I heard a program on Medical Tourism on NPR that described how one can travel to India, Thailand , and some other countries and get medical treatment for a small fraction of the cost that you have to pay in USA and can get wonderful treatment. And there is increasing trend towards this. This may be true and that is something that is a bit disturbing and annoying. I hear many stories from friends and relatives when I go back there. Unfortunately all these stories are exactly opposite of what you normally read in media about medical treatment in India.
Medical care even in reasonably big cities is beyond the reach of an average person for most serious problems. And even expensive places lack basic care. Surgery is particularly a situation that becomes complex due to inadequate post-care not only due to facilities but also human ‘chalega’ attitude. I myself saw some of it when trying to take care of my father but that was more than 15 year ago. I thought that things may have improved and I also started believing to some extent the stories in media about improving health care. Based on what I hear when I visit there, and what I heard in details very recently, it appears that we have a long way to go to provide adequate health care to common Indians.
Health is a sensitive matter and most people are not satisfied with the care they and their family members receive. But what you hear and see in India, is still very serious. We do have places that may be of top standards (and beyond the reach of almost all but a few Indians) that cater to foreigners to make money. And true to India traditions, most other facilities are more towards the other extreme. Medical tourism is like five star hotels — there are a few and they cater to well-to-do foreigners and really rich in India. One can not judge Indian living conditions by visiting five star hotels.