Street Walk, Chandigarh

Here are some random shots taken during my walk in the streets of Chandigarh. It was quite early in the morning.

Saw this man sweeping up the area, collecting the leaves and other dry stuffs at one point and setting them on fire. The place does look neat, but up goes the smoke.

This man seemed to be waiting for a customer, probably hoping I might take a ride.

The brightest spots on road were the flower shops. These are for offerings at Gurudwara, the Sikh temples.

 

A Gurudwara priest, seemed to be in a hurry. 

 

The most peaceful seemed the homeless. With no roof over his head, he seemed to have no worries too.

Our World Tuesday

Medical Tourism

(Written as an entry for the Modern Healthcare Indiblogger contest in association with Apollo Hospitals) 


Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. 
~ Lucius Annaeas Seneca, De Tranquillitate Amini, A.D60 

Don’t you agree?! Extend the quote a bit more: Travel and change of place impart new vigor to mind and body!

The private health care institutes of India have adopted this mantra today! People travel to countries (India being one of them) with a purpose of combining modern healthcare, treatment and leisure. I have often noticed, friends and relatives visiting India just to go through a series of medical procedures. The procedures are sometimes as complicated and life threatening as heart surgery but sometimes as trivial (to me) as cosmetic surgery. It took me sometime to understand the mathematics behind these acts!

India today is on par with USA, UK and Europe in terms of modern healthcare, hospital infrastructure and technology. Our country stands fourth in the list of top 10 destinations for modern healthcare travel. A specialized medical procedure which may require 9 months of waiting period in US or UK, require only zero waiting period in India. It is fast becoming the most popular and respected. Many companies have mushroomed all over India offering superb world class medical facilities to medical tourists. So it is not a surprise that many medical tourists are making a beeline to India for modern health care.

Off shoring is the next big thing in health care! Several companies abroad tie up with hospitals here in India, for their employee’ health care programs. They do so to cut their organizations’ health care costs. Two of the several famous reliable hospitals of India are Apollo Hospitals and AIIMS. These hospitals rank high in terms of quality service, size, cost, skill and medical technology. Not only that many of these hospitals are moving towards international and national accreditation. They provide access to reliable and certified information on facilities, infrastructure and level of care.

The most sought after medical procedures in India are: Cardiac surgery, orthopedic and spinal surgeries, dental care and cosmetic surgery. I know people who have got full mouth reconstruction done and then bragging about the dollars they saved. Thailand is one country where medical tourists travel to get sex change procedures done. Brazil and Costa Rica offer cheap orthopedic and spinal surgeries. Surrogate pregnancy is another facility which many foreigners seek in lesser developed nations. The reverse too holds well where rich affluent families from lesser developed countries combine treatment and tourism. They seek the hospitals of European countries for their best-quality professionals and top-notch medical technologies. They combine sightseeing too though not on priority basis.

Medical tourism is different from normal medical care. Tourism industry has collaborated well with reputed hospitals (other way round too in some cases) to deliver modern health care and good medical treatment packages. The whole package is something like this: Along with the wellness treatment the medical tourist’s other logistic needs and accompanying people’s needs too are taken care of. Complementary services like escort, airport pick up drop, accommodation, transportation etc. are included in the package. A fine cocktail of fun, relaxation, leisure, wellness and modern healthcare is provided. International holiday setting by itself has a therapeutic effect. Breathe taking scenic sights, religious historic monuments, warm hearts of people of India; post operative care in such ambiance can leave a person fully recharged and stress free. Recovery options and locations conducive to recuperation are plenty. Medical treatment in such a setup can be an enchanting experience. The necessary medical paperwork and records all are taken care of. Packages like these cost many times less in developing countries when compared to the well developed countries of west.

Cross border health plans are on rise and it is the right time for India to focus and gear up to the challenge. India has a huge potential to rank higher in the list of medical tourism destination. More resources and talents have to be tapped in the right direction for this. We have dedicated physicians, high class technology, lesser legal hassles (caution: which can prove to be a bane too), English speaking public which helps communicate better. Indians have this simple policy of Atithi Devo Bhava (read Sanskrit) meaning "Guests are God"! This attitude combined with efforts channeled in right direction, India can soar to the topmost position in the field of medical tourism!

India Quick Facts
Languages: Hindi 41%, English: Official 2nd Language
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)
Capital: Delhi
Major Airports:
      Delhi: Indira Gandhi Intl (DEL)
      Mumbai: Chattrapathi Shivaji Intl (BOM)
      Bangalore: Bengaluru Intl (BLR)
      Chennai: Chennai Intl
Electricity: 230 volts 50 Hz
Time Zone: UTC/GMT +5.5

Wild Daisies at Kufri, Himachal Pradesh

Wild daisies were in plenty in Kufri. The ox-eye daisies were thriving so well by the roadside, in the bushes, totally uncared. As I crossed them on the paths, I was confused whether they annoyed me or delighted me. I wondered why they act so pricy in my pots here in Bangalore, never showing a bud or a bloom. So small and dainty, I walked carefully so as to not stamp on them accidentally or brush my feet against the petals. Let them be!

Today's Flowers

Faces of India - 110

A lady police from Chandigarh, Punjab. The shot was taken from a moving vehicle and she definitely is not aware that she was shot at with a Canon! But I must admit that, it is officers like her who instill confidence in minds of lady solo travelers and also the general public.

I salute you Ma’am!

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Shyama Raya Mandir, Bishnupur, West Bengal

The Shyama Raya Mandir (temple) of Bishnupur is unique because of the Panch Chura (five canopies). It is of the Ratna Chuda style of architecture. The temple was built in 1643 by King Raghunatha Sngha. Access to the terracotta work on the temple wall is restricted, but what I saw from a distance of few feet was mind blowing. Stories from epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata are elaborately portrayed.

The craftsmanship of 17th century displayed is amazing! The huge temple, 10.7m high, is built of bricks and covered with terracotta panels. Imagine the attention that would have been paid for such a detailed work. Four of the five canopies are visible from this angle; a total frontal shot would have hidden two out of five of the canopies.

SkyWatch Friday