Thursday 27 March 2008

We Indians...

The last time I did anything resembling a medical exam was maybe seven years ago. I had insurance. My boss made me go. It was in Massachusetts. Being in my twenties and sort of cocking a snook (hope I have not mixed up that expression) at all the oldies sitting there with worried looks, I sort of breezed through it. Yes, between then and now I had a baby sometime, was in the hospital, went a billion times to the Gynaec with that protruding belly, but clearly, that was all for the monster I begat and not for myself.

Anyway, coming back to today, I went and got a medical exam done. I disciplinedly ate my dinner early, avoided eating anything after that (not a big deal, I don't go in for midnight snacks.. :-)), avoided alcohol for 24 hours (it is a weekday, see how clever I am!), and went in with much enthusiasm to this place, of course, also some apprehension. I might just be anemic, or there might be more things messed up, there was that high cholesterol reading I had had eight years ago in Mysore, I have not been feeling myself of late. So, some apprehension, also it was a new place, its part of my insurance again.

Now, in the US, they are nice, pleasant to you in hospitals, tend to wear baby blue or pink and are smiling at lot, right, so it was a peaceful experience. In brief brushes with our local desi hospitals & clinics, I had noticed a distinct absence of this attitude, I mean even in situations where they wore those pink scrubs. Tangentially, I sometimes wear this pair of grey scrubs as a night suit at home and was shocked last week when the monster kept asking me, why are you wearing this, this is the dress of nurse aunties. Did not think she had noticed. I had not particularly noticed the scrubs when I took her in for the chest xray last month...

This place I went to, boss, this was like Taj hospitality. Seriously. Five star. The ladies smiled, led you by hand from room to room for the various tests. They fed you food. Coffee. Extra tea or whatever you wanted. Gave you choices. Were not brusque. There was a usher-type lady leading the proceedings, who was super efficient and on top of all twenty of us who were in for various types of tests today. There was the xray guy who was so pleasant too. They all referred to you by your name (not as patient no. 345). The whole place was all dark polished wood and nice antique-ish furniture. They gave me brand new chappals of straw in addition to the gown and a robe. My own locker. I think we Indians really like to be pampered. Which is why I choose to be a guest on Mallya Uncle's airline whenever possible...

6 comments:

Serious Lounger said...

mallya uncle, eh!.. the bigger brat also likes mallya uncle, esp since he was kind enough to screen tom and jerry when he boarded the flight.. lucky him.. life is so simble for him..

csm said...

where? hiranandani?

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

csm-
naa not HN. some place in Cooperage or some such. they are pretty rude in HN typically, though they do wear pink clothes.

sl-
yes, the Tom & Jerry is quite useful in ensuring that peace reigns in the kingdom of Gaul..

Choxbox said...

waaw. toomaachitseems.

more importantly, from the fact that you only write abt the poshness/hefness of the place i take it that all is well inside kenny.

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

cb,
yes, seriously, completely pampered existence in some pockets here.

all should be well. it usually is. except maybe anemia. results are not available yet.

BTW, Mallya Uncle's aircraft hit a dog yesterday. :-(

Vanessa said...

My experience with a desi doctor here-

We went to a dentist. Obviously a posh clinic, hospitality and stuff yes, she had an american receptionist. dentist was a maharashtrian, who just refused to talk in Marathi (she knows the language very well). Insists on using her American English. We went on in Marathi from our side :)

Why are we ashamed of using our mother tongue, we Indians? Most of us that is...