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Medtu Care

Medical treatment in India from The Gambia

English is spoken at both ends of this journey, the Indian e-Medical visa is applied for online, and a one-stop routing through Istanbul links Banjul with India's main medical cities. Much of what Gambian patients are advised to seek (radiotherapy, heart surgery, complex specialist care) means travelling, and the journey is usually carried by family at home and relatives abroad together. That is why we work the way we do: written costs a sponsor in the UK can verify, a specialist opinion before anyone buys a ticket, and one accountable person to reach throughout.

You always pay the hospital directly. We never hold treatment money. Our fees are published on the Fees page and appear as a separate line item, never inside a hospital bill.

A journey scene connecting Banjul, The Gambia with treatment in India.

One stop via Istanbul

A year-round Banjul–Istanbul link connects onward to India's main gateways, with travel planned around your admission date.

Who this guide is for

  • A specialist treatment has been advised that is not yet available in The Gambia: radiotherapy, heart surgery, kidney care, complex orthopedics or neurosurgery
  • A relative in the UK or elsewhere in Europe is sponsoring the journey and needs cost documents they can verify from abroad
  • Your family, compound or mosque or church community is pooling funds, and everyone contributing wants to see exactly what the money is for
  • You want a specialist opinion on your case before anyone spends serious money on flights

How it works, step by step

  1. 1

    Records first

    You share your diagnosis and what has been advised. We send a secure link for reports and imaging. Nothing sensitive goes through the website form. Records are often thin or handwritten; part of our job is organizing what exists into a file a specialist can act on.

  2. 2

    Teleconsult or written second opinion

    Before anyone books a flight, a specialist relevant to your condition reviews your case: a $50 video consultation or a $150 written opinion. With flights from Banjul long and costly, this step earns its keep. Sometimes the honest answer is that travel is not needed, or that a nearer option serves you better.

  3. 3

    Your decision

    If treatment in India makes sense, you get itemized quotes from suitable hospitals and a side-by-side comparison for your case. You decide; there is no obligation to continue.

  4. 4

    Medical visa

    Gambian nationals can generally apply online for India’s e-Medical visa. Confirm current eligibility on the official Indian visa portal, as rules change. We coordinate the hospital invitation letter the application needs. A yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required for travel to India from The Gambia.

  5. 5

    Travel

    There are no direct flights from Banjul to India, but workable one-stop routings exist, most notably via Istanbul, with Casablanca another established option. Our travel arm Tripcuro plans flights around your admission date, airport pickup in India, and accommodation near the hospital.

  6. 6

    Treatment

    You pay the hospital directly, on the hospital’s own invoice, at the rates locked before you flew. A named coordinator handles the practical side so your family can focus on you.

  7. 7

    Follow-up at home

    Before you fly back you get your complete records, a discharge bill audit against the locked quote, and a written follow-up plan your treating doctor or clinic in The Gambia can pick up.

Visa reality

Gambian nationals are generally eligible for India's e-Medical visa, applied for online before travel. Confirm current eligibility and validity terms on the official Indian visa portal before applying; rules change. A yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required for travel to India from The Gambia. We coordinate the hospital invitation letter your application needs and hand you a checklist; decisions and timelines belong to the Indian authorities, and we will never pretend to influence them.

Flights reality

There are no direct flights from Banjul to India, but the connections are better than many assume: Turkish Airlines links Banjul with Istanbul year-round, and Istanbul connects onward to India's main medical cities in one further hop. Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca is another established routing. Expect a full day or more of travel door-to-door. Tripcuro, our sister travel company, plans the whole chain: flights around your admission date, airport pickup, and accommodation near your hospital.

How payment works

Two separate payments, never mixed. Treatment costs go from you to the hospital directly, on the hospital's own invoice, at rates we lock in writing before you travel. We never hold or route treatment money. Our facilitation fee is published on the Fees page ($50 teleconsult · $150 written second opinion · $1,000 full journey, milestone-gated), each step credited in full to the next. Hospital quotes are USD-denominated, and because so many Gambian journeys are carried by relatives abroad, the sponsor in the UK or Europe usually pays the hospital and our fee directly in their own currency, with every document written so that sponsor can verify exactly what they are paying for. We take no commissions from hospitals. Our fees are paid by you, published upfront, and itemized separately from your hospital bill.

What to prepare

  • A passport valid well beyond your travel dates (check the current validity requirement when applying)
  • Your most recent medical reports, imaging and prescriptions (originals where possible, even if handwritten)
  • A yellow-fever vaccination certificate, required for travel to India from The Gambia
  • A realistic funding plan: who is paying (often a relative abroad) and how the money reaches the hospital directly
  • Your two or three most important questions for the specialist, written down

Useful guides to read next

From The Gambia: FAQs

Do Gambians need to visit an embassy for an Indian medical visa?
Generally no. The Gambia is understood to be eligible for India’s e-Medical visa, applied for online before travel. Always confirm current eligibility and validity terms on the official Indian visa portal, as rules change. We give you a document checklist and coordinate the hospital invitation letter your application needs; visa decisions belong to the Indian authorities alone.
How do you actually get from Banjul to India?
With one or two stops, since there is no direct flight. The most practical routing as of mid-2026 is usually via Istanbul, which Turkish Airlines serves from Banjul year-round and which connects onward to the main Indian gateways; Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc is another established option. Tripcuro, our travel arm, plans the whole chain around your admission and discharge dates.
Our family in the UK is paying: how does that work?
Very cleanly, and it is how most Gambian journeys we see are funded. The sponsor abroad pays the hospital directly, on the hospital’s own invoice, in their own currency. The money never has to pass through dalasi conversion or through us. Every document we prepare (quote, fee invoice, receipt) is written so the relative in London or elsewhere who is paying can verify exactly what it is for, while the patient and family at home see the same papers.
Is a remote consultation worth it before we commit to travelling?
From The Gambia, we think it is the first step that makes sense. A $50 teleconsult or $150 written second opinion costs a small fraction of one air ticket, and it answers the question that matters: is this journey medically worth making at all? Sometimes the honest answer is no: the advised treatment can be done closer to home, or travel will not change the outlook. We would rather tell you that before you spend, and each fee is credited in full if you do go ahead.
Can a family member travel with the patient?
Yes. India’s e-Medical Attendant visa allows companions to accompany a patient, typically up to two attendants per patient, applied for online alongside the patient’s visa. Confirm the current rules on the official Indian visa portal. For a journey this long, we generally advise at least one attendant, and Tripcuro arranges their flights and accommodation near the hospital as well.

Tell us about your case

A few lines are enough to start. We respond within four business hours.

Please don't upload or paste medical reports here. We'll send you a secure link after we connect. And you already know what we charge: our fees are published before you share anything.

Prefer email? Write to aditya@medtu.care — it reaches the same team.

Start from Banjul, Serekunda: or from wherever the family is

Share your case in a few lines. WhatsApp works well, and a relative abroad can write to us on your behalf. A person reads it and comes back with honest next steps, including whether travelling is worth it at all.

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We are a small team — on weekends, expect a reply within one business day.

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