This afternoon, we'd gone to look up an old lady of the extended family, who'd recently undergone a kidney transplant. Though frail, she looked cheerful and seems to be on the sure road to recovery as her parameters have been registering normalcy - the Creatinine levels have been under 1, consistently over the past five weeks.
The visit was undertaken soon after attending a wedding and we're in our finery just to give the old lady a feeling of wellness and gaiety!
But what amazed me was that the entire colony of about twenty houses provided shelter to kidney patients at differing stages of their treatment - from a person awaiting her surgery after having identified the donor to this relation of our's, who now needs to report to the hospital(which is a stone's throw away), twice a week, for review. And her doctor insists that she walks the distance, which is a trifle over a km.
Consider the following aspects that are related to the arrangement:-
(a) The two room accommodation is owned by a member of the staff of the hospital. Wonder whether
the other dwelling units had such a connection?
(b) The accommodation provides essential creature comforts like a kitchenette with cooking gas but
the replenishment of the cylinders is at a premium.
(c) Provision of a/c in the rooms is subject to the inmates' demand.
(d) The current going rate of the rentals is Rs.13 grand per month with Rs.500/- extra, as electricity
charges.
It's definitely a boon and a cosy arrangement for the patients and their attendants, especially when the visits to the doctor - immediately after the surgery - are to be undertaken on a daily basis and the moves have to be undertaken in a vehicle! Taxis and auto rickshaws are available for the purpose.
Tailpiece.
I would like to wind up my thoughts with the following:-
(a) It's definitely a profit making venture to all concerned! But mind you, a kidney transplant in our country
today can only be afforded by the affluent.
(b) What about the member of the staff who seems to be 'making hay while the sun shines'? The person
has an edge over the others in that the complete information of prospective patients is available on a
platter - Professional inputs for personal financial gains, eh?
(c) Wonder whether there's a nexus between the staff of the hospital and the 'agent' who arranges for
the donor?
(d) I'd like to term the entire system as 'exploitation of another's misfortune'!
PS.
Though I was happy to see the improvement in the condition of the old lady, I was saddened to see the 'business' oriented venture and I could sense an all pervading gloom and illness that surrounded the houses of the colony!
The visit was undertaken soon after attending a wedding and we're in our finery just to give the old lady a feeling of wellness and gaiety!
But what amazed me was that the entire colony of about twenty houses provided shelter to kidney patients at differing stages of their treatment - from a person awaiting her surgery after having identified the donor to this relation of our's, who now needs to report to the hospital(which is a stone's throw away), twice a week, for review. And her doctor insists that she walks the distance, which is a trifle over a km.
Consider the following aspects that are related to the arrangement:-
(a) The two room accommodation is owned by a member of the staff of the hospital. Wonder whether
the other dwelling units had such a connection?
(b) The accommodation provides essential creature comforts like a kitchenette with cooking gas but
the replenishment of the cylinders is at a premium.
(c) Provision of a/c in the rooms is subject to the inmates' demand.
(d) The current going rate of the rentals is Rs.13 grand per month with Rs.500/- extra, as electricity
charges.
It's definitely a boon and a cosy arrangement for the patients and their attendants, especially when the visits to the doctor - immediately after the surgery - are to be undertaken on a daily basis and the moves have to be undertaken in a vehicle! Taxis and auto rickshaws are available for the purpose.
Tailpiece.
I would like to wind up my thoughts with the following:-
(a) It's definitely a profit making venture to all concerned! But mind you, a kidney transplant in our country
today can only be afforded by the affluent.
(b) What about the member of the staff who seems to be 'making hay while the sun shines'? The person
has an edge over the others in that the complete information of prospective patients is available on a
platter - Professional inputs for personal financial gains, eh?
(c) Wonder whether there's a nexus between the staff of the hospital and the 'agent' who arranges for
the donor?
(d) I'd like to term the entire system as 'exploitation of another's misfortune'!
PS.
Though I was happy to see the improvement in the condition of the old lady, I was saddened to see the 'business' oriented venture and I could sense an all pervading gloom and illness that surrounded the houses of the colony!
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