Do I need to bring an attendant?
It is not required for every treatment, but for surgery or a hospital stay most patients bring a family member. An attendant helps with daily needs, keeps you company, and is the person the hospital talks to when you cannot. Ask the hospital what it expects for your procedure.
The hospital may need to reach someone quickly about your care. For example, if a different procedure becomes necessary or costs will rise significantly, the hospital informs you or your attendant before proceeding. Having a trusted person with you makes those conversations easier.
An attendant also takes care of practical things during recovery: meals, medicines, paperwork, payments and the journey home.
Which visa does an attendant need?
Up to two blood relatives may travel on e-Medical Attendant Visas, applied for separately and referencing the patient’s file. Each attendant needs their own passport, photograph and proof of relationship to the patient. Their visa follows the patient’s, so apply for the patient first.
Attendants usually also need a copy of the patient’s visa, the hospital’s reference letter, accommodation details and financial documents. Give your coordinator each attendant’s name exactly as it appears in their passport, so the hospital’s letter matches.
The attendant visa is for accompanying the patient. Like the patient’s medical visa, it does not permit employment in India.
Where does an attendant stay?
While the patient is in hospital, an attendant may be able to stay in the patient’s room, depending on the hospital and the room category. Ask the hospital before admission. Before and after the hospital stay, patients and attendants usually stay in a guest house, serviced apartment or hotel close to the hospital.
We maintain a list of verified stays within 2 to 5 kilometres of our partner hospitals in Delhi NCR. They range from budget guest houses with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and 24-hour security, to serviced apartments with kitchens for longer stays, to 3-star and 4-star hotels.
A kitchen helps attendants cook familiar food, which matters on a long stay or with dietary needs. Lift access and step-free entry matter for a patient who is recovering from surgery.
How much does an attendant cost?
For planning, our cost estimator uses about $30 to $60 a night for a room near the hospital, $10 to $20 per person per day for meals and local travel, and $40 to $80 for airport transfers. A second attendant sharing a room adds about $15 to $30 a night. Flights and visa fees are extra.
These are planning figures, not quotes. The actual cost depends on the type of stay you choose, the number of nights, and how you eat and travel. The estimator lets you add attendants and nights and see the range change.
The biggest factor is time. A procedure that needs three weeks in India costs much more in accommodation than one that needs five days, so ask the hospital how long you should plan to stay before you book anything.
What should an attendant pack?
Pack documents first: passports, printed visas, the hospital’s invitation letter, the patient’s medical records and the accommodation confirmation, all in hand luggage with copies on a phone. Then money, comfortable clothes for long hospital days, and any medicines the attendant takes regularly.
- Passports, printed visas and the hospital’s invitation letter, with copies.
- The patient’s medical records and reports, in hand luggage.
- Return flight details and the accommodation confirmation.
- US dollars or euros in recent notes for exchange at authorised counters, and an international debit or credit card.
- An unlocked phone for a local SIM card, which your coordinator helps you obtain with your passport and visa copies.
- A universal plug adaptor and a phone charger.
- Comfortable clothes and shoes, a light jacket for air-conditioned wards, and a reusable water bottle.
- The attendant’s own regular medicines, with their prescriptions.
What if we do not speak English or Hindi?
We coordinate interpreters in Russian, French and Arabic to accompany you during consultations and hospital administration. Language support during hospital hours and consultations is part of our coordination service. A full-time private interpreter outside clinical coordination costs extra, and your coordinator explains this before you proceed.
Ask the interpreter to help the attendant too, for example when the nurse explains medicines or the discharge plan. It is often the attendant who needs to remember the instructions.
How do attendants get around Delhi?
Airport pickup is coordinated for you. For daily travel between the accommodation and the hospital, app-based taxis such as Uber and Ola operate widely across Delhi NCR, and the metro connects many areas. Your coordinator can suggest the easiest route from your stay.
Attendants also need rest. Long days at the bedside are tiring, and it helps to plan a few hours away from the hospital. Massvaa Care Wellness can arrange rest close to the hospital for family members, fitted around visiting hours.
Quick answers
How many attendants can come with a patient to India?
Up to two blood relatives may travel on e-Medical Attendant Visas, applied for separately and referencing the patient’s file.
Can an attendant stay in the hospital room?
It depends on the hospital and the room category. Ask the hospital before admission whether an attendant can stay overnight in the patient’s room.
How much should we budget for an attendant?
For planning, our cost estimator uses about $30 to $60 a night for a room near the hospital and $10 to $20 per person per day for meals and local travel. Flights and visa fees are extra.
This guide is general information to help you plan. It is not medical advice. Massvaa Care is a non-clinical facilitator: treatment decisions are made by you with the treating hospital’s specialists, and visa decisions by the Indian authorities.
