In India, plastic looks come cheap

New Delhi: Money could probably not buy you love but it can definitely buy you beauty. And in India plastic looks come cheap.

That's one of the reasons why India is a favourite destination for foreign tourists, looking for more than just a change in place.

Filmmaker Cheryl Johns came to India for a breast reconstructive surgery after she was refused one in the US due to multiple implants earlier.

But after a lot of research on the Internet, she decided on India.

Easy accessibility to her doctor anytime of the day and alternative medical sciences like ayurveda and homeopathy made it easier for her to trust her decision.

Cheryl not only went ahead with the surgery but got a whole makeover too.

"In the West, when you go to a doctor, they are very limited in their scope because they are trained a certain way. It's all about allopathic medicine there. But what really was a clencher that brought me here was when I saw Dr Kashyap. He had knowledge of the ayurveda, homoepathic medicine plus surgery and expertise that comes with that," says she.

Cosmetic surgery is a major part of the 30 per cent growth in medical tourism into the country over the past one year.

The income from this sector is likely to reach $ 50 -100 billion by the year 2012 according to a survey conducted by the international consulting firm McKinsey.

Consultant Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr K Anand says, "Over the last 6 months, there is definitely an increase in trend towards cosmetic patients coming to our country. Over the past 5 years that I have been practising in Mallya hospital as a cosmetic surgeon, I can safely say that the increase in the last few months has probably been between 5 and10 per cent."

A major reason for this boom is the cost effectiveness of carrying out these surgeries which add up to less than half of what it would cost in the West.

The medical tourism boom has also led to the offer of special packages from the hospitality sector.

For patients like Cheryl, accredited hospitals offer services like a travel desk, a good hotel, sightseeing, translators, and an international menu.

But according to experts India still lacks a governing body to make sure that certain basic standards are met before a doctor or a medical institute can offer it's services.