To Goa’s sun and sand, now add the scalpel. Medical tourism is picking up in the state, and cosmetic surgery is proving to be a big draw.
During the last tourist season, about 250 people went into the operation theatre to enhance theor looks in the four major hospitals in the state. A majority of those who went under the knife were from the US and the UK, their prime attraction being the cost.
Liposuction (fat removal) costs anywhere between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh in UK and US, the same procedure in Goa would cost about Rs 1 lakh. While a facelift is more expensive in UK (Rs 3.5 to Rs 4.5 lakh) and US (Rs 3 lakh to 3.5 lakh), in Goa this costs about Rs 1 lakh. A tummy tuck or abdominoplasty which costs about Rs 3 lakh to 4.5 lakh in the UK and Rs 2.5 to 3.4 lakh in US, costs between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh in the state. The rates of botox treatment are as low as Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per session in the state, in UK a session costs about Rs 17,200 and in US it costs Rs 8000 to 17,000 a session.
Breast enlargement or reduction costs about Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh in the UK while in the US it is around Rs 2 to 3.5 lakh. However, in Goa the price for the same is between Rs 70,000 to a lakh.
Hospitals in the state say that 75% of their clients for cosmetic surgeries is from abroad. Local Goans account for only about 5%. The rest are patients from different parts of India, including Bollywood starlets, who come to Goa to ensure secrecy.
“Those who want to keep their cosmetic surgery a secret, Goa is an ideal place. People come here on a holiday, get themselves admitted in a hospital and get the cosmetic surgery done. They leave as a changed person,” said Dr Suresh Dubhashi of Vintage hospital, Panaji.
Courtesy: Times Of India
