Spotlight: Sandeep Khemka in Medical Travel Today

In this issue's SPOTLIGHT we speak with Sandeep Khemka, CEO of Makewell Medical Travel (http://www.make-well.com), an emerging global player in the medical tourism field. We spoke with Khemka about what inspired him to pursue medical travel and his company's approach to providing end-to-end facilitation to patients.

Medical Travel Today (MTT): Tell us a bit about why and how you got involved in global healthcare?

Sandeep Khemka (SK): The original idea came from a very personal experience when my brother needed a kidney transplant. My family was, of course, looking for the best hospital and provider to do the procedure. It wasn't easy. The information was out there, but there was a lot of searching and matching that needed to be done. So from this experience I recognized a need for a service that matched people with the right doctor or specialist and the right hospital for their specific need.

What makes us different from other agencies in India is that we only do medical travel. We don't do any pure pleasure travel arrangements. We're also a member of the Medical Travel Association, and I expect to be one of the first to receive ISO certification. We are just finishing up this process now.

MTT: Recognizing that you're a relatively young company, what services are you offering at this time?

SK: Our major focus is oncology, but many of our patients are seeking care for orthopedics, dental care, cosmetic surgery, ophthalmology, and cardiac disease. We anticipate that within six months we'll have established relationships with providers and facilities for all types of care and treatment. But we are being selective so some may take longer than others.

MTT: In terms of hospitals you refer to, are you working only in India? And where are most of your patients coming from?

SK: Our patients are really from around the world-the United States, Nepal, Canada, the U.K., and the Gulf Countries, just to name a few. We do work with many of the facilities in India like Fortis, Apollo Group, Wockhardt, Shroff Eye Hospital, and Lakeshore Hospital. We also work with SingHealth, Raffles, Parkways, and National Healthcare Group (NHG) in Singapore.

MTT: How does the experience of working with you typically go for the patient? What's the process?

SK: Usually a patient contacts us with their need. We then request their complete medical information and reports. We send this information to five or more of the best-suited facilities and physicians for consideration, depending on the condition.

The files are reviewed, and we get feedback within 48 hours from the facilities and providers on how they would handle it, who would be involved, and so forth. We then provide that information back to the patient.

From this point it's up to the patient to decide. We do not make recommendations. We just offer the options and information. The patients can then work with their personal physician and talk with their family to make the decision that they feel works best for them.

Once they've decided, we then set up an appointment with the specialist or physician and begin creating their itinerary, establishing accommodations, setting up the appropriate post-treatment care or facilities as needed, and so on. We take care of all medical and travel logistics, which can be intimidating and confusing to the consumer. We make it so they don't have to worry about having forgotten some piece of information the hospital or doctor might need. It's all taken care of. Plus, we make all the arrangements for a patient and a companion. Typically the companion gets to stay with the patient at the hospital, which is always comforting and helpful for everyone.

MTT: And what about follow-up after the patient has returned home?

SK: When it's appropriate, we set up post-treatment follow-ups with the patient and the care provider. We're also working on a system where we can maintain patient reports and the physician can review them online. That's still in development, but once it's done, it will make things even easier and thorough.

MTT: From what you told us earlier about your own family's past medical needs, how do you feel you're doing in terms of satisfying the needs you experienced?

SK: I think we're doing very well. Our focus is really on the patient and making sure we do right by them. When you're in need of major medical care, you are feeling pretty exposed and vulnerable. We really try to make them feel more secure and confident in the choices they are making and give them options so they don't feel forced into something. Even after they arrive here and meet with the surgeon or specialist, if for some reason they don't feel confident, they can cancel without any financial penalties. That's how committed we are.

Sourced From Medical Travel Today

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