Rudrappa Siddartha Churchigundi, Joshi Raja
Department of Pediatric Cardiac Sciences, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajendar Nagar, New Delhi, 110060 India.
Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2025 Jun;41(6):692-696. doi: 10.1007/s12055-025-01922-x. Epub 2025 Feb 27.
Pediatric cardiac surgical tourism is a growing phenomenon in low-middle-income group countries, particularly India, which has emerged as a global hub for affordable and high-quality healthcare. India has become a destination for families seeking lifesaving cardiac interventions for children, driven by the prohibitive costs and long waiting lists in their home countries. However, this trend presents a paradox. While it showcases India's strengths in delivering advanced medical care at competitive costs, it simultaneously highlights systemic disparities in healthcare access within the country. This review critically examines the drivers, challenges, ethical concerns, and implications of pediatric cardiac surgical tourism in India. It also explores policy recommendations to address this paradox.
儿科心脏手术旅游在低收入和中等收入国家是一个日益增长的现象，尤其是印度，它已成为提供负担得起的高质量医疗服务的全球中心。由于本国费用高昂且等候名单冗长，印度已成为为儿童寻求挽救生命的心脏手术的家庭的目的地。然而，这一趋势存在一个矛盾之处。虽然它展示了印度在以具有竞争力的成本提供先进医疗服务方面的优势，但同时也凸显了该国医疗服务可及性方面的系统性差距。本综述批判性地审视了印度儿科心脏手术旅游的驱动因素、挑战、伦理问题及影响。它还探讨了应对这一矛盾的政策建议。
