Last updated: May 2026 | 52,000+ patients assisted | My 1Health
Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital is ranked No. 5 in India by Newsweek World's Best Hospitals 2026, appearing in that ranking for 7 consecutive years.
It holds all 4 of India's major international accreditations: JCI, NABH, NABL, and CAP, the only hospital in Mumbai with all 4 simultaneously.
The numbers that matter most:
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Complex cancer surgeries | 21,022+ |
| Robotic surgeries | 3,615+ |
| Liver transplants | 370+ |
| PCICU survival rate | 96-97% |
| Joint replacement infection rate | 0.2% (benchmark: 1%) |
| Liver transplant success rate | 86% (benchmark: 85-89%) |
My 1Health is a global medical tourism facilitation company partnered with Kokilaben Hospital to help international patients access treatment at no extra cost.
We coordinate your consultations, cost estimates, and logistics; you pay exactly what you would going directly to the hospital.
This guide shares what 7+ years of coordinating cases here have taught us.
Is Kokilaben Hospital Worth It for International Patients?
Yes. We have coordinated hundreds of cases here across cancer, transplant, cardiac surgery, and neurosurgery.
For these specialties, the outcomes justify the journey. It is not uniformly excellent across all 40+ departments, and we will not pretend it is.
What makes it structurally different from most Indian hospitals:
- The Full-Time Specialist System (FTSS) means every senior doctor is exclusively attached to Kokilaben Hospital.
- The specialised doctor who reviews your reports before you fly is the same doctor present for your surgery, your ICU recovery, and your discharge.
- At hospitals where consultants rotate across 2-3 facilities, that continuity does not exist. For an international patient who cannot easily return if something goes wrong, it matters enormously.
- JCI accreditation, held continuously since 2009, applies the same patient safety and quality standards used at leading hospitals in Singapore, Thailand, and the UAE.
- Kokilaben is also the only hospital in Mumbai to appear in the Newsweek World's Best Hospitals ranking for 7 consecutive years. That ranking uses clinical quality metrics, patient experience data, and peer recommendations.
What Kokilaben Hospital Does Best
These are the specialties where volumes, technology, and documented outcomes are strong enough that international patients travel specifically to access them.
1. Cancer Treatment
Here is what makes Kokilaben stand out in cancer treatments:
- Performed 21,022+ complex cancer surgeries since 2009.
- Holds ESMO designation as a Centre of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care, the only centre in Mumbai with this recognition.
- A 500-gene somatic cancer panel means treatment decisions can be informed by each patient's individual genetic profile, not just standard protocols.
- Radixact Treatment Delivery System delivers radiation with a built-in CT scanner and Synchrony motion-tracking technology. The radiation target moves with your body.
For lung, liver, and pancreatic tumours where breathing creates movement during treatment, this is a genuine clinical advantage. - The paediatric BMT programme is led by Dr. Santanu Sen, the only internationally accredited FACT/JACIE BMT unit inspector in India.
Trained at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. His programme treated the world's youngest neuroblastoma BMT patient (4 months old) and the youngest thalassaemia transplant in India (9 months old).
If your child has a haematological cancer requiring a transplant, this is the most credentialled programme in Western India.
2. Cardiac Surgery and Children's Heart Care
Here is what makes Kokilaben stand out in heart surgery and cardiac care:
- 12,600+ cardiac surgeries and 4,100+ angioplasties performed.
- The Children's Heart Centre is the largest congenital heart disease facility in Mumbai and all of Western India.
- Dr. Hari Bipin Radhakrishnan has performed 8,000+ congenital heart procedures, including 500+ neonatal arterial switch operations.
- The 23-bed PCICU achieves 96-97% survival rates, at par with global standards.
- For adults, awake cardiac surgery is performed routinely, reducing neurological risks associated with cardiopulmonary bypass.
- TAVR (keyhole valve replacement) is available for high-risk patients who cannot tolerate open chest surgery.
3. Organ Transplantation
Here is what makes Kokilaben stand out in organ and bone marrow transplant:
- 1st in Western India to establish a liver transplant programme.
- 370+ liver transplants completed with an 86% overall success rate, matching the international benchmark of 85-89%.
- Lead transplant surgeon Dr. Vinay Kumaran trained at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, the institute founded by the surgeon who performed the world's first successful liver transplant.
- Robotic kidney transplant is the only programme of its kind in Western India, minimally invasive, with faster recovery, fewer complications for patients with obesity or complex anatomy.
- BMT unit is the largest in Western India with 300+ transplants, including haploidentical transplants (using a half-matched donor) for patients who cannot find a fully matched donor.
- For families from Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, underrepresented in international donor registries, this expands access to curative treatment significantly.
4. Neurosurgery and Stroke
Here is what makes Kokilaben stand out in Neurosurgery:
- 1,000+ endovascular stroke procedures (mechanical clot retrieval from blocked brain arteries), the largest single-centre volume in India.
- Rapid AI processes brain perfusion imaging in 30 seconds. Previously, this took 30 minutes. In acute stroke, every minute of delayed treatment equals approximately 2 million dead brain cells (NIH, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). That reduction is not marginal.
- Dr. Abhaya Kumar: 8,000+ neurosurgical cases, 2,500+ minimally invasive spine procedures, 96% success rate, 0.2% complication rate against an international benchmark of 5-8%.
5. Orthopaedic Surgery
Here is what makes Kokilaben stand out in Orthopaedics:
- Dr. Sandeep Wasnik: 800+ robotic-assisted total knee replacements in a single year, one of the highest annual volumes in Mumbai.
- Joint replacement infection rate: 0.2%, five times lower than the international benchmark of 1%.
- Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala: 10,000+ surgeries, including 8,000+ arthroscopic procedures with a 0% postoperative infection rate against an international benchmark of 1.5%.
- He performed the first navigation-guided arthroscopic ACL reconstruction in India and sits on the ISAKOS committee.
Ready to explore treatment at Kokilaben Hospital? Get a free cost estimate and treatment plan
The International Patient Experience: What Actually Happens
Hospital websites describe the process. We describe what we have seen.
1. Before you travel
The clinical team reviews your existing scans, biopsy reports, and blood work remotely.
If your investigations are recent and diagnostically adequate, you do not need to repeat them.
A treatment recommendation and cost estimate are provided before you commit to travel.
2. Language and coordination
Multilingual support in English, Arabic, French, Bengali, Russian, and Persian.
When My 1Health coordinates your case, we work directly with the clinical teams rather than through the administrative channel.
In our experience, clinician-to-clinician communication at Kokilaben moves faster than the standard international patient desk.
3. First 48 hours
Patients coordinated through My 1Health are met at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (9 kilometres from the hospital, 30-45 minutes by road).
First specialist consultation within 24-48 hours. Transplant patients begin a 7-10 day pre-operative evaluation before surgery is scheduled.
4. Accommodation
No on-site family accommodation. Most international patients stay in Andheri West (the hospital's neighbourhood) at $40-$150 per night.
Reliable transport, food options covering most dietary needs, and proximity to the hospital for daily outpatient visits.
5. Your doctor stays your doctor
Full-time specialists are exclusively attached to Kokilaben Hospital. The surgeon who operates on you is reachable post-operatively.
6. After discharge
Most patients return home after 10-14 days for surgical procedures, or 4-6 weeks for transplant cases. Post-discharge video consultations are available.
My 1Health remains your liaison with the hospital team for any questions after you return.
Request a free treatment estimate from Kokilaben Hospital.
Kokilaben Hospital Cost for International Patients (2026)
Kokilaben sits at the premium end of the Indian private hospital market. A 40% surcharge applies to foreign nationals above standard Indian rates.
The costs below reflect this. They remain significantly lower than equivalent care in Western Europe, the Gulf, or North America.
| Procedure | Kokilaben Mumbai | Apollo / Fortis India | UK Private | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart bypass (CABG) | $5,500 – $7,500 | $4,500 – $6,500 | $30,000 – $50,000 | $70,000 – $150,000 |
| Liver transplant (living donor) | $28,000 – $40,000 | $25,000 – $35,000 | £80,000+ / NHS wait 18+ months | $300,000 – $500,000 |
| Kidney transplant (living donor) | $13,000 – $18,000 | $10,000 – $14,000 | £45,000+ | $150,000 – $250,000 |
| Total knee replacement | $6,000 – $8,500 | $4,500 – $6,000 | £12,000 – £18,000 | $35,000 – $60,000 |
| BMT (allogeneic) | $25,000 – $35,000 | $20,000 – $28,000 | £60,000+ / NHS wait | $300,000 – $500,000 |
| Cancer surgery (major) | $7,000 – $18,000 | $5,000 – $12,000 | £20,000 – £50,000 | $50,000 – $200,000 |
| Brain tumour surgery | $8,000 – $15,000 | $6,000 – $12,000 | £25,000 – £60,000 | $100,000 – $200,000 |
2026 indicative ranges. Final costs depend on diagnosis complexity, implant type, ICU duration, and length of stay. These figures exclude flights, accommodation, and companion costs.
Budget for these hidden costs:
- Flights: Lagos to Mumbai $800-$1,200 return; Nairobi to Mumbai $400-$700 return
- Accommodation: $40-$150 per night for 10-30 nights, depending on procedure
- Companion travel and accommodation: budget the same as the patient
- Post-operative medications: immunosuppressants for transplant patients cost $200-$600 per month, ongoing
- Extended stay: complications happen — budget conservatively
We have seen patients quoted $15,000 for a liver transplant leave, having spent $28,000 after an extended ICU stay and 5-week recovery in Mumbai. The hospital quote was not dishonest. Complications and recovery take time. Plan for more than the minimum.
The 40% foreign national surcharge is real, and it is policy. It still represents 60-75% savings versus UK private care and 80-90% versus the USA for most procedures. Know it exists before you compare your quote to what an Indian patient pays.
Get a personalised cost estimate for your specific procedure at Kokilaben Hospital
The Doctors International Patients Ask About Most
| Doctor | Specialty | Key credential |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Santanu Sen | Paediatric BMT and Oncology | India's only FACT/JACIE accredited BMT inspector; trained at Royal Marsden, London |
| Dr. Abhaya Kumar | Neurosurgery and Spine | 8,000+ cases; 0.2% complication rate vs 5-8% benchmark |
| Dr. Jamshed Dalal | Cardiology Director | FESC, FRCP London; 20,000+ angiography cases; established Mumbai's first angiography programme in 1984 |
| Dr. Vinay Kumaran | Liver Transplant | Fellowship at Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, Pittsburgh; 800+ living-donor liver transplants |
| Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala | Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy | 10,000+ surgeries; 0% arthroscopic infection rate; first navigation-guided ACL reconstruction in India |
Getting to Mumbai for Treatment
1. Flights
Direct routes from Nairobi (5 hrs), Lagos (8 hrs with connection), Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, and London (9-10 hrs direct).
The hospital is 9 kilometres from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, 30-45 minutes by road.
2. Medical visa
India's Medical Visa (MED) is valid for one year with multiple entries.
You need a hospital appointment letter, which My 1Health arranges. Your companion qualifies for a Medical Attendant Visa.
Apply at the Indian High Commission at least 3-4 weeks before travel.
Processing takes 5-10 working days from most African countries. E-medical visas are not available from most African countries. Confirm with your nearest Indian diplomatic mission. (Indian Ministry of External Affairs visa guidance)
3. In Andheri West
Reliable 4G, pharmacies, supermarkets, and restaurants covering South Asian, Arabic, Chinese, and continental food. Uber and Ola work reliably. Taxi rides to the hospital cost $2-$6. No car rental needed.
4. Payments
USD, INR, Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX accepted. No insurance processed directly. Patients pay out of pocket and claim reimbursement from their insurer.
How long will you be in India?
| Procedure | Minimum total stay |
|---|---|
| Major cancer surgery | 12-16 days |
| Heart bypass (CABG) | 16-21 days |
| Total knee replacement | 10-14 days |
| Liver transplant | 6-8 weeks |
| Bone marrow transplant | 6-10 weeks |
Ready to Plan Your Treatment?
We book appointments, visa letters, airport transfers, and accommodation at no cost.
How to Start Your Treatment Through My 1Health
My 1Health has assisted 52,000+ patients from 95+ countries since 2018. We are not a booking platform.
We are the team that knows which coordinator at Kokilaben responds fastest, which doctors prefer WhatsApp over email, and what pre-travel documentation prevents you from repeating tests you already did at home.
Same-price guarantee. You pay no facilitation fee and no markup. The cost through My 1Health is identical to contacting the hospital directly.
How it works:
- Contact us via WhatsApp (+1 718 550 0880) or email ([email protected])
- Share your diagnosis, recent reports, and what treatment you are considering
- We review with the Kokilaben clinical team and respond with a recommendation, estimated cost, and stay duration
- Once you decide to proceed, we arrange your visa letter, confirm appointments, and coordinate arrival
- After treatment, we stay as your liaison between home and the hospital team
Non-emergency appointments are confirmed within 3-5 days.
Time-sensitive cases: we have arranged appointments within 48 hours. Our team operates from Nairobi, Dubai, and USA, seven days a week.
Get Started with Kokilaben Hospital Today
Free treatment estimate, specialist review, and treatment plan — no commitment required.
FAQs: Kokilaben Hospital for International Patients
Is Kokilaben Hospital JCI-accredited? Yes. Kokilaben Hospital holds JCI, NABH, NABL, and CAP accreditation simultaneously — the only hospital in Mumbai with all four. JCI is verified through external inspection against international patient safety, medication management, and quality improvement standards.
Can international patients without insurance receive treatment? Yes. Kokilaben Hospital does not process international insurance claims directly. Patients pay out of pocket and claim reimbursement from their insurer if applicable. A written cost estimate is provided before travel so you can budget accurately.
What languages are supported at Kokilaben Hospital? English is the primary language for international patient communication. Interpretation is available in Arabic, French, Russian, Persian, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati. All clinical documentation for international patients is provided in English.
How quickly can I get an appointment from abroad at Kokilaben? Non-emergency cases confirmed within 3-5 working days of submitting reports through My 1Health. Transplant pre-operative evaluation schedules take 10-14 days to arrange. Emergency cases escalated the same day via WhatsApp.
Will my existing scans be reviewed before I travel? Yes. The clinical team reviews MRI, CT, PET-CT, biopsy reports, echocardiograms, and blood work remotely. If your investigations are recent and diagnostically adequate, you do not need to repeat them in India. A written recommendation is provided before you book your flights.
Does Kokilaben Hospital treat children from abroad? Yes. The Children's Heart Centre is the largest congenital heart disease facility in Western India. The paediatric BMT programme is led by India's only internationally accredited FACT/JACIE BMT inspector. The paediatric oncology programme is among the most experienced in Mumbai. Children from 4 months old have been treated here. Submit your child's diagnosis, and we will coordinate the specialist review.
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