Punjab eye hospitals see surge in popularity

Direct air connectivity with international destinations and a surge in tourism has resulted in an increase in the popularity of local eye hospitals.

To expand their business overseas, hospitals here have launched their websites and established contact with tourist operators to corner patients from their clients.

Most patients are Punjabi non-resident Indians. The doctors' expertise, state-of-the-art equipment and low cost of treatment are major factors that lead to patients to preferring these hospitals to their foreign counterparts.

Ophthalmologist Rohit Om Parkash said the prime factor for the popularity of the hospitals hospitals was the quality of treatment provided by the doctors and the reputation earned by Indian doctors abroad.

Cost is another major reason. Operations for cataract and lasik (removal of spectacles) cost about 2,000 pounds ($3,885) each in Europe while here they cost only 617 pounds ($1,200). This price includes receiving and dropping the patient at the airport, and accommodation.

Most of the patients, who are European, come for cataract and lasik surgery because Europeans are not insured for these two operations and the waiting list for these operations are always long.

Parkash also said doctors there were able to adopt the latest technology, thanks to the booming economy.

However, there are still several bottlenecks such as indadequate infrastructure, which need to be resolved as soon as possible.