Wherever you're travelling from, Ginger Healthcare helps you plan safe, affordable medical treatment — medical opinions, hospital selection, visa support, travel and recovery. Choose your country to see guidance written for patients from there.
Millions of people cross borders for medical care every year, but they rarely travel for the same reasons. Three broad patterns cover most journeys — and understanding which one describes you is the first step in planning well.
| The situation at home | Care patients typically seek | What drives the journey |
|---|---|---|
| The treatment isn't available — or reliably available — at home. Common across much of Africa, South and Central Asia, and parts of the Middle East. | Life-saving and complex care: cardiac surgery, cancer treatment, organ transplants, neurosurgery, advanced orthopaedics, fertility care. | Access to specialists, equipment and experience that simply don't exist locally at the volume needed. In 2018, 46.9% of all arrivals to India from Nigeria — and 86.6% from Iraq — came for medical purposes (India Tourism Statistics 2019, Ministry of Tourism). |
| The treatment exists at home, but costs far too much. Typical of the United States and other high-cost health systems. | Elective and self-paid procedures insurance often doesn't cover: dental work, cosmetic and bariatric surgery, IVF, elective orthopaedics. | The same procedure at a fraction of the price. Treatment prices in India average about 76% below US prices — heart bypass surgery around 94% less (MedicalTourism.com 2021, cited in the FICCI–EY report "Healthcare Beyond Boundaries", 2023). |
| The treatment is covered at home, but the queue is long. Familiar to patients in the UK, Canada and parts of Europe. | Scheduled surgery with a firm date: hip and knee replacement, cataract surgery, spinal procedures. | A surgery date within days or weeks instead of many months — often the difference between living with pain and getting on with life. |
Whatever the reason for travelling, patients say the deciding factor is trust — 97% of surveyed medical travellers called it significant or paramount, and their single biggest worry was follow-up care after returning home (Medical Tourism Association patient survey, 2024). That is exactly the gap a good facilitator closes: verified hospitals, written treatment plans and costs before you fly, and coordinated follow-up with your doctors at home afterwards.
Sources: India Tourism Statistics 2019 (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India); Bureau of Immigration data published in Rajya Sabha Q&A No. 2223, August 2022; FICCI–EY, "Healthcare Beyond Boundaries", 2023; Medical Tourism Association 2024 Patient Survey. Figures are the latest published in each source.
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