Medical Tourism Guidelines in India

Medical Tourism Guidelines in India

Medical tourism in India is moving on an upward scale. It, thus, is necessary that one should be aware about the important medical legal guideline so that the requirement and interest of the people looking for health care in India must be met. The Indian Government has devised a number of frameworks consisting of medical legal guidelines. If there is any problem or the treatment done is not satisfactory, there is no legal remedy for patients in the international boundaries. Patients and their attendants must be well-aware of all the legal rules, and medical issues that are involved as there can be a case of uncertainty in medical treatments and procedures.

Current Scenario of Medical Visa in India

A medical visa is issued by the government of India to every medical tourist. This visa can be extended for over one year. A patient who gets this extension, he or she can visit India on medical tour in India, three times in a year, accompanied by an attendant who can be a friends or a relative.

Validity of visa and the extension of visa

In the starting, a visa is valid for the period of the treatment or for a span of a year, whichever is less. This can be extended further for a year by the FRROs or the State Government if the patients shows the medical certificate or if the same is advised by recognized/reputed/specialized medical institutions in India. If extension is required after this also the Ministry of Affairs has the power to do this on recommendation of FRROs or the State Government, assisted by correct medical papers. This kind of a visa is valid for a maximum of 3 visits to India in span of one year. Permission for one extra entry can also be given by FRRO/the State Government in the case of emergency situations.

Following are the procedures and the conditions for which one can apply for a medical visa to India:

  1. The Indian Posts/Mission can examine the medical papers in a careful manner to feel satisfied to look for the genuine reasons for which the medical treatment visa is being applied.
  2. The Mission may also be satisfied that the applicant (patient) has sought initial medical assistance in the country of his residence or country of origin and has been asked to seek special medical treatment. If any foreign national is interested in treatment through Indian system of Medicines, that is also possible.
  3. This kind of visa must be granted for getting medical assistance only at reputed/specialized/recognized hospitals in India. Though the following list is not complete but these can be some of the diseases such as ophthalmic disorders, renal disorders, neuro -surgery, joint replacement, plastic surgery, organ transplant and so on. The main idea is that the mission must be satisfied that the foreign national is in a serious need of medical treatment in India.

Medical Guidelines

Following are some important medical guidelines to be kept in mind by every visitor in order to avoid any kind of problem in medical treatment or process:

  • First of all, you must make sure that the hospital in India that you are visiting is licensed or not. It have recognition from a Joint Commission International, a commission or any international healthcare auditing agency. The quality and the cost of the patient care are two other important considerations.
  • Then, try to gather all the important details about the doctors at the hospital before you select them. Look up for their qualifications, credential, and achievements. Internet makes things easier.
  • Another important thing is that the patient should be well aware about the treatment and procedure that you are seeking so that your expectations from the surgery are realistic. He or she must also have knowledge about physical therapy, period of recovery, and post-surgery care.
  • Do not forget to meet your doctor before the procedures start. Before anything, thorough personal examination and tests of the patients are done by most of the hospitals, before performing any medical process. There is also a possibility that the doctor might not consider you fit for the treatment and might also suggest another treatment after the diagnosis.
  • Make a file or a folder of all the necessary documents along with their photocopy. Keep the originals at a safe place.
  • Make another file of all the medical reports, and health records such as health history, X-rays, photograph, scans, MRI’s immunization records, etc., that are related to the medical process.
  • Make sure you have your Visa and Passport, along with other things like travelers’ check, credit cards, debit cards, and yes, some local currency too.
  • Carrying your driver’s license, which is valid till the time of your travel is also necessary.

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