Dave Flew outside Lucknow’s health care (Instagram)
For many couples, the journey towards parenthood can involve immense emotional and financial pressure. It can also mean months of doctor consultations and numerous medical tests.
In their quest to become parents, British couple Dave Flew and his wife travelled all the way to Lucknow. They are now undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in the capital of Uttar Pradesh. But alongside their fertility treatment, the couple has experienced something that has caught the attention of thousands online. An organised healthcare system which “blew his mind”.The couple’s IVF journey
Flew recently posted a video titled “The Indian healthcare system blew my mind”.
In his video, he spoke about his experience at Lucknow’s health care and praised the facilities. He also the staff and was actually super impressed with the speed with which patients could undergo tests and receive their reports.“The health system in India is much better than the UK, let me tell you why!”He was so impressed with the fact that the test results he got in minutes, not weeks. It is one of the biggest differences he highlighted.
According to him, appointments were timely, and he could undergo a number of tests within the same hospital building without having to navigate different locations.He said test results were available within 15 minutes to an hour, a turnaround that surprised him. Comparing this with his experience of healthcare in Britain, Flew claimed that obtaining an X-ray report there could take a month or longer.“To be able to come here to a place like this and have this kind of treatment at such a very cost-effective price point, and have all of this treatment so fast, I am struggling to get my head around it!” he said further.A time saving experience For patients dealing with fertility concerns, time is crucial. It is because IVF involves multiple stages, including consultations, diagnostic tests, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilisation in a laboratory and embryo transfer. The process requires careful medical monitoring, and the appropriate timeline varies from patient to patient.Flew was also left surprised with the hospital’s facilities and the assistance provided by its international lounge staff, describing the support as particularly helpful.Affordability
David Flew in Lucknow
It is a fact that IVF can be financially demanding, especially when treatment involves multiple cycles, additional investigations or medicines. In the UK, access to publicly funded IVF depends on eligibility criteria. The National Health Service (NHS) acknowledges that waiting lists for fertility treatment can be long in some areas. Couples who do not qualify for publicly funded treatment, or who choose private care, may face substantial expenses.The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) puts the average cost of one private IVF cycle at around £5,000 (INR 632,850), although the final bill varies.India's combination of private healthcare facilities, diagnostic services and comparatively affordable treatment can be attractive to international patients. For couples who are able to travel, the prospect of accessing consultations and tests within a more concentrated timeframe may also influence their decision.In the past also, a number of foreign travellers have praised India’s healthcare services and spoken lengths about it.