| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Cost of common heart operations | USD 3,800 to 7,500 (about 243,000 to 479,000 MT) |
| Time in hospital | 2 to 3 days for angioplasty, 7 to 10 days for open-heart surgery |
| Total time in India | About 1 week for angioplasty, about 3 weeks for open-heart surgery |
| Visa | Online e-Medical visa, plus an attendant visa for one family member |
| Flights | No direct flight. Most routes from Maputo connect once, for example in Addis Ababa |
| Yellow fever certificate | Not needed if you fly from Mozambique and stay inside the airport transit area on the way |
| First step | Send your echo, angiogram and ECG for a free medical opinion within 48 hours |
How much does heart surgery in India cost in meticais?
These are starting prices at our partner hospitals, converted at the Banco de Moçambique reference rate of about 63.90 meticais to the dollar. Hospitals quote and bill in US dollars, so the metical figures are for planning only.
| Procedure | Starting price (USD) | Approx. in meticais | Hospital stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angioplasty with stent | 3,800 | 243,000 MT | 2 to 3 days |
| Heart bypass surgery (CABG) | 4,500 | 288,000 MT | 7 to 10 days |
| ASD or VSD closure (child) | 5,500 | 351,000 MT | 3 to 7 days |
| Heart valve replacement | 7,500 | 479,000 MT | 7 to 10 days |
| MitraClip | 25,000 | 1.6 million MT | 3 to 5 days |
| TAVI / TAVR | 38,000 | 2.43 million MT | 4 to 6 days |
What the package usually includes
- Surgeon and anaesthetist fees and the operating theatre
- The room and the planned days in intensive care
- Standard medicines and consumables during the stay
- Routine tests done in the hospital
What can change the final bill
- The valve or stent: a mechanical valve and a tissue valve are priced differently, and so are the number and brand of stents.
- Room type: shared, single or deluxe.
- Extra days: if recovery takes longer than planned.
- Other conditions: diabetes, kidney problems or an earlier heart operation can mean more tests and a longer stay.
Outside the hospital bill, budget for return flights for two people, about two weeks of accommodation near the hospital after discharge, and food and local transport. Ask us for an estimate of these costs along with the hospital quote, so the family knows the full amount before booking. Our guide to the cost of treatment in India breaks these living costs down further.
Why Mozambican patients choose heart surgery in India
Mozambique has a respected heart centre of its own. The Instituto do Coração (ICOR) in Maputo performed the country’s first open-heart operation in 2001 and treats many children from poor families free of charge. For many patients, ICOR is the right first stop.
Even so, some families look abroad. These are the reasons we hear most often.
Waiting time
When there are more patients than theatre slots, the wait can be long. In India, once a surgeon has reviewed the reports and the patient arrives, surgery is usually scheduled within a few days.
Complex cases
Procedures such as TAVI (replacing the aortic valve through a catheter, without opening the chest), MitraClip or robotic bypass need teams and equipment that only some hospitals have. The large cardiac hospitals in the Delhi region perform them regularly.
A known price before you travel
Each hospital sends a written, itemised quote in dollars before you buy a ticket, so the family knows how much money to arrange.
A choice of hospital and surgeon
You can compare two or three accredited hospitals, see each surgeon’s experience and decide without pressure.
One honest note on language: Indian hospitals work in English, not Portuguese. If the patient and the family member do not speak English, ask us to arrange an interpreter before you travel. For a full list of procedures, see our page on cardiac surgery in India.
Common heart operations, explained simply
Your reports decide which treatment you need. Here is what each one means.
Angioplasty with a stent
When one or two heart arteries are narrowed, the cardiologist passes a thin tube through the wrist or groin, opens the artery with a small balloon and leaves a stent to keep it open. Most patients go home in two or three days. Read more about angioplasty in India.
Bypass surgery (CABG)
When three or more arteries are blocked, the surgeon uses a healthy blood vessel from the chest, arm or leg to route blood around the blockages. This is open-heart surgery with 7 to 10 days in hospital. High blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are among the main causes of these blockages.
Heart valve surgery
Rheumatic heart disease starts with a poorly treated throat infection, often in childhood, and damages the heart valves years later. It is still common in eastern and southern Africa and affects many young adults. When a valve cannot be repaired, it is replaced:
- Mechanical valve: lasts a lifetime, but you take a blood thinner every day and need regular INR blood tests.
- Tissue valve: no lifelong blood thinner, but it may wear out after 10 to 15 years.
For young women who plan to have children, this choice matters a great deal, so talk it through openly with the surgeon. Read more about heart valve replacement.
A hole in the heart in children
ASD and VSD are holes between the chambers of the heart that a child is born with. Many can be closed with a small device passed through a vein in the leg, with no open chest. Larger or more complex holes need surgery by a paediatric team. Our page on ASD and VSD repair in children explains both options.
How to choose the right hospital in India
India has hundreds of hospitals that offer heart surgery, but only some are a good fit for an international patient. When we match a Mozambican patient to a hospital, we look at five things.
- Accreditation. JCI or NABH accreditation means the hospital is audited against set standards for infection control, safety and record keeping.
- Volume of your procedure. A centre that performs bypass or valve surgery every day tends to have more experienced teams and smoother recovery care.
- The right specialist. Open surgery needs a cardiac surgeon (MCh CTVS). Stents, TAVI and pacemakers are done by an interventional cardiologist (DM Cardiology). Children need a paediatric cardiac team.
- An international patient desk. This team handles the visa invitation letter, airport pickup, interpreters and payments.
- A clear, itemised quote. You should know what is included, what is not, and what happens if you need extra days.
Our list of the best hospitals for cardiac surgery in India shows the centres we work with most, and our page on the best cardiac surgeons in India lists the specialists behind them. You choose the hospital and the doctor. We never push one option.
Questions worth asking before you decide
- How many of these operations does the surgeon do in a month?
- Which valve or stent is included in the quote, and what would an upgrade cost?
- How many days in intensive care and in the ward does the quote cover?
- What happens to the bill if there is a complication?
- Can the treating doctor speak to us by video call before we travel?
India medical visa from Mozambique and yellow fever rules
The e-Medical visa
Mozambican passport holders can apply for India’s electronic medical visa (e-Medical) online through the official Indian e-Visa portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in). There is no need to visit the High Commission in Maputo, and the approval arrives by email. Our guide to the India e-Medical visa explains each step of the form.
You will usually need:
- A passport valid for at least six months from the date you arrive, with two blank pages
- A recent photo on a white background and a scan of the passport photo page
- The hospital invitation letter, which we arrange once you have chosen a hospital
- Your medical reports
One family member can travel with the patient on an e-Medical Attendant visa, which is linked to the patient’s application. Apply for both at the same time, one to two weeks before you plan to fly. Our medical visa assistance team checks the forms before you submit them.
Yellow fever certificate
Mozambique is not on India’s list of yellow fever risk countries, so a patient flying from Mozambique does not need the certificate. Ethiopia is on the list. If you connect in Addis Ababa and leave the airport transit area, for example to sleep in a hotel during a long layover, you will need the yellow card. The vaccine only becomes valid 10 days after it is given, so plan ahead if your route needs it. Travellers who arrive without a required certificate can be held in quarantine for up to six days.
Flights, money and your stay in India
Flights from Maputo
There is no direct flight between Maputo and New Delhi. Most routes from Maputo International Airport connect at least once, for example in Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines, or through Johannesburg or a Gulf hub. Check times and fares with the airline or your travel agent, and keep the yellow fever note above in mind if your layover is long.
Tips for travelling with a heart condition:
- Ask the airline whether you need a fit-to-fly letter from your cardiologist
- Choose short layovers and an aisle seat so you can walk and stretch
- Keep your medicines, prescriptions and all reports in your hand luggage
- Ask for wheelchair assistance at each airport if walking long distances is hard
Money
Hospitals bill in US dollars. Most families bring part of the money as an international bank transfer to the hospital and carry a smaller amount in dollars or on an international card for living costs. Ask your bank in Mozambique about transfer limits well before you travel, because large transfers can take several days.
Where you stay
The patient stays in hospital until discharge, and one family member can usually stay in the room. After discharge, you move to a guest house or serviced apartment close to the hospital for the recovery period. Our coordinator meets you at Delhi airport and takes you to your accommodation or straight to the hospital.
Step by step: from your first message to coming home
Most families go from the first message to admission in two to four weeks. Work on the reports and the visa at the same time to save days.
- Send your reports. Echocardiogram, coronary angiogram, ECG and recent blood tests, by WhatsApp or through our form. Clear phone photos are fine.
- Get a free medical opinion. A senior cardiologist or surgeon reviews the case and replies within 48 hours with the recommended treatment. Read more about our online second opinion.
- Compare two or three hospitals. Each one sends an itemised quote in dollars.
- Speak to the surgeon (optional). We can set up a video call before you decide.
- Apply for the visa. We send the invitation letter and help with both visa applications.
- Fly from Maputo. Our coordinator meets you at Delhi airport.
- Admission and surgery. The hospital repeats some tests, confirms the plan and schedules the operation, usually within a few days.
- Recover near the hospital. After discharge, you stay close by until the surgeon clears you to fly.
- Return to Mozambique. The discharge summary goes to your own cardiologist, and the Indian team stays available by video call.
Recovery, the flight home and follow-up
After angioplasty, most patients walk the same day or the next and are discharged in two or three days. After bypass or valve surgery, expect 7 to 10 days in hospital and about two weeks of rest and gentle walking near the hospital.
When can you fly? The surgeon decides after a final check. As a guide, many angioplasty patients fly after about a week, and many open-heart patients fly 10 days to 2 weeks after the operation. Buy a flexible return ticket until the date is confirmed.
Before you leave India, make sure you have:
- The full discharge summary and the operation notes
- A medicine list with generic and brand names, so a pharmacy in Mozambique can find the equivalent
- Enough medicine to last until your first appointment at home
- Your target INR written down, if you have a mechanical valve
- A date for your first video follow-up with the Indian team
Back home, see your cardiologist within the first two weeks and hand over the discharge summary. If you have a mechanical valve, arrange before you travel where you will have INR tests near home. To read about families who have been through this, see our patient success stories.
Frequently asked questions
How much does heart surgery in India cost for patients from Mozambique?
Heart surgery in India starts at about USD 3,800 for angioplasty, USD 4,500 for bypass surgery and USD 7,500 for valve replacement. That is roughly 243,000, 288,000 and 479,000 meticais. The final amount depends on the hospital, the valve or stent, the room and the length of stay.
Is heart surgery in India safe?
Leading Indian heart centres are JCI or NABH accredited and perform high volumes of bypass and valve surgery. Your own risk depends on your age, heart function and other conditions, which the surgeon assesses from your reports before recommending surgery.
Do Mozambicans need a yellow fever vaccine to enter India?
Not if you fly from Mozambique and stay inside the airport transit area on the way. If you connect in Ethiopia and leave the transit area, you need the yellow fever certificate.
Is there a direct flight from Maputo to India?
No. Most routes connect at least once, for example in Addis Ababa.
Do Indian doctors speak Portuguese?
Usually not. Indian hospitals work in English. If the patient and family member do not speak English, an interpreter can be arranged.
Can a family member travel with the patient?
Yes. One family member can travel on an e-Medical Attendant visa linked to the patient’s visa. Their name goes on the hospital invitation letter.
Which reports should I send for the free opinion?
Your latest echocardiogram, the angiogram if you have one, an ECG, recent blood tests and a list of your current medicines. You get a written opinion within 48 hours.
Get a free opinion before you decide
The first step towards heart surgery in India costs nothing: send your reports. A senior specialist reviews them, and within 48 hours you receive a written opinion, two or three hospital options and an itemised quote in dollars. There is no obligation to travel.
Send your reports through our contact form or message us on WhatsApp at +91 85868 19140. Tell us the patient’s age, the city you will travel from and what your doctor in Mozambique has recommended.
The costs in this guide are starting estimates for planning. The final amount is confirmed in writing by the hospital after a specialist reviews your reports. This article is for information and does not replace advice from your own doctor.
