Dr. Bhasmasura
Old habits Die Hard !!
Even after the Supreme Court’s directives many of the medical practitioners still lacks the clarity while writing the names of the diseases and medicines. The hand-writing after - ℞ -are seldom legible and only thing you would understand from the prescription would be the amount that you have to pay to the clinic.
Just two weeks back…
I was the witness to a near killing of a doctor for his own prescription. It reminded me of Bhasmasura - the mythological character that died of power of his own hand (hand writing in case of some Doctors).
I was working as Journalist in Vishakhapatnam, the coastal city in AP. On a sultry afternoon, after having a fall from my scooter, I got some bruises and went to a nearby clinic on the highway.
Then we who were waiting outside his room felt pungent smell of Spirit. Being a young enthusiastic journalist, I was curious to know what made the Doctors running for their lives.. just peeped in his room to find opened bottles of spirit poured in two glasses.
Then heard the exhausted and gasping doctor shouting at the maid… “why did you do this?
“Sir…you only asked me to keep it ready” …the maid said in fear filled mild voice.
“Did I ask you to bring this? You!! B*****! Now go …and clear the bottles and glasses immediately and ventilate the room well", he yelled!
“I don’t know what you wrote ...…I brought it from medical store and did as you have asked me to do..!!”
The poor illiterate maid just did what she could do at the best.
As it was the afternoon of a hot summer day, the thirsty doctor wanted to cool himself with a chilling soft – drink…..
He scribbled it on his prescription pad..could have written Sp**** in his usual habit.
The chemist shop guy read half from the prescription..and full from the maid. (she must have told him the Doctor sahib is doing an operation..wanted this urgently …).
Shop guy gave the maid 2 bottles of..SPIRIT.
What the Dr. asked for was 2 bottles of chilled SPRITE !!
***
As it is mandatory, I had applied for permission from my office, to consult a specialist doctor for my son’s skin allergy. Along with my application I had enclosed the necessary recommendation from the authrised medical attendant (AMA) for specialist’s advice.
However, being a typeical government office, the Babus while processing the case to grant permission, asked for the details of the health problem. As the AMA was not available on phone for explanation…I tried to make it out from the prescription.
I could not get any clue from the prescription excepting first three or four letters remaining looking alien. I then googled for any further clues but my efforts yielded no result. It gave me a bit of scare whether this is so new a health problem that is not listed even in Google?!
I was in an impasse' and thought of the wisdom of Supreme Court judgement. You know, Doctor’s own ‘prescription’ could kill them if they don’t take enough precautions!!
It was a summer afternoon, some years back.
The Doctor was in the Operation Theater attending a case. I was given first aid and asked to wait till the doctor comes out from the OT.
After a short while, a hasseled-looking Doctor came out and called out for the maid working there…scribbled something on the prescription pad and asked her to keep it ready in five minutes.
She went rushing and brought two bottles of medical Spirit and kept it in the Doctor’s air conditioned room.
It was after 5-10 minutes ….the Doctor and his colleague….came running out of his room …with burning eyes…and coughing their life out..!!
As it was the afternoon of a hot summer day, the thirsty doctor wanted to cool himself with a chilling soft – drink…..
2 comments:
Hahaha..In my guess, these two docs were the first ever to taste CHILLED spirit ;)
Sad, some habits never die!
maybe, he was on high 'spirits' already when he wrote the prescription!
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