New Delhi/Guwahati (Assam): It is said hands of law are very long but, in this digital age, a hospital, if underpinned by compassion and philanthropy, can also have such long healing hands as can reach from Delhi to Guwahati, floundering in the midst of swirling flood waters.
The story of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital extending life saving help to a serious liver patient stuck in furious Assam floods proves as much and more. A small boat served as a bed for the sinking patient.
Add to this act of healing the fact that a Muslim proved Rahim to the aforesaid hapless Hindu patient. But for the help of Muslim Good Samaritan, Sir Ganga Ram would not have got the opportunity to reach out so long. The free medical advice given by SGRH via teleconferencing gave the patient in question a new lease of life and the hospital looks forward to get him in person to give further medical help.
The floods in Assam brought life to a standstill and. to make matters worse, Guwahati was put under lockdown. This looked insurmountable for patients suffering from complicated and major problems. The story below stands outs as a glimmer of hope in this trying times triggered by COVID and floods.
About a fortnight back, a poor Hindu patient’s Muslim pharmacist friend made a distress call to Dr Ushast Dhir , Consultant in Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant , Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi.
Mr Mofisur Rehmam wanted to help his only friend Mr Lalchand Biswas who was suffering from acute liver failure due to liver Cirrhosis . The friend told Dr Dhir that the patient was drowsy, having difficulty in breathing and swelling in abdomen .
Dr Dhir along with support from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital made arrangements for quick medical consultation through teleconferencing. But then another major hurdle popped up. There was no signal in the area where Mr Biswas was stuck.
Proving where there is will there is way, the patient was then brought by a boat to an area where mobile signals were available. The entire web conferencing was done on the small boat.
Another challenge was the language barrier and help needed to administer injections and enema. Mr Rehman’s degree in pharmacy came handy in this situation. Mr Rehman followed the instructions given by Dr Dhir and did clinical examinations and administered injections. Within an hour a repeat link was established to check the condition and was found that Mr Biswas’s condition had stabilized.
According to Dr Ushast Dhir, the patient was not only given medical advice but Sir Ganga Ram Hospital also arranged and ensured that life saving medicines for one month reached the patient.
Dr D S Rana , Chairman (Board of Management) , Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said, ‘Our hospital follows the ideals of Sir Ganga Ram who was always in forefront to help needy patients irrespective of distance, religion and their financial conditions. This was one more such step in that direction.’
Mr Rehman said, ‘Without quick medical advice, my friend would have died. I wanted to help him as he has no one in the family who can take care of him, I am thankful to SGRH for giving medical help.’
Presently the patient has been stabilised and will be called to Delhi for further medical treatment once the situation stabilizes.
