"India also has the worst "private" hospitals if you compare the hospital support staff specially nurses. Most of them (not all) nurses have no passion and the profession itself is not given the kind of importance that it is given in the US."

This is because Nurses don't get paid well, avg pay will be around Rs 15,000/month which is simply not enough in metro cities. Majority of the profits of private hospitals goes towards Doctors and hospital administration. Nurses pay have been stagnant for so long. Nurses don't even get extra pay or shift allowance for working nights. Many of the skilled ones, migrate to western countries rather than stay and work in India. Nurses do get paid well in govt hospitals, but govt hospitals are so few as compared to privately run hospitals.

I always think that even nurses that are relatively well paid are really underpaid for the job that they do. It is a highly stressful job doing a lot of really unpleasant things under difficult conditions. You have no real leeway for having a bad day -- people suffer if you don't perform. It requires a lot of study, experience and skill to do well. While computer programming is a scarce skill, in no way does it compare with the job of a nurse... and still there is no comparison in salary. And that's for nurses that are relatively well paid. The world really is unfair.

I agree, the pay for nurses is a pity.

I try to impress on the hospital management during my interactions with them that nurses in some ways are the most important staff in a hospital. They interact with the patient the most and they have the most knowledge of the situation than even the doctor in some situations. Hospitals in the west seem to get this but in India they don't. Most of the focus is on the doctors and equipment. Hopefully this should change in the future.

Even some "public" hospitals are really good. e.g. Tata hospital in Mumbai, They have had equipments and cancer treatments, which are even considered state of art in US. Like DOTATATE scan and lutetium therapy has been available to so many people in India for more than 5+ years now. Only 2 hospitals in Mumbai have it Jaslok and TATA. And TATA charges are so low , its a blessing for all the people who have been able to get treatment. Experience both healthcare system. India is cheaper which means every one can get access to cheap medicines and medical treatment. US obviously will fare better.

For those like me who were confused : The Tata hospital was originally commissioned by a philanthropic trust established by one of the Tata's, arguably one of India's most famous business families, and also possibly the most active in philanthropy / social welfare. The Tatas are also responsible for some of India's best research institutes - TIFR / IISc, as well as places like TISS, NCPA.

> Also, the public hospitals in India are a joke. They are terrible. Although some of the best doctors in India come from there.

How can they be terrible and have the best doctors at the same time ?

> Cleanliness is another major issue in Indian hospitals. Even in the best ones most staff don't follow basic sterilization procedures that are common in the western world.

You mentioned before that some private hospitals are amazing, yet here you mention that cleanliness is an issue in indian hospitals. How can they be amazing if cleanliness is an issue ?

> So all in all its great that the hospitals in India are affordable to a cross section of Indians but they can be better with better government oversight and having well trained and passionate nursing staff which might increase costs.

Are you saying that all the nurses in the US come all 'passionate' ?

>How can they be terrible and have the best doctors at the same time ?

If I'm understanding correctly, public doctors are in a good position to get experience in dificult cases and learn from worst cases before to jump to private hospitals

I have a problem with the idea of "passionate nurses".

Nurses shouldn't be "passionate", they have to be professional. Passionate people, unable to emotionally detach, will burn quickly in such place like an hospital (where the supply of suffering people is endless, and they can't decide and bassically obey orders from the upper staff). This has lead in the past to compassionate serial killers. Death angels have always the best intentions drawn in their head. Trying to be the mother and best friend of each one of your patients is a terrible strategy at long term.

Without ever having been to a hospital in India, presumably the doctors go in not-very-good, then when they become excellent they move to a private hospital.

When I look at what surgeons actually do, it seems clear to me that more than anything else they need lots of practice. Life isn't very fair, so I'm guessing most of the practice happens to poor patients and most of the competence happens to rich patients.