I’m sitting in Breach Candy Hospital – the Lonely Planet lists this as the ‘best hospital in Mumbai, perhaps even all of India’… pretty decrepit if you ask me.
anyway, I got here at 4:30 in the afternoon and went straight to the Emergency room – the entrance goes directly into the room with beds so if a person has anything contagious, this is the smartest way to ensure that everyone gets it… then from there I was directed to the actual waiting room (why the entrance doesn’t go to that in the first place, I don’t know), and to ask for Dr. Mehrani or Dr. Barman. According to the bulletin board, Dr. Barman is on shift until 5:00 but it is now 4:35 and he has already gone home… Dr. Mehrani who is supposed to be working all day has not come in yet, but ‘will be in at any moment…’
The stench of iodine is incredibly strong in here and other than the initial run down look, the place is actually fairly clean. The room is a basic hospital waiting room – pale beige walls, standard functional chairs in two rows, and a desk by the side wall behind which is the usual grumpy and clueless secretary that you find in all emergency rooms.
Finally – after 30 min, Dr. Mehrani is ready to see me- pretty quick considering emergency rooms in Canada would take way longer.
So, after mumbling a few things and using a stethoscope (which he never actually put on my chest as the same time as my breathing…), the doctor told me that my throat is swollen. Why is it that doctors around the world all have the incredible knack of being able to state the obvious while carrying the air of someone who has discovered something new? Of course I have a swollen throat! that’s why I came in!! stoopid… well, after a total of an hour, I had a prescription for some anti-biotics and some b-complex vitamins (written illegibly of course – yet another inate doctor characteristic)
this better work…