India at its best

To start on a positive note, let me tell you about my experience at the local hospital today.

After suffering from a blocked and painful ear for the best part of two weeks, I decided today it was time to address the issue as I was fed up of saying "Pardon?" to everyone who spoke to me. So, after picking the kids up from school and returning home I called the hospital at 15:05 and asked to speak to the ENT specialist. Immediately I am put through to the correct department where I request if it would be possible to see the consultant today. Yes, I am told. The consultant will be available until 16:00 hrs and I can see him at 15:30. Great! I leave the house and reach the ENT's front desk at 15:30 where upon the consultant is just slipping off somewhere. Being the only Western person in the hospital you stand out and you usually get seen straight away, as I was on this occasion. Yes, I did feel some slight guilt for the other 20 people sitting outside his room, but not enough to sit there and wait. I did have an appointment for 15:30 after all.

I tell him I will be quick, so off we go to his room and I explain the problem. Within 5 minutes I am out of his room after having the necessary stuff removed from my ear, collected my prescription from the pharmacy and sitting on a wall at 15:40 waiting for Shivar, the driver, to come back from his chai (tea) break.

For the pleasure of this amazing service which took 35 minutes from making an appointment to waiting for the driver to collect me I am charged INR 300 for the consultants fee and INR 150 for the necessary medicines. Why would you bother submitting this to PPP (Health Insurance) for the small amount you'd be reimbursed?

This is not the first time we have received such service there, but if it was something serious I would be on a flight to Singapore asap. Experiences of friends when something goes seriously wrong suggests you get out as soon as you realise the problem is serious.