Big cities and town have a thriving private health service, and a spanking new hospital may look nice, but will not have many patients coming to it for several years. If you decide to return to a major city or town, do not be under the mistaken impression that conditions are likely to be primitive and that you will be the person to bring some advanced and good medicare to the area. Every place is full of competent doctors who have spent time abroad and there are a lot of well equipped hospitals alongside little hell holes of hospitals. Indian cities have a strange medical system. The worst off do go to Government hospitals, though they would avoid this if they could.
Patients come directly to doctors, and often directly to a specialist, such as a cardiologist.
There are GPs, but a formal referral system is non existent. It is common practice for hospital owners to offer incentives to GPs for referrals, and the treating specialist often has no idea about any deal. He is referred a patient to treat in the hospital and gets paid for his services. We Jipmerites are at a particular disadvantage. Having spent years in Pondy, and later in a foreign country, we find that we have no classmates, seniors or juniors who would welcome you and send you the first few patients to help you find your feet - but this disadvantage can be overcome.