I see - I didn't know it was difficult to sue in the USA, I really don't know anything about their system except for what I read in newspapers. In India, the additional problems are the court system and the fact that it's easy to bribe or intimidate people including police, other doctors, witnesses etc. It's considered normal for cases to drag on for many, many years, even decades, so it does not make sense for a potentially disabled client (who already lost a lot of money) to spend even more money and several years of his or her life attending court hearings.
Re: rats, obviously the 'rat temple' is an extreme example and there are a lot more interesting things in India than that. It's a great country with a fascinating culture and history, but not a typical destination of choice for elective medical treatment. I have visited Oman and other neighbouring countries several times for business, I'd say that it's about equally common to see rats on the street in India and the Middle East (it's not super common but it does happen from time to time). It's not uncommon in London either, and I hear it's the same in New York City.
It's an interesting suggestion you made about the OP visiting the doctor in Oman instead of India. I think it's a great idea if OP can afford it (Oman would be way more expensive in every ways). It's closer to him, it would be much less of a culture shock, it's a beautiful country with generally nice people and personally I'd feel much safer in a private hospital in Oman. Once he is in Oman, he could then fly to India for a holiday and just enjoy the country instead of worrying about medical treatment there. India is way, way more interesting for a tourist than tiny, boring and safe Oman
At the end, I guess it's all down to luck. I had emergency medical treatment in a government hospital in India and am eternally grateful to the doctors that treated me (for a ridiculously low amount of money), they did an excellent job. On the other hand, I had a minor elective surgical procedure with a Western European doctor at the best and most expensive hospital in a Middle East country, and the doctor messed up big time and I have an ongoing problem ever since (I could have sued but can't face the stress, decided to just live with it). So you never know, but you still want to make a choice that seems best and most rational in the circumstances.
Well, to be more precise, anybody can sue. The matter with malpractice claims is prevailing which is contingent on expert witnesses which in turn is a lot of expense for the patient. Doctors have malpractice insurance which basically pays their legal defense bills.
A patient could have medical insurance to pay for an operation. So, if they sue the doctor the insurance paid to do the operation and the patient wins, the insurance plan could demand the part to most of the winnings. That is example of plight of poor in US who have insurance by state or gov.
As to India, doctors there are often wanting private pay medical tourism. So more incentive for them (I would think) to do good job. Clearly the OP got in touch with another who went to the Indian doctor and had good things to say about him. So, it's like that and maybe more so than all the self horn tooting you spotted on Richardson's promo material. He would have incentive to do good job on OP because that's a way he gets referrals from patients outside of India.
I was looking more at R's website. Some of the things he does are 'quick' things like mole removal or skin fixes. So, small stuff could be part of high number of 'procedures'. Notable ones (which, of course will be longer) would be fixing facial deformities, birth defects, things that cause speech defects, accidents etc. So, for that sort of thing, there would be nothing but satisfied patients. Can't imagine any complaints.
Background in fixing facial deformities; maxillo-facial, cranio-facial will also include some plastic surgery because the deformities would also be found in soft tissue. Hence, he does rhino. Also, sewing up lip in cleft lip patient is soft tissue work and stitching technique is PS and. I'll also mention again what I said in one of my earlier posts. India, as an ANCIENT culture had medical advances where the first rhinos (and I'm talking fixing noses that were chopped off) came from there. So, I would imagine that there would pride involved with some Indian doctors as it relates to a culture with history of medical advances. I mean North America doesn't arise from any advanced civilization. I would not be surprised (nor something I personally would fault him for) if he drew from cultural history as it relates to medicine to consider himself even better than NA doctors.