It is safe to say that everyone complains at least once a day. It’s human nature to seek more than we are given; to some extreme, this quality embedded in us creates deep greed. Everyone wants private yachts and Bentleys, even if they have perfectly functioning Kia cars and comfy economy plus seats on a plane. People tend to get so caught up in the whelm of materialism that has been brought upon most first world countries, that they get blindsided from the simple stuff that they should be more than grateful for. A memory foam mattress and pillow, along with a plush blanket and central heating on a chilly winter night is a privilege that we are granted on a daily basis, though seem to regard as normalcy and a life dependent necessity. The disregarding of such privileges demonstrates how UNGRATEFUL we are for all that we have. I guess the emphasis put on the fact that kids are starving in Africa is not enough for us to value the luxurious lives that we live in comparison to millions. Last month, I traveled to Ludhiana, Punjab, located in the northern India, to volunteer at a hospital. I had only traveled to India a few times prior to this trip, and hadn’t traveled to this particular city in over a decade. When you google the city “Ludhiana,” you will find that it is the largest industrial city in the state of Punjab. As expected the architecture and the overall city development was sub-par to a western city. I arrived at the hospital and found it to be a safe and clean medical institution that put holistic patient care before money. What made me reflective of the luxurious life that I live were the patients whose cases I got to work on, and the families behind them. On my first day in the Paediatrics Unit, I got to meet Golu, a four year old patient who had a fever of 102 degrees F and a haemoglobin level of 1, which resulted in a low white blood cell count. After running a few tests, we discovered that he was anemic and had Thalassemia Major. Later that day, two residents and I spoke to his mother and got consent to complete a Bone Marrow Aspiration (a blood sampling procedure) through which we could run further tests and see if his disease was genetic. The mother carried Golu to the Procedure Room and waited directly outside the door with her younger daughter. Golu’s family was rural; his parents were illiterate and simply wanted us to do what we deemed fit to save their son. Over the days following the procedure, I would periodically check on Golu and track his progress; he appeared to be getting stronger everyday. On my last day at the hospital, word was that Golu was to soon be discharged. Alongside our attending, the residents and I met with Golu’s father to discuss his son’s recovery plan and discharge, also suggesting that his daughter complete a blood test to detect pre-Thalassemia. Thalassemia isn’t something that goes away on its own; it requires frequent blood transfusions, and to cure the disease, a bone marrow transplant is needed. Golu’s father admitted that the family didn’t have enough money for Golu’s extended procedures and the tests for his daughter, in fact, barely enough to pay the flat hospital fees. The next day, I got on a plane back to Vancouver and never found out what happened to Golu and his family. I constantly relive the time during Golu’s initial procedure when I sat with him listening to “the wheels on the bus” as an attempt to distract him from the procedure and stop his crying. The sad reality is that people can’t afford to treat their sick children, leave alone put them through school and provide them with three nutritious meals a day. Financial inability is the cause of many patients leaving the hospital untreated, having signed LAMA (Leaving Against Medical Advice) forms to be discharged so that the hospital would not be held accountable if anything was to happen to the patient beyond the facility. Due to illiteracy, many patients and their families were unable to comprehend that certain diseases were fatal. However, these patients would come into clinics and seek medication to take home instead of hospital admittance and treatment, because among the 28 million people living in the state of Punjab, almost 9% live below the poverty line. Patients would rather their diagnosis and a round of medication instead of scans and procedures because they couldn’t afford to put themselves up in a hospital. What this experience taught me was that you can build nicer malls and construct new highways, but in no way will this “development” help sick people that can’t afford medical treatment. Education is costly, especially in third world countries where it is less accessible. To get a sustainable job, you require an education. To pay your bills you need a job. How is a kid like Golu supposed to get an education, and later on find a job to support himself and his future family, when his household’s income is going entirely to not even fully funding his medical treatment? The cycle is never ending. Be grateful of what you have, because the vast majority of people in developing countries can barely make ends meet. Eliminate the materialism from society and reflect on the basic necessities that we take for granted every second of everyday, because kids like Golu can only dream of them. Janeva S
12 Comments
|
Categories
|