A fable!

Humorous as it is, I'm sure professionals are made of sterner stuff and this remains a fable!

A couple went to the emergency room with pain in the tummy and met the doctor.

"How can I help you, Ma'am and Sir?"

"Doc, I'm five months pregnant and I have unbearable pain in the tummy".

"What is the reason for the pain?" the doctor asked while noting down the points.

"You're the doc here, how should we know", the husband replied, little annoyed.

"Sorry, usually people have some Googled diagnosis, that's why I asked. Sorry for causing annoyance to you".

"It's okay doc, she's in real pain, please do something", hubby replied regaining his composure.

"What should I do?" the doc asked innocently.

"You could check me and find the reason, doc", she replied with masked irritation.

"Sorry ma'am recently a lady went to a bone specialist with backache problem and when he tried to touch her back, she lodged a complaint against him for molestation. So, unfortunately, I cannot examine you unless you bring a court order permitting me to examine you", the doctor shrugged his arms to show his helplessness.

The dazzled couple looked at each other.

"Why can't you do an ultrasound scan and see if everything is normal?" The exasperated husband pleaded.

"Good suggestion, wow and we have an ultrasound machine here too but the caveat is that if I do a scan, I would be arrested for sex determination and our machine and hospital will be sealed. I'm very sorry", the doctor shrugged his arms again.

The couple took a deep sigh.

"Please write some drugs for her, she's in real pain, doc", the husband stood up from his chair angrily and almost tipped the chair over.

"Branded or generics?" the doctor replied, keeping his cool.

"How does it matter?" the lady asked meekly, tired of pain and exhaustion.

"According to new amendments, I being a registered doctor cannot write branded medicines and we don't have generic drugs here, So I'm helpless again".

"So what should we do?"

"You can go to any foreign country of your choice like our politicians", the doctor replied while wearing a helmet anticipating a blow on his head.

"Why can't you just admit her?"

"I can; however, I won't since film star TV anchors, movies and press will blame that, we make money by admitting, doing lab tests and putting on a ventilator, so we stopped admitting unless there's a court order to admit", the doctor said prepared to run away at the slightest of the cue. Many of his colleagues were attacked in the Emergency Room recently and the government did nothing to protect the innocent doctors yet.

Exasperated, the husband asked, "What else do you do sitting here?"

"I fill up the files and papers: we are NABH accredited. Rest is done by journalists, politicians, the public, Google and cine actors and judges".

Somewhere in the background, the death knell of modern medicine was heard......

and modern medicine had indeed died.

My take.

A diehard professional, who knows his stuff, can never be bothered by distractions. It's also a warning to all of us who act upon half baked information about ailments and remedies! The pandemic has taught us this harsh reality!!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10' to 10. It was pouring throughout the forenoon that had begun at night. The Sun eventually came out around lunchtime and continued till teatime when the sky was overcast all over again.

Kittu had come late and insisted on his evening food, which was given to him.

Lekha began the Ramayana recital, as from tomorrow begins the Malayalam month of Karkkidakom and the 'Ramayana recital month'! Both of us will be vegetarians during the period.

......And it has begun to rain, outside, as I punch in this post.