Elon Musk aide suffers throat injury, claims endoscopy wait is 6 weeks: 'Fly to India,' says X

The post quickly gained traction online and prompted broader discussion about access to medical care in the United States. (Representative image)

Nikita Bier, head of product at X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, has said he sustained a throat injury while eating fried chicken, leaving him unable to speak or swallow properly. In a post shared on X, Bier stated that doctors advised him to wait several weeks before undergoing an endoscopy to assess the damage.

Describing the incident, Bier wrote that a piece of fried chicken caused internal injury as it went down his throat. “Ate a piece of fried chicken tonight. It somehow tore part of my throat going down. Now I can barely swallow (or speak),” he said.

He added that medical professionals informed him that further investigation would require an endoscopy, but that the earliest available appointment was several weeks away. “Doctor says: ‘You can get it checked out with an endoscopy. Earliest availability is in 4–6 weeks,’” Bier wrote, describing the experience as resembling “a Kafka novel”.

The post quickly gained traction online and prompted broader discussion about access to medical care in the United States. Several users pointed to what they described as structural challenges within the American healthcare system, including appointment backlogs, specialist shortages, insurance-related processes and high costs, all of which can contribute to delays even for routine diagnostic procedures.

The discussion soon turned international, with many social media users urging Bier to seek treatment in India instead. Commenters argued that diagnostic tests and minor procedures can often be arranged within hours or days at Indian hospitals.

“Fly to India. You will get to see a top doctor within an hour of landing, and an endoscopy and further consultation within the next six hours. You can be back home in three days flat,” wrote an X user.

Another user questioned the situation more broadly, asking, “Is healthcare really this bad in America?”

Another X user advised Bier to consider medical travel, writing, “Just book a trip to India, get it done in a day and fly back!”

Entrepreneur Aman Gairola also commented on the discussion, praising India’s medical infrastructure. “It would take 48 hours in a worst-case scenario here. People never realise the amenities the country provides. Surely there are shortcomings, but it’s getting better each day,” he wrote.

A section of users also criticised the healthcare system in the UK and drew parallels with that of the United States. Some netizens also advised Bier to either fly to South Korea, Dubai or Thailand for better and prompt treatment.