CNN Gupta Part 2

Summary

This video highlights the unique healthcare landscape in India, focusing on roadside dentists who provide essential services to underserved populations. It also explores India's growing medical tourism industry, offering affordable, high-tech healthcare to international patients. The video touches on the benefits and criticisms of medical tourism, and features Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient healing tradition practiced in India for over 5,000 years. The segment emphasizes holistic treatments, such as lifestyle and diet adjustments, and introduces patients who have found relief through these practices. The video concludes with a look at Ayurveda's growing global interest.

Takeaways

• 🦷 Roadside dentists in India provide affordable dental care to people, especially in rural areas and even in urban centers like New Delhi.
• 🌍 India faces a shortage of dentists despite having many dental schools, leading to reliance on roadside dental services.
• 🛏️ Medical tourism in India is growing, with hospitals offering high-quality services, including patient amenities like Wi-Fi, restaurants, and sightseeing arrangements.
• 💰 Medical treatments in India are significantly cheaper compared to Western countries, largely due to lower administrative and personal costs.
• 🏥 Critics argue that while medical tourism is beneficial for foreigners, many Indian locals rely on under-resourced public health services.
• 🌿 Ayurvedic medicine, a 5,000-year-old practice, is popular in India, focusing on holistic healing by balancing the body's energies, tissues, and waste products.
• 🌿 Ayurvedic treatments, which use natural plants and some metals, aim to remove toxins from the body, with techniques like massage and medication through the skin.
• 👨‍⚕️ Ayurveda is particularly popular in Kerala, where many Indians and tourists seek treatments for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and neuromuscular diseases.
• 🧘‍♀️ Ayurveda emphasizes mental and spiritual well-being in addition to physical health, a contrast to Western medical practices.
• 🧪 There is growing international interest in Ayurveda, with studies underway on its effectiveness for conditions like cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders.

Q & A

What services do roadside dentists in India commonly provide?

Roadside dentists in India commonly provide services such as cleaning teeth, customizing dentures, and even performing tooth extractions.

Why are roadside dentists considered important in India?

Roadside dentists are considered important because they often provide affordable and accessible healthcare to a large population, many of whom are very poor, in a country with a shortage of dentists relative to its population.

How does India's medical tourism industry cater to international patients?

India's medical tourism industry caters to international patients by offering services like online booking, medical travel planning, upscale accommodations, access to food chains, and 24-hour patient concierge services.

What are the factors contributing to the lower cost of medical procedures in India compared to Western countries?

The lower cost of medical procedures in India is attributed to lower administration costs, hard negotiations for medical machines, and lower personal costs, including the salaries of highly trained doctors.

What are the criticisms faced by the medical tourism industry in India?

Critics argue that what appears cheap for Westerners is often not affordable for local Indians, who mostly rely on a public health sector that some say lacks basic medical supplies and resources.

How does the medical tourism industry in India address the concerns of critics?

The industry argues that progress needs to be made on both the social and professional sides, and that providing medical tourism services does not disservice the country, given the large population and the need for development.

What is the role of post-operative care and legal rights for medical tourists in India?

Post-operative care and legal rights are concerns for medical tourists, as there is no guarantee that treatments will work out as planned, and the industry is still developing in terms of ensuring patient safety and legal protections.

What is Ayurveda and how is it practiced in India?

Ayurveda is an ancient healing tradition that believes in the intimate connection of the mind, body, and spirit. It focuses on maintaining positive health through lifestyle, diet, and treatments aimed at restoring balance within the body's energies, tissues, and waste products.

How do Ayurvedic treatments differ from Western or allopathic medicine?

Ayurvedic treatments differ from Western medicine by emphasizing emotional and spiritual well-being, using plant-based medicines, and focusing on flushing toxins out of the body through treatments like medicated massages and herbal oils.

What are some of the controversial aspects of Ayurvedic medicine?

One controversial aspect of Ayurvedic medicine is the use of metals such as lead and mercury in some formulations. However, practitioners argue that careful preparation methods remove toxic levels.

How is the effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicine being evaluated in the West?

The effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicine is being evaluated in the West through ongoing studies, which are exploring its potential uses for conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Roadside Dentistry in India

This paragraph introduces the phenomenon of roadside dentistry in India, highlighting its prevalence in both rural areas and cities like New Delhi. The segment discusses how these dentists provide essential dental services such as cleaning, denture customization, and tooth extraction at affordable prices, catering to a population where traditional dental care is scarce. The narrative also touches on the broader context of India's healthcare landscape, including the rise of medical tourism and the role of companies like Planet Hospital in facilitating medical travel for international patients. The paragraph concludes with a discussion of the challenges faced by the public healthcare sector in India and the debate over the affordability and accessibility of medical tourism for local citizens.

05:00

🌿 Ancient Healing Traditions: Ayurveda

The second paragraph delves into the ancient Indian healing tradition of Ayurveda, which is based on the holistic approach to health that considers the mind, body, and spirit. The segment explores how Ayurveda, with its roots in the Himalayas, has evolved and become particularly prominent in the southern state of Kerala. It discusses the philosophy of Ayurveda, which emphasizes balance and the removal of toxins from the body, often using plant-based medicines. The narrative also describes the manufacturing process of Ayurvedic medicines at Arya Vedia, a renowned facility in Kerala, and the various treatments that involve the application of medicated oils and herbs. The paragraph includes patient testimonials, illustrating the effectiveness of Ayurveda in treating conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and other ailments. It also mentions the growing interest in Ayurveda in the West and ongoing research into its potential benefits for various health conditions.

Keywords

💡Dentistry

Dentistry refers to the branch of medicine that is concerned with the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity, commonly in the context of teeth but also including other oral tissues. In the video, dentistry is highlighted by the presence of roadside dentists in India who provide essential dental services such as cleaning, denture customization, and tooth extraction, underscoring the accessibility and affordability of dental care in rural and urban settings.

💡Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is the act of traveling across international borders to obtain health care, often because it is less expensive in the destination country or because the quality of care is perceived to be higher. The video discusses India's emergence as a global healthcare leader, attracting patients from various countries who book their operations online, facilitated by medical travel planners like Planet Hospital, which arranges the entire trip, including accommodations and post-operative care.

💡Affordable Healthcare

Affordable healthcare refers to the availability of medical services at a cost that is reasonable and accessible to a large segment of the population. The script mentions that roadside dentists and medical tourism in India provide affordable options for healthcare, which is particularly important given the large and diverse population with varying economic backgrounds.

💡Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine that has been practiced for over 5,000 years. It is based on the belief that the mind, body, and spirit are intimately connected and that health is maintained by a balance of bodily systems. In the video, Dr. Sharma practices ayurveda, treating patients with natural remedies and therapies that aim to restore balance and flush toxins from the body.

💡Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. The video script includes a patient who, after not finding relief in Western medicine, turned to ayurvedic treatments and experienced significant improvement in his condition.

💡Post-Operative Care

Post-operative care refers to the medical care provided to patients after surgery. It is crucial for recovery and can include monitoring, medication, and physical therapy. The video raises concerns about post-operative care for medical tourists, emphasizing the importance of understanding what support is available after undergoing treatment in a foreign country.

💡Legal Rights

Legal rights in the context of the video pertain to the protections and recourse available to patients, particularly those who travel for medical treatments. It is important for medical tourists to be aware of their rights in case of complications or unsatisfactory outcomes, as the video suggests that there may not be guarantees or clear legal recourse.

💡Allopathic Medicine

Allopathic medicine, also known as conventional or Western medicine, is a system in which symptoms are treated with substances that have effects different from those of the disease being treated. The video contrasts allopathic medicine with ayurveda, highlighting the different approaches to healthcare and the emphasis on emotional and spiritual well-being in ayurveda.

💡Public Health Sector

The public health sector refers to government-funded healthcare services available to the public. Critics mentioned in the video argue that while medical tourism may offer affordable care to foreigners, the public health sector in India, which serves the local population, often lacks basic medical supplies and resources.

💡Healthcare Gap

A healthcare gap refers to the disparity between the healthcare services available and the needs of the population. The video script discusses how roadside dentists in India fill an important service gap by providing affordable and accessible dental care to a large population that may not have access to traditional dental services.

💡Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurvedic medicine is a traditional Indian system of medicine that uses herbs, metals, and other natural ingredients to treat various health conditions. The video describes how Arya Vedia inshallah manufactures its own medicines, including those containing metals like lead and Myrtle, which are prepared to remove toxic levels and are used to restore balance in the body.

Highlights

Roadside dentists in India provide affordable and accessible dental care, particularly for the poor, despite working without formal facilities.

There is a shortage of dentists in India, with a population of over a billion people, making roadside dentistry a critical service.

Medical tourism in India is growing, with hospitals offering high-tech services and personalized care for international patients at a fraction of the cost in the West.

Patients often use medical travel planners like Planet Hospital, which organize everything from surgeries to luxurious accommodations.

Medical tourism is criticized for being affordable only to foreigners, as locals often rely on an underfunded public healthcare system.

India faces challenges like access to clean water and infectious diseases, but the country is advancing in both social and professional healthcare sectors.

Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing tradition, focuses on the connection between mind, body, and spirit, promoting holistic health.

Dr. Sharma, a practitioner of Ayurveda, prepares personalized herbal medicines to treat patients with ailments like abdominal pain.

The state of Kerala is renowned for Ayurveda, with millions of people visiting annually to benefit from holistic treatments.

Ayurveda emphasizes a balanced lifestyle and diet, with treatments designed to flush toxins from the body.

Many Ayurvedic medicines are plant-based, but some contain metals like lead, which are carefully processed to avoid toxicity.

Ayurvedic treatments often involve massaging or applying medications directly to the skin for effective absorption.

A patient with rheumatoid arthritis experienced significant improvement after using Ayurvedic treatments, achieving 95% relief.

Interest in Ayurveda is growing in the West, with ongoing studies in the U.S. on its effectiveness for conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

The spice market in Old Delhi is highlighted for its 'golden herb' with significant health benefits, as explored in the episode's final segment.

Transcripts

foreign

Dentistry it is something that is common

in rural India but it's something you

can also find right here in India's

capital New Delhi welcome back to Vital

Signs I'm Dr Sanjay Gupta it's amazing

to think about these roadside dentists I

mean they can clean your teeth they can

customize a set of Dentures they can

even pull your teeth all of it right

here on the side of the road it's

amazing these roadside dentists in many

ways are filling an important service

Gap you see while there's a lot of

dental schools there's not nearly enough

dentists to service a population of over

a billion people that's exactly what

these roadside dentists do they often

provide affordable and accessible Health

Care to their patients many of whom are

very poor before the break we've talked

about how India is emerging as a global

Healthcare leader let's check back in on

our medical tourism patients

we're gonna check in with sander in a

second but first we were curious how

does a hospital like this take care of

patients from so many different

countries most tourists book their

operations online with the help of a

medical travel planner companies like

Planet Hospital facilitate the whole

trip from booking the world's top docks

to the promise of upscale accommodations

Wi-Fi in your room access to food chain

restaurants coffee shops even a book

Cafe all in the hospital Lobby they also

have a 24-hour patient concierge

don't do anything from giving you a cell

phone helping you in the hospital taking

you out go shopping go sightseeing tours

anything and everything

patients say it's like tacking on a mini

vacation to their major medical

operation but with all this personal

attention high-tech machines highly

trained doctors how can the price be so

much cheaper I think we keep a

Administration costs very low we

negotiate our machines very very hard I

get paid less than a tenth of what the

nearest in the United States would make

I'm a personal costs are are much lower

critics of medical tourism say What

appears cheap for westerners is often

not even affordable for locals most

Indian natives rely on the public health

sector which some say lacks basic

medical supplies and resources what do

you say to the critics who say look you

know in a country of a billion you have

you have problems that that can cause a

lot of loss of life infectious lack of

Clean Water you're still dealing with

some of the issues that are dealt with

in developing countries how do you

justify all this I I don't think that

I'm in any way doing a disservice to

this country in a country of a billion

people we have to progress on both sides

on the social side as well as on the

professional side

of course no matter how far you travel

for medical treatment there are concerns

like post-op care and also what your

legal rights are and there's no

guarantee it's going to work out as

planned Nigerian native Fortune ifijuku

didn't need spinal surgery after all

that was a long trip but the doctors in

India determined pain injections alone

would do the trick

but good news for the patient from

Jordan he says rehab here in India has

helped him gain back sensation in his

legs after a traffic accident left him

paralyzed last year as for Sandra her

surgery was a success I had a look at

her heart scans post-op and the

fibrillation

for now

after spending time in India it's clear

to me that the surge in medical tourism

has only just begun

India is now among a growing list of

countries competing for your business

competing to save your life the machines

which are used in the US

and here are just the same most of the

people that work with us have been at

least at the physician level have either

been trained or have had exposure or had

communication with doctors in the United

States we can compete with anybody else

in the world and the rest of the world

is taking notice

thank you

we're just steps away from the malavara

market where we're taking into a very

special doctor's office Dr Sharma

practices the ancient healing tradition

known as ayurveda connect more than 5

000 years and is based on the belief

that the mind the body and the spirit

are all intimately connected let's take

a look

hit the bike at okay

acidity and mucus

Dr Sharma has studied for more than five

and a half years to learn ayurvedic

medicine he's taking care of this young

woman here who's been complaining of

abdominal pain for a few days he's

crafting a medicine that she'll take

over the next several days and he

believes it's going to give her pretty

instantaneous relief a lot of people

don't realize this but ayurvedic

medicine was born in the Himalayas but

then evolved down to the southernmost

state of Kerala where it is best known

now millions of Indians traveled there

every year to take advantage of these

holistic practices

deep in the state of Kerala lies one of

India's best known facilities for one of

the world's oldest forms of Medicine

Arya vaidya isshala is where patients

come with the ancient Indian practice of

ayurveda

aryaveda's priority is maintenance of

positive Health with the focus on

lifestyle and diet

and unlike western or allopathic

medicine

ayurveda stresses emotional and

spiritual well-being

according to ayurveda the human body has

three Dynamic elements the body's

energies its tissues and its waste

products and disease occurs when these

elements are out of balance

so medicines and other treatments are

used to restore balance with an emphasis

on flushing toxins out of the body

plants are the basis for most ayurvedic

medicines

Arya vedia inshallah manufactures its

own medicines with plant parts that It

prepares and dries

there are hundreds of varieties of

medicines a few contain Metals such as

lead and Myrtle it's a controversial

aspect of ayurveda but are you doing

Shala says their careful preparations

remove toxic levels

ayurvedic medicine believes an efficient

way to deliver medicine is through the

skin there are many treatments in which

medications are rubbed or massaged into

the body

this patient kishin showed signs of

rheumatoid arthritis back in 1979.

despite taking Western medicines he says

swelling and pain increased until he

could barely walk that's when he tried

ayurveda

it's a treatment we have a rice and milk

are used along with a medicated

decoction this is good for management of

neuromuscular diseases it relieves pain

and stiffness of joints kitchen now

describes himself as 95 percent free of

his signs of arthritis

a head injury at work had left actually

with persistent dizziness and ringing in

the

this is her second visit to ariavathi

inshallah well before I was bedridden

and I caught face crowds going out

normal and I can walk by myself and that

is a real miracle for me

actually's treatment included this one

where a patient is fitted with a leather

cap that is filled with a small amount

of warm oil and left on the head for

about an hour

there has been growing interest in

ayurveda in the west and in the United

States studies are underway on the

effectiveness of ayurvedic medicine

including uses for cardiovascular

conditions Parkinson's Alzheimer's a

medical system meant to keep the body

Mind and Spirit in healthy balance

we're here on the streets of old Deli

and Vital Signs will be back in a moment

at the karaboli Spice Market we're in

search of a golden herb with some truly

golden Health properties you're not

going to want to miss this in fact I'm

going to Barger for some when Vital

Signs returns foreign