In The Press

You might think that Robert Stuart Smith, 72, would go down on his knees in thanks to his surgeon. But Smith, a well-known Vancouver entertainer and realtor, is just as thankful for the man who made his surgical journey to India to have his left knee fixed a success.

Tired of waiting to get it fixed here because of a long waiting list, he explored alternatives and eventually contacted Kelowna-based business man Milind Pendharkar and his Meditour company that arranges medical-tourist packages to India.

"I cannot say enough about how Milind and his company handled everything for me and my wife," he said yesterday in an interview.

"He looked after absolutely everything from getting me to the Kerala Institute of Medical Science for the operation to arranging therapy and tourist activities and follow-up after getting back home."

"My advice to anyone contemplating this would be to go through a reputable service like Meditours to do all the arranging," he said.

While the whole exercise cost him about $25,000 Cdn, it has been money well spent. Smith says the medical institute was first class and very thorough. "I was in hospital for two weeks with follow-up therapy and it was all very efficient.

"In fact," he says, "they were so thorough in examining me from teeth to toes that they discovered stuff about me I didn't know.

"They discovered that I had only been born with one kidney. It has never hindered me, but it certainly speaks to their thoroughness, and the service I received was excellent," he said.

Smith has no quarrel with the Canadian health system. "I just think the system is overloaded and I was able to go and get treated elsewhere."

He had his surgery seven weeks ago and is happy with the result.