India offers low-cost medical treatment

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Indonesians seeking medical treatment abroad may want to consider India, an Indian health care expert says.

"India owns internationally acclaimed hospitals, with acknowledged specialists. We can also offer treatment with equal facilities as in Singapore or the United States, but at a relatively lower cost," S.S. Chakraborty told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Chakraborty, who is visiting Jakarta with a delegation of hospital representatives, said few Indonesians currently chose India for medical treatment.

"Therefore, we are trying to make the health community here aware of the health facilities and expertise in India," he said.

Among the hospitals he recommended were the Asian Heart Institute in Mumbay, the Ruby General Hospital in Calcutta and the Sri Ramachandra Medical Center in Chennai.

Chakraborty said the delegation would visit several hospitals in Jakarta and seek a cooperation with them to recommend Indian hospitals.

Besides its medical facilities, he said, India also had many tourist sites patients could visit during their recuperation.

The delegation also hopes to develop a collaboration with the government and private hospitals to exchange doctors, nurses and paramedics for training programs.

Indonesia is the second country the delegation has visited, after Singapore. They plan to go to Malaysia from Indonesia.