The day after lunch is bright and sunny. I am standing outside the clinic looking at the traffic moving on the road across. A pregnant woman (roughly 20 years old and expecting in a month or so) along with her aunt comes down slowly towards the clinic. Her aunt assisting her to climb the steps, when she finds it difficult to climb on her own. She is looking weak but her
innocent smile is sprinkled all over her jovial face. Her aunt asks the receptionist for doctor. Dr Veeranna, who happens to be my dad's schoolmate, has gone next-door home little while ago after treating my mom.
She says her pregnant girl needs to be treated immediately as she has been suffering from stomach ache since morning. A word is sent. Doctor comes and treats her and prescribes some tablets and IV fluids. Her aunt goes to the chemist, who prepares a bill of Rs.400, out of which cost of IV fluids are almost 280 bucks.
she comes back and tells Dr Veeranna that she is carrying only Rs.200 and can't procure all the medicines and she will tell her husband, who is 10 kms away in the fields, to get the money required, which may take some time. Doctor says 'don't worry, take my reference and get the medicines from the chemist first, we can pay later. If the chemist does not budge, come and take money from me'.
she comes back with the prescribed medicines. In the meanwhile, the pregnant girl looking at the situation, wants to make a call to her hubby from the public coin-phone put up in the precincts of the clinic. She does not have a one rupee coin. Standing nearby, I give her a coin on my own. She dials a number and summons her hubby to the clinic.
The girl is injected the IV fluids and within a couple of hours, she is back to her normal self, a charming and gushing personality indeed. Her hubby and uncle come to the clinic hurriedly to find her in fine fettle.
She looks at me and comes nearer to return one rupee coin.
She says smilingly "it's yours, thanks".
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
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