An uninsured American traveler visiting Bengaluru on a whim decided to undergo eye surgery at Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital after a free scan. She successfully corrected her severe myopia and later shared a viral video comparing her smooth, affordable experience in India to the US healthcare system.
An American traveller to India, who visited a hospital in Bengaluru with a friend, ended up planning an eye operation for self, a week later. She had not travelled to India for medical treatment. In fact, she thought her eyesight was too poor for surgery. She says she can now see almost 20/20 in both eyes following the treatment. It wasn’t only the outcome that struck her, but how readily she was able to get therapy without health insurance.
In a video shared on Instagram, Stonefish spoke about her experience at Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital in Bengaluru and compared it with her experience of healthcare in the United States. Stonefish stated she was minus 6.75 in one eye and minus 6.5 in the other. She thought her myopia was too bad to be corrected surgically and complained of falling asleep with her contact lenses in several times.
On an impulse she had decided to have her eyes tested. She went with a friend to the hospital in Bengaluru while the friend underwent eye surgery. Curiosity made her have her eyes scanned for free.
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She stated she did not have health insurance at the time. She had her operation scheduled within a week after the evaluation. "The doctors have been the best," she said, adding that her recovery had been smooth. She also said her follow-up appointments over the following month were included in the original surgery fee.
In the caption, Stonefish made it clear that she had not been in India for medical tourism. She decided to after her buddy had a good operation.
Watch Viral Video
She also revealed why she did not have insurance in the United States. She said she was 26 and aged out of her parents' insurance and wasn't working full-time with health benefits. This did not stop her from seeking the care she required in India, she claimed.
Social Media Reacts
The comments on her video were largely congratulatory, with many users sharing their own experiences of healthcare in India.
One commentor reported meeting an American couple at a hospital in Mumbai who had no insurance and were trusting Indian surgeons to do heart surgery on the husband.
Some talked about the cost of therapy in the US. One commentor stated medical procedures and pharmaceuticals may leave Americans with huge expenses, while another argued India's private healthcare was a cheaper choice for uninsured consumers.
Other users also cited the ease of acquiring medical tests and appointments in India.
Not everyone saw the similarity in such broad terms. Some commentors pointed out that even private health care is pricey for those Indians who cannot afford it in India. Another person said it was not a fair comparison to compare private hospitals in India to the whole American healthcare system.
