Post from Superspeciality

17 September 2011

I am amazed by this family who has given me an opportunity to help them to come here for a heart disease treatment.

Well, to be sincere, a couple from Bihar; this tag had made me imagine that the family must be a conservative where wife would have been supressed. But, now I've realized I was wrong.

The husband's name is Umesh and the patient, his wife's name is Anita. Umesh is a very cheerful person and he ensures that everyone is smiling around. He cracks meaningful jokes, delivers laugh-provoking phrases and a few filmy dialogues. I have observed that people quickly get along with him and within minutes he makes a friend wherever he is.

This is not the only reason why I'm impressed; I respect the love he has for his wife and the dedication he bestows. His wife, Anita is suffering a heart disease, her valves are blocked and after spending some 60-70 thousand rupees doctor finally referred her to the Superspeciality Hospital in Puttaparthy.

Throughout our train journey from Jogbani to Puttaparthy, he not only made us smile but befriended all the felow passengers in our coach. He cared for his wife, cracked jokes whenever she used to be sad and always motivated her that everything gonna be okay.

Today, it was a day to check her up in the Superspeciality. As the treatment is free of cost, there is a heavy rush of patients from all the corners. Because of which, hospital has a queue system and only 50 patients are given entrance in a day. The entrance starts at 5 am in the morning but the queue starts a night before. Umesh ji stayed awake whole night from 09 pm(it's 1130hrs now) and he ensured he was no, 1 on the queue. We stayed at room itself and joined him only in the morning at 4.30 am.

When I joined the queue in the morning, I was surprised, everyone knew him, everyone was impressed by his full of life nature.

He is worried if his wife would be okay, this is the last chance for him and the only place where he can hope for the treatment. Else, the cure is available abroad and requires huge cost which he would not be able to afford. During a general medical test, doctor suspected that both her valves might have been affected. So he is really worried now. He says, 'I would be nowhere if she would not be treated here.'.

We have just been called by the senior doctor here and he explained that she needs to be immediately admitted for a 'Balloon Operation' which would be after 4 days. I was so impressed by this doctor, he looked somewhat stern but he had a very pleasant voice and he made us understand about the 'Balloon operation' and the complication she has. He was very soft spoken. Do you get to meet such a doctor, that too without paying a fee?

The operation would have costs atleast 50 thousand or more than that in a private hospital. And, add more expenses for all the tests, medicines, admission charges, bed fee, etcetra etcetra. But here everything is free, a real blessing for poors.

So, now the family is staying back for atleast seven days. Umesh is asking me to stay back till his wife is okay coz he finds me as a support.

The admission procedure is underway, let's see....

Signing off for now...