Many people from developed countries are traveling abroad on medical tour to receive stem cell therapy, as there are several restrictions on this treatment in their home countries.

Stem Cell Therapy introduces new cells into damaged tissue to treat injury.  Stem Cell therapy is anticipated to cure diseases like Parkinson's disease, diabetes, Brain Damage, Heart Disease, Baldness, Spinal Cord Injuries.

Stem Cell therapy abroad is a very tough decision for patients and their families and in many cases, could be the last resort.  Imagine the possibility of cure for a person confined to wheel chair or suffering from Parkinson's disease, this hope of the possibility alone is causing many people to travel to India, Costa Rica, Mexico and to other countries allowing stem cell therapy.

Some institutions may be taking advantage of these patient's hope and providing treatments which are unproven and may even have severe side effects.  How can a patient or their family members can take an informed decision?  Hospitals and doctors should provide an honest assessment about the possibility of the cure.

Patients or their family members should have a candid and open discussion about the chances of cure, best possible and worst possible outcome from the treatment.  All the financial matters should be considered in making a decision also.  Do not forget to consider follow ups needed after the treatment and the duration of the treatment.

Doctors/Hospitals should be honest and transparent.  Local Governments should have a policy to regulate and monitor.  Government should also maintain all the patients details, including success/failure rate.

In U.S.A, there are some clinics offering stem cell therapy, which is not approved by FDA.  Some hospitals in China, India, South Korea, Panama, Mexico offer stem cell therapy.  Many patients say positive things about the treatment and the results.  How ever some of these clinics do not provide any information about the therapy they are providing.

It is widely agreed that research needs to be expedited in developed countries like U.S.A, but currently research is hampered by ethical and moral dilemma.  In some countries there is little or no regulation regarding the Stem Cell Therapy.

Article About Stem Cell Therapy In Delhi, India

CNN Article About Patients Traveling to Other Countries for Stem Cell Therapy

Article about MS treatment in Costa Rica

Camilla, wife of prince Charles checked in to Soukya, an upscale health spa in Bangalore.  Camilla arrived in India earlier than her husband Prince Charles, who will be in India to inagurate Common Wealth Games.

Camilla will undergo rejunevation therapy in Soukya during her stay.

Link to Soukya

News Article regarding Camilla's visit

Three patients were found to be infected by new Superbug a.k.a NDM-1, which originated in India.  These patients are from  Massachusetts, Illinois and California.  Below is list of main points of the story.

• News articles do not say whether these patients travelled to India for tretment or otherwise.
• All the U.S patients were treated successfully, so far there are no fatalities of U.S patients.
• It is not clear how many people might have died because of NDM-1.
• NDM-1 is a is a close genetic cousin of another bacterium that's been present in the United States for many years.
• There are some antibiotics which are effective against NDM-1.
• New antibiotics are not discovered as drug companies do not make much money from selling antibiotics
• Antibiotic-resistant bacteria is spreaded because of lack of cleanliness and sterility in hospitals.
• In Asia, it is very easy and common practice to get antibiotics without a prescription, which is the reason for over using of these drugs ultimately creating these kind of drug resisatnt bacteria.
• Government of India recently setup a task force to draft a policy on usage of antibiotics.

News Article in Businessweek

Here is a link to LA Times article about how the hospitals are planning to tackle to the patients who travelled to foreign countries.  Patients are isolated and tested for this drug resistant bacteria, so that bacteria is not spreaded.  Same procedure is also followed by French Hospitals.

Government of India has realized the implications of indiscrimate usage of antibiotics.  A task force is set up to draft a policy on usage of antibiotics.  It is a very good first step.  Indiscriminate usage of antibiotics poses a real danger.

Currently any one can walk in to pharmacy in India and buy antibiotics(most of them prescribe for them selves).  Indian media, Government, Pharmaceutical industry, doctors, hospitals  and NGOs should work to make people more aware of ill effects of over usage antibiotics.  May be it is a good idea to give information regarding how to use, when to use, possible side effects, when to see a doctor etc printed both in English and local languages.  This action could be taken by NGOs also.

Task force to draft policy on antibiotics

Here are links to some of the stories published recently.  While Government and hospitals are upset over the naming of Superbug, experts are calling for a policy to curb the over usage of antibiotics in India.  As it is known that any one can walk in to a pharmacy and buy antibiotics without prescriptions in many countries in Asia including India.

In recent developments World Health Organiztion(WHO) has endorsed Lancet report.

Below are the links for the stories of U.S and Canadian patients who got treated in New Delhi.

Comments about Superbug from a U.S patient who went to India for Knee surgery

Canadian Patients shrug off Superbug and gets procedures done in New Delhi

Government of India condemened the Lancet report on Super bug and took strong exception on naming the super bug as NDM-1.   While Indian Hospitals are working on finding a solution to this issue with other experts across the world, they are also crying it foul as the this latest news could hurt brand India and Medical Tourism Industry.

Accept drug resistance reality, find solution: Expert

Senior Cosmetic Doctor from Fortis Slams the report

Strategy behind naming of the Super bug?

Medical Tourism and Consequences

What is this Super Bug occupying the headlines of world media this week?  Let us discuss what Super bug means, how it could affect medical tourists and medical tourism industry?  Why Indian Government is upset about naming the super bug by it's capital?  What are the precautions one could take?

What is Super Bug?

According to Wikipedia, it is microorganism which is able to survive exposure to an antibiotic.  Some of the Super Bugs we keep hearing from time to time are like 'STAPH' infection, E. Coli and Salmonella.  These infections are resistant to at least 80% of the antibiotics available.

WikiPedia Article

What is this latest Super Bug NDM-1 and Why is it named after Indian Capital New Delhi?

NDM-1 or New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1 is the bacteria found by researchers in the patients treated in New Delhi first. 

Lead Researcher of the study Prof.  Timothy Walsh said "We named the bacteria NDM-1 because the original patient who was investigated had flown back to Sweden from India with the infection. It was known that the origin of the infection was India and not Sweden. (It was) in the tradition of naming these types of bacteria after the city of origin,”

He gave few examples of similar naming convention like Sao Paulo Metallo-beta-lactamase1 (SPM1) was first isolated in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

From this article in Telegraph, it can be gathered that while few patients infected with NDM-1 were either treated in India or Pakistan, but 10 patients found with same infection have not undergone any medical treatments in foreign countries.

Why is Indian Government upset over the report?

Indian Government expresses concern over naming the bacteria after it's capital as they believe that report is not conclusive and similar samples had been also found from Israel & U.S.A.  Further, India is concerned that it could hurt growing Medical Tourism Industry as such reports imply that surgery in India is not safe.

Article in Telegraph

While there are some antibiotics known to treat this bacteria, doctors say those should be the last resort.  Many experts argue that Medical Tourism is not the cause for this bug to spread.   Indian Hospitals are working to find solution to avoid this infection.

How is it going to affect Medical Tourism?

Going away from home for a medical procedure/surgery is never an easy decision.  While this new 'Super bug' adds another serious concern, it may not be a deal breaker, as thousands of patients every day are getting treated away from their home.  Hospitals should take each and every measure possible to avoid any infections for their patients.

In short term, this may affect Indian Medical Tourism industry, all the hospitals in the region should take an initiative to build confidence in their patients both local and foreign by explaining the measures they are taking to avoid infections especially new one.

Affects on Medical Tourism

Sixty Five Year Old American Patient, Mr. Ronald Lemmer underwent heart transplant surgery in Apollo Hospital, Chennai, India.  Mr. Lemmer was fortunate to get the heart of a 36-year-old man who was declared brain dead after a road accident.

Mr. Lemmer is the oldest person and first U.S National to get a heart transplant in India.  Mr. Lemmer took a chance in traveling to India to get his surgery in India and fortunate enough to get match and got a heart lot sooner, as there is 1.5 year wait in U.S.A for a heart transplant.

Apollo, Chennai was the first and the flagship hospital for Apollo group, started by Pratap C. Reddy 25 years ago.  Apollo has conducted 38,000 heart operations in last 25 years.  Apollo group has more than 40 world class hospitals, in India.  In India, heart transplants are done only in major cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad.

A heart transplant surgery in India costs around Rs. 800,000 to One million rupees, which is roughly equivalent to U.S $20,000.

Article regarding the same

As it can be seen from the latest news that many nations are working hard to promote medical tourism.  It means more choices for a medical tourist, probably downward pressure on healthcare costs at home or at least better medical facilities in a country closer to home.  It may also mean that medical tourism friendly policies and a regularized medical tourism industry in the nations promoting medical tourism.

Following are some of the things that could help.

• Government should draft policies and regulations specific to medical tourists offering legal protection.  It may even help to have a special cell to get the feed back from patients visiting.
• Take stern action against any institutions exploiting medical tourists or violating regulations.
• Hospitals should get accreditations from organizations like JCI as it helps medical tourists to get reimbursed by health insurance companies.
• All the players should do every thing possible to protect brand image of the State, Country and Hospital.

Japan Government is setting up a Medical Tourism Promotion Company.

Gujarat, India focussing on Health Tourism.

Karnataka, India promoting Medical Tourism.

Zambia would like to follow India to become a medical tourism destination.

Jordan to open a Medical Tourism Directorate.

Health Tourism Promoted in Cyprus.

Patients from Canada some times opt to go out of the country to get the surgery they need to avoid wait times.

Medical Tourism is discussed at length in the  two day conference and several questions were answered.

Article in The Province

Tourism's meaning in the context of 'Medical Tourism' should be taken as 'business of providing services to tourists'.  Hospitals abroad just provide medical services to the medical tourists.

Medical Tourism is definitely not for every one, and it is really a tough decision to make whether it is to get treatment sooner or cheaper or both.  More and more countries are promoting medical tourism as an industry to attract investments as well as revenues.  As the prestige and brand name of a country is involved, we can hope that medical tourists will be protected regulations soon.

Here are some of the things that are positive about medical tourism.
1.  Medical Tourism provides an excellent and proven solution for those in need in developed countries or from the countries in addition to those traveling else where for lack of facilities.
2.  In long run, developing countries will be building more hospitals which are world class, thus improving the health care for the local public.
3.  Competition in medical sector in developed countries will benefit the consumers also.
On the other side, some of the medical tourism destinations offer little or no legal protection, in many countries there is no regulatory authority to protect medical tourists.