There’s no need to be modest. We all have stereotypical opinions of India. Many think of poverty, wild animals in the streets, and how we frequently use India as an example for some of the diseases in our microbiology class. While most of these are indeed prevalent, I knew that there was something more. Curious in international medicine and poverty alleviation, I began my hunt for what I hoped to be a different India. After 10 years since my last visit, I took my fall semester finals, packed my bags, and headed to Ahmedabad, Gujarat. There I will be able to see my sister become a bride and simultaneously begin my hunt to find the progress in India that I had hoped to find.
Hospital One: Sol Hospital
I first visited Sol Hospital in Ahmedabad. It was introduced to me as a residential living building, which was converted into a private hospital. I was able to get a tour of the hospital after visiting a family member who was sick. After the doctor made his rounds to my uncle and shut the door behind him, I quickly did what any spoiled American medical student would do. I scoured through every drawer and cabinet and was left distraught and appalled. I turned to my dad and told him in Gujarati:
“Dad, ah room ma gloves nati.”
Translation: “Dad, there are no gloves in this room.”
My dad heartbrokenly smiled at me as he was used to growing up in this standard of care in Indian hospitals. I kept searching for something that would make me believe in the progress I had been hunting for but to my dismay, no hand sanitizer, no antibacterial sprays; nothing. I quickly went to my cousin and asked him if there was another healthcare facility that he thinks I should see. He recommended a private practice that was much different than anything I had ever seen before.
Orthopedic Surgery Private Practice
This private practice was an experience in medical practice that is targeted for the population living in poverty. That is how I met Dr. Deepak Bhatia. As our car pulled up to his private practice, it was side-by-side with sandwich shops, jewelry stores, and other local street vendors. We walked into a crowded waiting area filled with dozens of people all with the common hope: to be healed.
Among the crowd were villagers who had traveled to Ahmedabad knowing that this was the only doctor who would be able to provide care that they could afford. I will begin by saying that Dr. Bhatia’s practice is not 100% accurate and does not follow the rules and regulation that we are accustomed to in the US. Nevertheless, Dr. Bhatia has implemented practicality and justice to the population of Gujarat. After a short consultation, Dr. Bhatia lines the patients up in his x-ray room and remembers from his consultations where to have his x-ray technicians scan the patient. Then, without printing or writing anything down, he nods and calls the next patient. Afterwards, he calls them into his office and gives the short and easy-to-understand explanations on how they can heal using dietary adjustments found in affordable foods and exercise that can be done without equipment. How often have you seen a doctor prescribe milk? Then, for the patients that can afford it, he prescribes medication as well.
As you can imagine, Dr. Bhatia has come to the realization that it is economically impossible for some patients to afford medication and feed their family at the same time. He does whatever he can to cut costs for the patients and this includes a smaller staff, less housekeeping, basic medical equipment, and not printing the x-rays. He did not wear a white coat or a tie, simply a fleece and jeans. I realized that the true wealth of this clinic was Dr. Bhatia and his heart. I truly believe that Dr. Bhatia’s knowledge and fluent English could lead him to become a multimillionaire orthopedic surgeon in the United States, but I knew that this was something that he was well aware of, as he has been in this practice for 20 years.
Dr. Bhatia’s Clinic rates
| Type of Visit | Price (rupees) | Dollar Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| First consultation | 300 | $4.54 |
| Subsequent consultations | 200 | $3.02 |
Dr. Bhatia works harder, longer, and cheaper than any doctor I have ever encountered. Although this was not the hunt for progress I was exactly looking for, I began to realize that India might need practicality more than progress.
Hospital Two: Zydus Hospital
In the last facility of my hunt, we found Zydus hospital that opened its doors six months before my visit. I was honored with the opportunity to meet the man who helped design the hospital from scratch and works there as well, Dr. V. N. Shah. As I walked to his office, I was enlightened by the public signs across the hospital directing visitors to not feel obliged to tip the workers as they would in other places in India. In our meeting, I explained to him that after visiting the other hospital and the private clinic, I understood that compared to the United States healthcare system, India must first adjust to practicality before it can enter the laws, guidelines, and standards that American medical schools are teaching. Dr. Shah became noticeably uncomfortable by my comment and fought back “I know the standard of care.” He then clarified to me how he implemented every guideline into this new hospital. He wanted this hospital to be different. He then arranged a tour down 15 stories of this high-rise hospital. I was finally at ease as he showed me the hospital floors filled with the newest technologies. The administration team was happy to show me their emergency codes, organization, and communication throughout the hospital. Above all, they believed in the importance of infection control in India. Every corner was armed and ready with gloves and disinfectants. The nurses even scolded the hospital administrators for not using the plastic wrap machines on their feet before entering the ward and sent us back!
The most important goal the administration wanted for their hospital was a respect for India’s culture. As we passed through the floors, I realized that all staff members were trained to bow their heads in greeting as they say the customary “Namaste.” Lastly, the administrators of the hospital explained to me that India is different. The family values of India could not be ignored, and they understood the practicality that they must have for visiting family members. At Zydus, every room is equipped with a pullout bed for family members to sleep in during their relative’s hospital stay. “If we do not take care of the family members, they will become sick as well.” As this last comment was made, I finally found my kill in my hunt for progress in India and her healthcare system. I was blessed to learn that it is culture, professionalism, and education that make a hospital function. The technology and the infrastructure mean nothing unless you have hard-working individuals pushing to change the status quo.
Biography
Akash Jani, MSMA member since 2014, is a medical student at the University of Missouri - Kansas City.
Contact: akj343@mail.umkc.edu
