A personal reflection on global trust in Indian healthca

Over the years, I have met patients from many parts of the world. Some come because treatment is accessible, some because outcomes are good. But every now and then, a patient’s story stays with you.

Dr Patrick Benson is one such person.

He is internationally respected for his lifelong work in wildlife conservation, particularly for his decades of research on the Kransberg Colony in the Waterberg Mountains and Cape Vulture colony at Manutsa Ranch in South Africa. A scientist by temperament, he has spent his life trusting evidence, long-term data, and careful decision-making.

Several years ago, when he needed a neuro-intervention procedure, he chose to travel from South Africa to India for his treatment.

There was no compulsion. There were closer options. His decision was based on confidence — in the quality of Indian medical expertise, in outcomes, and in the depth of experience available here.

For me, this quietly reflects what India’s healthcare system has become. Patients from across the world now come here not only for affordability, but for advanced procedures, technical excellence, and thoughtful care. They come because they trust the science and the people behind it.

That a globally respected conservation scientist placed his trust in Indian healthcare is deeply affirming. It reminds us that good medicine, like good science, speaks a universal language.

India is increasingly a destination not just for treatment, but for trust.