Community Service

The other day my wife was ill. She needed an operation. Hence I got her admitted into a local hospital. The logo of hospital bears the slogan “Service to people” Similarly; I have come across slogans like “ Sarve Jano Sukhino Bhavantu ”, Serve to grow, Grow to serve ” at various institutions. What ideals! The question is whether service prevails in these institutions or whether they are mere slogans. That experience would only reveal.

Institution is a lifeless entity. It is the people who represent the institution should understand the slogan and stand for it. Work for it and up hold it. They should be service minded. Otherwise it is a mere slogan. These are service-oriented institutions. Service is their motto. But unfortunately majority of service-oriented institutions are commercial institutions. They do not know nothing but profit earning. The profits of these institutions are soaring year by year. In other words they have become money minting machines. Corruption has made in roads into every walk of life and even in service-oriented institutions are commercial institutions too. It has been affectimg common man more than anybody else. Without bribing no services could be received in majority of places.

No doubt money is required to run any institution. Service is deteriorating in many of the service-oriented institutions day by day for people in them are less service minded. Professions of teachers, nurses, and bank employees are noble professions. Selfless service must be their motto. Serving humanity is a rare opportunity. Those who take up such professions should know what people expect from them and what their duty is. They should work honestly and sincerely. We come across only boards like customer is always right, customer is the boss, etc. But no where service is up to the mark these days. If service is not up to the mark , they may have to be closed down ultimately.Till such time, people who visit them for service have to suffer on account of their poor service.

When somebody is seriously ill, it is difficult to predict whether they would survive or not. It is when one faces anxious moments. Sometimes, one will be in such a pitiable condition that even their enemy’s heart melts. They need complete care, and sympathy. An attendant or two to take care of patient from time to time on shift basis in hospital is quite essential. Besides,persons are necessary to look after their homes too. Money is required to buy medicines, meet surgery expenses. Wherever food is to be supplied to patient as well as to an attendant arrangement from home for food has also to be made.Only, who undergo such situations in life; know what difficulties, tension and sufferings that the entire family of a patient has to under go. It is always multiple problems. That is why ,we come across only pale faces in a hospital. It does not matter whether the patient belongs to a rich or a poor family. Thus, people in around a hospital should realize these facts and be humane not only to patient but also to their dear and near. They should not add fuel to fire. They should not cause any convenience to people in such pitiable plight but try to share their burden. If we do not understand and share others difficulties in what way we are better than animals Everybody cannot be Mother Teresa or Florence Nightingale, the lady with the lamp but everybody could contribute their might. It might be a little even.

My wife was having unbearable pain in abdomen. Surgeon wanted her to undergo colonoscopy. One has to drink jugs of water and attend second call of nature a number of times so that intestine could be empty before undergoing colonoscopy. It is a horrible test but what to do one has to undergo such tests to enable the doctor arrive at correct diagnosis. Soon after colonoscopy, she was shifted to room number 343 in the third floor of the hospital. It is a semi private room costing Rs710/- per day. There is a bell to call duty doctor and nurse in case of emergency in that room. Indeed it is a very good system. The hospital is well furnished. It was 1 P.M. I had been to nearby Pai Vihar for my dinner. My wife started getting unbearable pain. My wife pressed the bell. No doubt the nurse peeped in. She promptly informed that it was doctor’s duty and her helplessness. She said, “Duty doctor is busy with some other patient.” But did not bother to find out alternative way to attend and bring some relief to attend ailing patient. Thus after suffering up to 3 P.M., my wife had to crawl to the entrance of the room and shout for help. Ultimately, Dr Baliga, the surgeon had to come and attend her. He opined that it might have been due to spraining of muscle during colonoscopy and prescribed painkiller. Thus first aid came in a private hospital after more than two hours of agony.

If this is the plight of a patient in a private hospital in a semi private room, one can imagine what would be the plight of a patient in a Government Hospital. The doctor prescribes drugs many times in a day. In a day at least four or five times the attendant of a patient has to run to Pharmacy situated in the nook of the ground floor to buy them. I am sixty-five years old. My stress and strain in this connection one can easily imagine. As far as possible medicines required on a particular day could be had from us at a time by the nursing staff or could be supplied by hospital and included in the bill. Instead, some drugs which are likely to be discontinued no sooner than did the patient find progress are asked to be bought in bulk. Pharmacy personnel do not accept them back at the original cost. They deduct the taxes and make a refund. As a result , one has to incur loss unnecessarily.We are swindled

Thus hospital management adds to our woes instead of reducing our inconvenience. Thus even a private hospital run by a trust appeared to me as a commercial organization rather than service-oriented institution. On 15-07 –2004, my wife was operated upon. She was to be discharged on 17-07-2004. On 17-07-2004, the surgeon informed us that he would like to have patient on observation for one more day. We should follow the advice of a doctor without any hesitation. I readily agreed and requested the doctor to get everything ready on Monday morning for our early leaving of hospital. On Monday morning I requested the billing section, the nurse and everybody for early discharge from hospital but to no avail. Till 2.P.M. nothing was ready. The patient who was on liquid diet was not served anything by the pantry . She had to shout again, this time for food. At 3 P.M., the doctor came and showed his face. It seems he was busy in O.T. We were simply made to wait and toil. There was no proper management or co-ordination at the hospital .

My wife unable to control her feelings scribed some of her sufferings on hospital note despite her poor health. At 4 P.M., we returned home and had a sigh of relief.