What is happening to our sensitivity?

Last Saturday I witnessed a pathetic scene of greed and insensitivity. Here it was not a case of any particular person but the stinking system and apathy, which made me, revolt.

It was around 7PM, and I was home, with my family. Usually on weekends I entertain guests or attack someone’s home or simply freak out with family and friends but that day it was an unusual evening at home. I was eagerly waiting for maid as it was already late and I was planning an elaborate dinner that evening. Going to unkempt kitchen was out of question. Finally the maid came, but she was pale and crying. Mother of five kids, eldest is fourteen, around 35, she is a pleasant lady who always smiles. A lean, sweet woman who gives me lot of trouble at times but I just can’t do without her. So our tug of war is always in process. Seeing her in that condition, I was worried. Must be her kids, I thought. And I was right.

‘Bhabi mere bete ko bacha lo,’ she cried after seeing me.

‘Kya hua?’ I was really tensed to see her crying like that.

Finally what I could gather from her crying and sobs was that her son had broken his arm, and he is admitted in the nursing home, which is just nearby my house. She wanted me to go with her and talk to the doctors.

So I left my cooking, and accompanied her to the nursing home, which is at the three minutes walking distances. I saw the boy, around 10 to 12, lying in emergency room, with a cloth tied to his right arm. No doctor was around. After fifteen minutes one technician from the x-ray department came and said the two bones are broken and he needs anesthesia and after that the orthopedist would plaster his arm. I saw the x-ray, two pencil thin bones were broken into two just like a pencil brakes. He checked the boy and with an air he said ‘admit him before it is too late. The blood circulation will stop and his hand can loose sensation.’

I asked about the estimate of all this and he replied ‘ 4 thousand for the plaster and anesthesia plus if we feel that he needs to stay for night then another 1000 plus the medicines.’

So it was coming around 6k!! I was shocked. I told him that woman is poor and can’t afford this. But he was least bothered. I tried to find the doctor but he wasn’t around. I told my maid to wait and left the nursing home. I started looking for other hospitals nearby. One orthopedist whom I knew was closed. Then I saw another hospital at the distance of ten minutes drive from my home. Went there and spoke to the doctor on duty. Told him everything, but he said that he needs to see the x-ray first. I told him that two bones are broken into two each. After discussing with his colleagues he told me that it would charge 1500 flat. I couldn’t believe my ears. They said get the patient, as they have to call the orthopedist from some other nursing home.

The whole exercise took me around forty five minutes. When I reached to the nursing home, I saw the man who was with my maid with some slips in his hands. I told him to get the boy and put him into the car. He looked sheepish.

‘Madam ji, unhome to zabardasti admit kar diya usse.’ He said showing me the papers.

‘Wapis lo paisa unse,’ I was agitated.

‘Madam ji, aap baat kare hamari nahi suneghe’

I went to the billing department and spoke to the person who said that’s not possible as the file has been made. Again I went to see the doctor and saw him and explained everything. He too looked agitated.

‘See Ma’m, all the papers has been made.’

‘Ok doctor then you have to do everything in these two thousand which she has deposited, because she can’t afford more than this.’

‘Where are you taking him?’

‘Safdarjung Hospital at least there they would do it free of cost.’ I lied, had no other option.

‘Ok, let me cheek him again, we may cut down the cost at least by thousand.’ So it was a bargain. I hated it like anything. Those people saw that the woman is poor but they were bothered about their billing?

‘No way doc, please cancel the papers, I have to take him, you can charge the cost of file.’ I was adamant.

Reluctantly he said ok and I came out with the boy and mother and admitted them to the hospital. It took the orthopedist almost two hours to come but he did the plaster in 20 minutes, without anesthesia. He wrote some medicines and we paid 1600 in all. At ten thirty we left the hospital, with smiling boy, a hand in plaster, sling in neck and a grateful mother with tears of gratitude in her eyes.

http://promilla.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/08/what-is-happening-to-our-sensitivity.htm