A white American friend, his wife, and their 12 year old daughter had spent the last week in Varanasi and he reached America today. Needlessly to say, the lack of infrastructure initially shocked them. They slowly got used to it. Two days before his departure, their daughter suddenly had trouble breathing in the middle of the night. She is prone to allergens. The parents panicked.
They rushed to the lobby of the guest house. There was none at the reception. The security guard was an old man who appeared inebriated and didn't speak a word of English. However, he rushed to the room, understood what was going on, and then called his wife at home over the mobile phone. His wife responded and rushed to the nearest doctor, woke him up, and sent him to the guesthouse. In less than 10 minutes, the doctor was at the guesthouse. The guard's wife anticipated the need for prescription medication and woke up the neighborhood pharmacist. Most pharmacies in India are a hole in the wall, very efficient, and the pharmacist usually lives right beside the pharmacy.
Long story short, the girl received her medication and the best care. The bill? The doctor didn't accept any payment. He just dismissed my friend with a wave of his hand and went away. The security guard had gone back to sleep. The medication cost less than INR 200.
My friend's remark: "Actually mate, the system is very efficient. The doctors don't waste time having lengthy conversation. The way they instill confidence in the child has to be seen to be believed. I think it is the wealth of experience. The girl, who was in panic a minute ago, calmed down seeing the body language of the doctor. You don't have this extensive ambulance and ER racket. People are resourceful."
"So, how is your daughter now? Is she too glad to be back in America?"
"Oh, my wife and daughter are in love with Varanasi. They extended their stay by a week."
वाया : Kalavai Venkat
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