Health Tourism - balanced analysis

I just read a post on the blog Sid Knows Why.

This post takes a good stab at analysing the recently published report in Mckinsey Quarterly on Medical tourism. Some of the arguments given here are very appealing. This shows how there is a risk in this industry of hype overtaking reality as credible resources are also being challenged on their research.

Good luck Sid. Also read Ted the Med which throws further light on the topic.

Medical Tourism in India

Value Medicare provides medical and recuperative services to patients traveling to India. Medical Tourism is a rapidly growing industry in India and Value Medicare is one the leading players in this market. They provide the patients access to cost effective complex medical procedures such as knee replacement surgery, hip replacement surgery, cardiac by pass surgery etc. and elective procedures in dental and cosmetic surgery.

Visit the website www.valuemedicare.com

The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)

Grapes of Wrath is perhaps the most noteworthy and famous novel based on the economic downturn termed as "Great Depression" in the US in early 30's. The story revolves around an Oklahoma family amongst hundreds of thousands of poor people migrating to California in search of living. The state of Oklahoma was particularly hit during those times by mechanization of agriculture and Dust Bowl drought.

In the story, the Joads sell off their house and land to move from their hometown to (deceptively) promising land of California in vain hope of finding a living. Living frugal, almost miserable lifestyle the Joads foraged fruit picking farms to earn as little as 2.5 cents per hour. All kind of mishaps occur during the course of the journey and afterwards; both grandma and granddad pass away on the way, Rose of Sharon (the daughter of the family) gives birth to a stillborn child, Casy - a preacher who had accompanied the family on this errand is killed for leading a strike against low labor costs. Tom Joad, the lead protagonist, a guy with a short temper in return kills the guy who attacked Casy. Tom had returned from the prison after getting a parole, convicted of killing someone in a fit of fury in the beginning of the story.

The immigrants are despised in California and looked upon as a potential threat by the owners of farm lands. Casy and later Tom finally understand the need for cooperative, as opposed to individualistic, solutions in times of misery.

Verdict: Serious, depressing, inflicted with misery.

"Surely, you're joking Mr. Feynman" (Richard P. Feynman)

Richard Feynman, the author of this humorous book about incidents of his life is the Nobel Prize winner for Physics in 1965. Feynman titillates the reader with his entertaining anecdotes which depict stratospheric brilliance of this physicist. Jack of all trades is more like it- he fixed radios at the age of 12, went to MIT, Princeton, Cornell, was a safecracker for fun, an artist and an amazing prankster. What is more, he also had his way with pick up lines for girls in the bars.

Verdict: This is an extremely entertaining story about a scientist with characteristic brilliance, intelligence and uncharacteristic versatility. Will have you in stitches.

A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess)

"What's it going to be then, eh?"

ACO is the story of Alex and his droogies Pete, George and Dim who sneak out of their homes in the night to indulge into unlawful activities like ultraviolence, rape and looting. Alex is ditched by his accomplices while committing a crime and jailed. While in the jail, he volunteers to get enrolled for a human aversion therapy trial to escape from the bound of the prison. But to Alex's shock, the aversion therapy treatment turns out to be an atrocious nightmare. He is acclimatized to hate any violence and becomes so docile as a result that he cannot even do self-defense if someone is attacking him.

The novel is written in a narration form with Alex being the narrator. The language used by Alex and his droogies 'NADSAT' is invented by the author and is a combination of English and Russian.

Verdict: Great story depicting trials and tribulations in the life of a teen renegade. The language NADSAT makes it a bit difficult to read without referring to its glossary.

The Paradox of Choice (Barry Schwartz)

"The Paradox of Choice" is a book about a topic that worries me big league sometimes which is the gargantuan number of choices available for almost everything in our life and getting your way around them or rather out of them. I should hasten to point out that this is my first read of what comes closest to a self help book. Haha.

Barry Schwartz categorizes people into two types based on the way they choose - one is Maximizer, someone who has the proclivity to hunt down all the stores in the town for buying a little nothing and the other is Satisfier who would buy something that is just good enough. We all are maximizer in some respect and Satisfier in other.

Verdict: This book deserves rapt attention of people who like to be over-exacting even while buying a toothbrush from a grocery. For others, it does not offer a great bang for the buck. (For instance, I got it imported into the country but found most things as motherhood and apple pie stuff). Also, Barry Schwartz has an untiring desire to depict every human behavior with a psyche experiment, which puts you off at times. The TED talk by Barry Schwartz is much utilitarian.

The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

"For you, a thousand times over" - the assurance given by Hassan to Amir symbolizes the book - The Kite Runner written by Khaled Hosseini. Hassan, a hazara (low caste) childhood playmate of Amir and his father serve Amir's family based in Peshawar. Hassan is always willing to consecrate his entire being on Amir. Amir grew up with his baba and did not have the strength of character as his baba would want. He would throw up due to motion sickness and lacked natural toughness. To gain respect in front of baba's eyes, Amir tries to win a kite flying competition. He manages to win the kite flying competition but loses the biggest thing - self-respect. Hassan gets sodomized by a bully Assef as he runs to get a kite for Amir who turns his back to Hassan. Amir lives with the guilt of deceitfulness through his life for lack of courage.

Amir and his baba flee to US for a comfortable life, as political unrest engulfs Afghanistan. Amir gets married to an Afghani girl Soraya before baba's cancer stops his wanderings on earth. Years after, Amir's guilt takes him back to Afghanistan where he faces the utter truth that Hassan was related to Amir as brother. He further gets to know that Hassan has passed away in an atrocity by the Taliban who usurped the rein of the country and Hassan's son Sohrab is living in an orphanage where the caretaker is trading children to run the expenses. Amir determines to overcome his guilt by safeguarding Sohrab. But, as the luck would have it, Amir runs into Assef again who is now a part of the Taliban and has the custody of Sohrab. They both engage in a duel when eventually Sohrab uses his slingshot to poke out one eye of Assef. Amir eventually takes Sohrab back to US with him.

Verdict: The Kite Runner is a brutal story of a lifetime spend in difficulties, but a happy ending. Apart from occasional mullah naseeruddin jokes, its a serious read but keeps the reader glued to the book due to the interesting plot.