By Barrett Goldsmith
Baytown Sun

Online Link - http://www.baytownsun.com/story.lasso?ewcd=4c6d036803317f32

Baytown,Texas November 27:David Ellis of Baytown had never heard of medical tourism, never been to India, never knew he would need to travel half way around the world to get his wife Kim the treatment she needed.

Ellis, 50, is the pastor at the Lakewood Church of Christ. His wife, Kim, works as an educational consultant. A few months ago, Kim was experiencing severe pain in her hips. Doctors discovered she had no cartilage in either hip. The treatment – bilateral hip resurfacing – could be done at Texas Orthopedic in Houston, one of the best hospitals in the world.

But the cost for both operations and the required hospital stay was prohibitive – nearly $100,000. Being self-employed, neither had adequate health insurance. David is diabetic and Kim has previously undergone back surgery, making it very difficult to find insurance.

“We had to do something,” David Ellis said. “The pain was unbearable, she could barely walk even with a walker. But we just couldn’t afford the surgery.”

So Ellis did some research on the Internet and discovered a phenomenon known as medical tourism, in which patients travel to other countries – India, Mexico, Pakistan, Puerto Rico – to receive cheaper medical treatment that is still of a high quality. He found a hospital in Mumbai, India that would resurface both hips for $16,000.

So they flew to Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, home to some 16 million people. And for 25 days, they stayed at Wokhardt hospital, accredited by an international agency and a partner with the Harvard Medical School.

The operation was a success, and now Kim is in great shape, in Kansas on business. David Ellis said the treatment was superb and the hospital staff extremely attentive and caring.

“The caring of the people was great,” Ellis said. “Maybe a little over attentive, but that’s better than not paying any attention to you. They did an amazing job, and my wife is doing outstandingly well.”

David spent his days with his wife, posting a daily blog on his experiences in Mumbai and in the hospital. The site has now had more than 2,000 hits, and can be accessed at www.davidell1957.blogspot.com

Ellis also had time to explore the city, fascinated by the sheer volume of people and the differences in culture. He also sampled the local food and came away impressed. Above all, he was struck by the amount of poverty he saw on a daily basis, and the true depth of that poverty.

“. In one part of town there was a mall that was very much like a regular mall in America,” Ellis said. “Across the street were two or three families living on the sidewalk in absolutely abject poverty. You see it everywhere. It’s unbelievable.”

The congregation at Lakewood Church of Christ, Ellis said, came through remarkably, offering endless support and help for Kim and David. Ellis has been at Lakewood for 19 years, and has never been more impressed with the generosity of his church.

“You name it, they did it for us,” Ellis said. “They prayed for us, donated to us, anything we needed. They were outstanding.”