Diagnosed with kidney stones, Indrajit Roy wanted to get the best cure at an affordable cost. When a hospital in Kolkata promised to remove the stone in a bloodless laser-aided operation at less than half the fee quoted by other hospitals, his prayers were answered.

Roy, 32, of Bally in Howrah was taken to the city's Anandalok Charitable Hospital, in Salt Lake, where doctors found a 500-gram stone embedded in his kidney.

Private hospitals charge Rs.50,000 for such an operation, but at Anandalok it costs Rs.15,000-20,000.

Keeping in mind the enormous size and weight of the stone, the doctors opted for laser technology instead of the traditional open surgery method. The operation was absolutely bloodless and the patient was cured without any post-operative complications.

"With the induction of the laser technology, we have successfully treated over 200 patients suffering from kidney stones in the last year. The unique feature of this technology is that the patient does not undergo any blood loss or pain," said Anandalok Charitable Hospital secretary D.K. Saraf.

"The patients don't have to stay more than two nights at the hospital for the operation," he added. Laser technology, which was brought into the urology department of the hospital last year, has helped cure over 200 patients suffering from kidney stones at a very affordable cost. The Holmium laser machine was bought from Germany for Rs.4.5 million.

Anandalok urologist Amit Ghose said that on an average, 800 patients come to the hospital every year with kidney stone-related ailments.

It is mostly people living in tropical countries who get kidney stones. It is also related to heredity and day-to-day food habits," Ghose added.