Health advisory

This advisory helps you prepare for a medical journey to India. It is general guidance only. Every decision about whether you are fit to travel, and what treatment you need, must come from a qualified doctor — either your own physician at home or the treating consultant at the hospital. Elixir CareConnect coordinates your journey; we do not diagnose, prescribe or advise on treatment.

Before you book travel

Ask your current doctor to confirm, in writing where possible, that you are medically fit to undertake international travel for the treatment being planned. This matters most if you have a cardiac or respiratory condition, are recovering from recent surgery, are pregnant, are travelling with a young child, or use oxygen or mobility equipment.

Airlines set their own rules on fitness to fly and may require a medical clearance form completed by a doctor, usually within a defined window before departure. Check directly with your airline early — this is one of the most common causes of last-minute disruption, and it is outside our control.

Vaccination and entry health requirements

India’s health entry requirements depend on your nationality, the countries you have recently visited and the current public-health position. Requirements change, so verify them against official sources close to your travel date rather than relying on any third-party summary, including this one.

Authoritative sources are the Indian mission (embassy or consulate) in your country, and your own national health authority’s travel guidance. Where a yellow fever certificate is required based on your travel history, carry the original — a copy is generally not accepted at immigration.

Bringing your own medicines

Carry the medicines you are already taking in their original labelled packaging, together with a copy of the prescription and a letter from your doctor listing each medicine, its dose and the condition it treats. Keep them in your hand baggage rather than checked luggage.

Some medicines that are routine in one country are controlled in another. If any of your medicines are controlled substances, confirm the position with the Indian mission in your country before you travel. Do not assume that a valid prescription from home is sufficient authorisation to carry a controlled medicine across a border.

Documents worth carrying

• Passport valid well beyond your intended stay, plus your visa
• All medical reports, imaging and lab results — originals where you have them
• A written summary of your diagnosis and treatment history from your current doctor
• Current prescription list, as described above
• Allergy information, including drug allergies
• Blood group, and any implant or device cards (pacemaker, stent, prosthesis)
• Contact details for your doctor at home, and for a family member who can be reached
• Any insurance documentation, if you hold cover that applies abroad

Travelling with an attendant

For most surgical procedures we would encourage you to travel with a family member or attendant. Beyond the practical help, an attendant can speak with the clinical team if you are unwell, and hospitals frequently require a responsible adult to be present for consent and at discharge. Visa arrangements for attendants are separate from your own — raise this with us early so it is planned rather than rushed.

After treatment, before you fly home

Do not book a return flight around an assumed recovery date. The treating hospital decides when you are fit to fly, and that decision can move. Post-surgical patients are often advised to wait a defined period before flying because of the risk of clots and pressure changes; the length depends entirely on the procedure and on you.

Before departure, make sure you leave with your discharge summary, your medication plan, details of any follow-up required, and a clear understanding of the warning signs that should prompt you to seek urgent care once home.

If something goes wrong while you are here

In a medical emergency, contact the hospital where you are being treated, or use local emergency services, first. Clinical emergencies are handled by clinicians. Once you or your attendant are able, tell your Elixir coordinator so we can help with communication, interpretation and logistics around the situation.

For anything non-clinical — accommodation, transport, appointments, documents or interpretation — reach your coordinator directly on WhatsApp or by email at sales@elixirimpex.com.

A note on what we can and cannot tell you

Our team can explain a process, coordinate an appointment and pass a question to the treating consultant. We cannot interpret your scan, tell you whether a treatment is right for you, change a prescription, or give you a second opinion ourselves. When you ask us a clinical question, the honest answer is to route it to a doctor — and that is what we will do.