One year ago, while, I was in Karnataka working at a media house, one of my close friends me after a long time. Hallo! How are you…….it was the first response to his call. Ummmm..fine….short and unusual then earlier times. What happen eataobi (friend)? Nothing, he replied and continued…my mother is in ………hospital.
Oh! I Said, asked…what happen to her?
A mum prevailed for 2-3 sec. Then he continued…..I do not know, 15 days ago, R..S hospital refereed her here but now the situation is under control and the doctors are also trying at their best to diagnose her ailment.
Diagnose? It’s almost one month…..what about medical and hospital expenditures…are they inert or waiting someone from abroad to diagnose it?
It’s Manipur my friend, he paused for a while…….. and continued- she is taking all the medicines prescribed by doctors and they told that next week an operation will be done to confirm the illness. But, the problem is ours, who believed on private hospital and ready to paid whatever they demand…he continued.
I can’t understand…etaobi.
Doctors asked me to arrange 2 lakh for the operation and I have to deposit it 24-hour before the date of operation. What matters here is only money only money, interestingly all the staffs used a single dialogue, “you have to paid fully before the operation, it’s the cost and rule of the hospital…..neither I am sorry.”
Anyway don’t worry everything will be fine my friend and please convey my message to mother……….take care I will call you after my office let’s talk about the amount….take care..bye. What can I do?
Simple and friendly, talk it was, but it haunts all the daylong….if he could not arrange the amount what will happen to his mother. Ponder upon it, the day just passes away…..
Luckily, doctors have done the operation successfully and his mother got a new life and my friend has also paid half of the medical expenses after two years.
I believe, my friend who is working in a private school in Kumbi as a teacher in a private school will surely clear all the loans in near future.
Almost a year, after our telephonic conversation in early 2011, I got a job offer from one of the leading daily in Manipur. After, consulting with my parent and my girlfriend who is currently in Karnataka, on a fine day (July 30) I left Bangalore and joined the press after 3 days.
Since I joined a media house, have the privilege to roam around the Imphal city, attending press conference, seminars, interviewing successful personalities and many more.
During my course of routine activities; roaming around the capital city in search of news and meeting my long time friends, I have witnessed many interesting and dreadful happenings. One of the most arresting and funny sights that can talk about the morale of the whole story is just an A3 size notice that I have seen at the front desk of a private diagnostic center.
It reads- “Dear Customer, PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR DUPLICATE RECEIPT”, at the sight of it I just enquired why no duplicate receipt and at my eagerness the beautiful woman who was seating at the front desk flung a smile but no answer.
When a person didn’t received an answer for his question from others, what he might do is to ask the question for second time. Likewise, I just glanced through it for once again and at the bottom of it I got my answer- “Rs. 50 will be charged for duplicate receipt” written in a smaller font size.
Suddenly, my memory motor rewinds and suddenly utter a line,
“Oh! This is what my friend was trying to convey on that day.”
