INDIAN HOSPITALS!

Did I mention that we’ve both had “Delhi Belly”? Mmm… and that Nicole had thrown up on the Taj Mahal?
Okay…so not wanting to be outdone by her I made sure I trumped her big time! (NB: I do not have a spleen, so any sign of fever has to be taken seriously and treated quickly as has the potential to overwhelm (i.e kill) me rather quickly if not treated asap)

Here’s a recipe for some fun:

• Take one train heading to Kolkata from Delhi, Thursday night.
• Stir in slowly two Delhi-bellied travellers to the train.
• Turn up heat and allow train to travel 5 hours in a South- East direction
• During this time allow male passenger to feel progressively worse with aches and chills, develop a fever of 39.4 C & throw up entire contents of days food into his towel whilst lying on top bunk of compartment
• Allow wife of said male traveller to get quite concerned (after dealing with said towel!!)
• Simmer some questions for Indian Railways re whether a doctor is on board
• Whilst simmering try and get fluids into male traveller
• Listen for Indian Railways request for next station ahead to get a doctor to come to train
• At next station Kanpur (2 hours after vomiting) allow doctor to advise to get off the train and get to hospital
• Get down from train, attempt to vomit, have episode of diarrhoea, space out and get wheel-chaired to station superintendent (with wife in tow hauling 25 kgs of luggage!)
• Get rickshaw to “nearby” hospital and allow ½ hour to be stuck in traffic jam along the way
• Go to E.R, get admitted to hospital ward by 2 a.m. & sleep for 4 hours until the first cleaner appears for the day (make sure room is cleaned at least 4 more times that day!)
• Enjoy 2 days of enforced rest & I.V antibiotics mixed in with good dose of Indian T.V, inquisitive staff, good care and professionalism
• Discharge patient after 2 nights, allowing half of ward staff to come outside the hospital and make sure we are safely inserted into rickshaw on way to next adventure!
• Smile and wave goodbyes!
• Get on bus to Lucknow then plane to Kolkata, much improved.
• Continue cocktail of antibiotics for next 10 days

So…not quite the planned travel mode of getting to Kolkata…but we have arrived! The experience of an Indian hospital was very good (it was a private one and our travel insurance will be getting the bill!). The staff had never had a foreigner in their ward before and were all so friendly and helpful – from the cleaners & gophers to the nurses and doctors. I am sure there was some degree of fascination that meant my room door was opened a little more than others!

Viswasi & Soumya with recovered said male traveler!

Now in Kolkata…busy, hot, bustling with people and noise EVERYWHERE. We have a teeny weeny one room wide “flat” right in the thick of the neighbourhood where we will work & it will take some time to get used to having people outside both windows washing, singing, talking, hoicking 24/7!!! Nicole in the kitchen last night below:

Grateful and happy to be here!

M & N