Planning care in India from Africa
Health systems across Africa are growing, and many countries are investing in specialised services. Access to some specialised treatments is still limited in places, and patients and families sometimes travel for them. Here are published facts, and what we can arrange.
Hyderabad from the air. Footage still: Hemanth28 on Pixabay.
What the data says
Nearly 70% of African countries reported that radiotherapy is generally not available to their populations, according to a joint WHO and IAEA statement.
The IAEA initiative, launched with WHO support, works with countries to expand access to cancer diagnosis and treatment using radiation medicine, beginning in Africa.
Visitors from Somalia who came to India for medical purposes in 2024, one of the top five source countries.
These facts describe one specialised area, and the picture differs from country to country and is changing as countries invest. They are not a judgement on any health system. Your doctor at home is the right person to advise on whether treatment abroad makes sense for you.
Sources checked 4 November 2026.
On the ground in India
- Appointment and estimate requests to the hospitals or practitioners you choose
- Visa paperwork guidance and a document checklist
- Airport pickup, transfers and local transport
- Stays near your hospital, for you and the people travelling with you
- Interpreters where available for your language
- Ayurveda, homeopathy or a check-up holiday, if you want one
- A recovery stay and help with your journey home
Practical checks
- Talk to your doctor at home and ask for copies of your records and test results.
- Check direct and connecting flights to the Indian city of your hospital.
- Ask the hospital about interpreters for your language.
- Plan follow-up care at home before you travel.
Your trip from Africa, step by step
What most African patients sort out before they board, and who does each part.
Talk to your own doctor first
Ask whether travel is safe for you, and how they would handle follow-up when you're back.
Get written replies from hospitals
You pick the accredited hospitals. We help you send them your reports and follow up until each one replies in writing. Hospitals reply on their own timelines; we follow up with them, but we don't control how long they take. Our own reply to your enquiry comes within one working day, and it's free.
Fix your dates, then book flights
Book only once the hospital confirms your date. Fly into the international airport nearest your hospital (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, for example, all have international flights) and check current routes from Africa with airlines.
Get your e-Medical visa sorted
Use the official portal only. We give you the checklist and help you request the hospital letter.
Arrive to a plan
Airport pickup, a stay near the hospital, admission support, interpreters and a coordinator you can call.
Quick answers for African patients
Can someone travel with me?
Will I be able to talk to the doctors?
What will it cost?
What do I bring home?
e-Medical and e-Medical Attendant visas
Eligibility varies by nationality. On 4 November 2026, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia, among others, appeared on the official e-Visa fee table for the e-Medical visas; Nigeria and Ethiopia did not appear in that table. Where the e-Visa is not available, apply for a regular Medical visa through the Indian High Commission or Embassy. Always confirm on indianvisaonline.gov.in.
The portal lists e-Medical visas as valid for one year from arrival with multiple entries (checked 4 November 2026). Rules change; the Government of India decides every application. We give general guidance only.
Please read
- Care Beyond Borders is not a medical provider and does not give medical advice.
- Talk to your own doctor before planning treatment abroad. Don't stop or change prescribed treatment.
- We don't promise outcomes, prices or waiting times. Estimates come from the provider, in writing.
Heal in India, with the ground arranged
Tell us what you're planning and when.