Friday, April 01, 2005
Feeling Crook? Fancy a trip to India?
Next time you feel like whingeing about that overly long waiting list for your hip replacement, or that coronary bypass surgery, then don’t be surprised if Health Minister Tony Abbott bundles you onto a flight to India, where they promise to fix you up for a fraction of the price it costs in the West.
Yes, following on from their success at stealing the jobs of the Western World's IT workers, now they want to take our sick as well. (We presume they send them back)
Its called Medical Tourism and you’ll be able to “combine your medical treatment with a beachside getaway”, provided Mr. Abbott is happy to throw in the holiday as part of the deal, and doesn’t want to keep the frequent flyer points for himself.
Now “while quality remains an issue”, it is “increasingly likely that Indian health care will be close to global standards in the coming years”, and so what better time to take advantage of a new Industry that by getting in on the ground floor (provided its been scrubbed beforehand).
No doubt the next step for these savvy Indian businessman will simply charter an aircraft and fit it out with the latest in surgical equipment, so that your new hip can be in and fitted by the time you land in Bombay, ready to spend your hard Western currency on a romantic visit to the Taj Mahal.
You may ask though, how can a country such as India afford to give you the very best in treatment when it only spends $80 per capita on health, and it has received hundreds of millions of dollars from bodies such as the World Bank and the International Development Fund to address basic health problems such as AIDS, Leprosy and Blindness.
The answer my friends is sheer selflessness and self-sacrifice. These poor bedraggled people are standing to one side and letting you in ahead of them.
It's a touching example of human kindness.
Note: 3000 character limit on comments Yes, following on from their success at stealing the jobs of the Western World's IT workers, now they want to take our sick as well. (We presume they send them back)
Its called Medical Tourism and you’ll be able to “combine your medical treatment with a beachside getaway”, provided Mr. Abbott is happy to throw in the holiday as part of the deal, and doesn’t want to keep the frequent flyer points for himself.
Now “while quality remains an issue”, it is “increasingly likely that Indian health care will be close to global standards in the coming years”, and so what better time to take advantage of a new Industry that by getting in on the ground floor (provided its been scrubbed beforehand).
No doubt the next step for these savvy Indian businessman will simply charter an aircraft and fit it out with the latest in surgical equipment, so that your new hip can be in and fitted by the time you land in Bombay, ready to spend your hard Western currency on a romantic visit to the Taj Mahal.
You may ask though, how can a country such as India afford to give you the very best in treatment when it only spends $80 per capita on health, and it has received hundreds of millions of dollars from bodies such as the World Bank and the International Development Fund to address basic health problems such as AIDS, Leprosy and Blindness.
The answer my friends is sheer selflessness and self-sacrifice. These poor bedraggled people are standing to one side and letting you in ahead of them.
It's a touching example of human kindness.
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