By Marcus George BBC News Online

Maharajas' palaces, riding atop elephants, the Taj Mahal, wind-swept beaches - all common reasons to visit India. But for one Scotsman the biggest attraction is the surgical skills of its doctors.

Mr Campbell will save �12,000 by going to India

This week James Campbell is flying to India for a double knee replacement operation to avoid a two-year wait for treatment on the NHS.

The 68-year-old suffers from osteo-arthritis in his knee, making him dependent on cortizone injections to provide relief from acute pain.

Mr Campbell, from Braemar in Aberdeenshire, has opted for a trip to India to save �12,000.

In his estimations, his bill will come to �8,000, including flights and a seven week stay in India, compared to the �20,000 needed for private treatment in the UK.

Internet research

"To have it done privately in the UK, it's almost as much as open-heart surgery," Mr Campbell said.

"I want some quality of life in my retirement and as I'm only 68 at the moment, I've decided to go to India and have the operation done.

After an extensive trawl on the internet and with the advice of his friends, the former retail manager has sets his sights on the Krishna Heart Institute in Ahmedabad, western India.

My family and friends are shocked at the fact that I'm having to do it under my own steam James Campbell India's 'five-star' hospitals

"It's five-star. It's a top class hospital.

"Fortunately enough I know someone who has set the wheels in motion for me. He's checked it all out."

Currently staying with family members in southern England, Mr Campbell is due to have his operation on 6 October.

'Family shocked'

After a 15-day stay in hospital he will be transferred to the nearby town of Baroda for several weeks of rest and physiotherapy, before returning home in November.

"My family and friends are shocked at the fact that I'm having to do it under my own steam.

"You hear about the government spending lots of money on the National Health, but where is it?"

On the NHS, Mr Campbell said he faced several months before being put on a waiting list, another nine months before an appointment with a specialist and then a year waiting for an operation.

He is adamant no follow-up treatment will be needed after his trip to India.

"I'm quite excited because I know that when I come back I'm going to have no pain in my knees," he says with relief in his voice.

"I shall be fully recovered."

"I have a couple of good books and the weather's nice. I'll do some trips and perhaps have a look around some of the historical places there," he adds.