Bangalore/ Ujjain: No money under the sun can make the sum of new lease of life in a hospital. But the ‘paltry’ money is what constitutes the core of this heart -warming story of Srikant Bagri of Mahakaal Nagri Ujjain treated at Narayana Hrudayalaya in Banglore and was literally snatched from the jaws of death by timely life saving Bentall surgery. Cash back in his bank account was what amazed him no end. Mr Bagri does not tire of telling all and sundry about this magnanimity. Though for well off Mr Bagri the amount refunded was immaterial, he looks at it as a gesture unheard of.
A chance encounter with Mr Bagri, going great guns with new lease of life, has caused this story which is of course exemplary, out of the world and most relevant at a time when the question of billing in a private hospital is in the eye of the storm and has become a cause célèbre what with matter being in Supreme Court.
Mr Bagri, who was transported from Indore to Narayana Hrudayalaya on an air ambulance, was touch and go between life and death due to ruptured bulge in his aorta, the largest artery of the body. Such event is usually fatal.
Mr Bagri already felt indebted to hospital and would not have minded even if the treatment cost would have broken his bank. He never expected nor imagined that the hospital will refund him some money too. He was taken aback to see Rs 5, 30,880 back in his bank account. Though this much money was immaterial to him in the face of a new life and also because he is quite well off, Mr Bagri was mighty impressed particularly about this gesture of cash back because it was really unheard of for him.
Talking to Medicare News, Mr Bagri equated Dr Devi Shetty with Narayana ( God incarnate) and not in a clichéd way at that. Mr Bagri said, ‘A true healer that Dr Devi Shetty is, I also came across unique example of his utmost honesty. Refund to patient in a private hospital is really out of the world. I was already aware of the reputation of Dr Shetty being most humane and benign. The unannounced gesture of refund really deepened my reverence for him. I was mighty impressed by the culture of good behavior and the warm welcome meted out to a patient at every step. I am also besotted by the way Dr Shetty softly talked to me. I felt as if a patient is a king inside Narayana Hrudayalaya. I think every private hospital should emulate the way this hospital behaves with a patient and his family members who accompany him.
Dr Puja Bagri, who practices in London, took appointment from Dr Shetty from across seven seas and got him transported to Banglore on an air ambulance from Indore. Dr Puja is the daughter of the patient. And voila! The flawless surgery snatched him from the precipice! But for his timely transportation to Narayana Hridualaya, Mr Bagri might not have been alive to tell this story.
