The influx of foreigners has given birth to a niche population associated with the medical tourism business in the city — the foreign medical interpreters.

“They will be lost without us. Everything is new to them — the language, the people and even the food. We also help people who run out of money or have no place to stay. Without our help, a lot of people would find getting treatment here and returning home very tough,” says Dawood, who came to Delhi from Kabul in 2009 as a refugee.

Having made the city his home for nearly a decade now, he has learnt Hindi and picked up bits of English.

Dawood, who lives in Lajpat Nagar with his family and works as an assistant at a pharmacy, often doubles as medical interpreter when he has the time for his Pashto-speaking family, relatives and friends from Afghanistan who come to Delhi.

Increasing numbers

Thanks to easy connectivity and affordable health care, the number of patients from countries including Iraq, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Sudan coming to Delhi for diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation has increased.

While the exact number of medical tourists coming to Delhi is unavailable, India saw the arrival of 4.95 lakh patients in 2017; 2.34 lakh in 2015; and 4.27 lakh in 2016.

Most medical tourists in India come from Bangladesh and Afghanistan. In 2017, approximately 2.21 lakh tourists from Bangladesh came here for treatment, compared to 1.20 lakh in 2015 and 2.10 lakh in 2016.

Likewise, the number of medical tourists from Afghanistan stood at 27,505 in 2015 and 61,231 in 2016 but declined to 55,681 in 2017. India also gets patients from Iraq, Oman, Maldives, Yemen, Uzbekistan and Sudan.

This influx has given birth to a niche population associated with the medical tourism business in the city — the foreign medical interpreters.

“We are the link to everything the patients and their families need. We try to assist them from the time they arrive at the hospital till their departure. Our aim is to ensure that their stay here is safe and comfortable,” said Sikander, who is in his 40s and works with Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.

Beyond interpreting

He explained that a medical interpreter’s responsibilities include assisting people with identifying the best treatment or rehabilitation facility for them, helping with the nitty-gritty details of inter-country paperwork, hospital admission, and testing and continued medical care while acting as a bridge between the hospital and the patients.

Sikander, who stays with his family in Old Delhi, claimed his grandfather would come to India from Afghanistan with fruits and dried fruits, a trade his father continued.

‘Satisfying job’

“I was born here and later decided to stay back in India. My job as a medical interpreter keeps me connected with my roots and allows me to help others from Afghanistan. Besides my regular work with patients, there have been days when they crave for something as simple as a home-cooked meal. I ensure they get it. It is a very satisfying job that way,” he added.

Abdul, who came to Delhi nearly a decade ago in search of a better life, lives in Bhogal with his wife and three schoolgoing children. He too helps friends and relatives access medical treatment in Delhi.

“This work is not a steady source of income and hospitals do not pay me anything. Whatever little I earn is from the people I help. I consider it my duty to help my brothers from Afghanistan,” he said, adding that living in Delhi and working as a medical interpreter here gives him a sense of security and purpose. “After living in Kabul, where we did not know if we would be alive the next day or not, this is bliss.”

Right at home

Stating that Bhogal reminds him of home, he said, “Many shops here sell Afghan food and items. Also, I do not feel lonely anymore as there are so many of us here now. Delhi, as a city, is also a welcoming place. My children were born here and are doing very well in their studies. I cannot ask for more.”

Lajpat Nagar resident Dawood seems agrees with Abdul. “I came to Delhi in 2009. I make decent money and live amid a thriving Afghan community here. My children are in school and are doing well.”

Lajpat Nagar too boasts many Afghan restaurants which he says “help a lot when we crave for home food. Of course, we love the north Indian cuisine too”.

As part of their treatment package for foreign patients, most private hospitals in the city offer a host of services, including assistance with medical visa, accommodation, pick up from airport, provision of ambulance / ICU ambulance or a private vehicle based on a patient’s medical condition, insurance, Embassy, legal, ward, local SIM card, Foreign exchange and travel.

Pramod Alagharu, CEO, Manipal Hospital Dwarka Private Limited, said: “Foreign interpreters are the ones who help patients and their families communicate better with doctors and their teams. We have round-the-clock language interpreters. In fact, our staff and nursing team are also well-versed in some foreign languages. Many a times, we seek help from Embassies when it comes to interpreters.”

Private hospitals in the city are encouraging this inflow of foreign patients by providing complete and seamless assistance. “Our hospitals now offer single-window clearance and assistance based on requests from international patients and their families. We also offer a team that provides personalised attention to each international patient,” he added.