doctors, dentists and nurses, etc. all provided by the company and free for all employees.