So I had this elderly patient and his wife come to me from very far away for review today.
It takes them 10 hours for the up and down journey for their consultation with me.
I offered them a telemedicine facility so that the burden of travel could be averted, but the man told me that he will travel anyway because he does not know how to use the hospital app facility or the WhatsApp video call because he did not have a smartphone.
So I told him to ask his children to help him. He said both his sons were in the Middle East. So I advised that he call his neighbor's children or some youngster who stayed near his house to help him with the app.
He tells me that there are no youngsters for miles near where he stayed and the whole community is just full of older people like him and his wife.
They, the young people were all in the Middle East, UK, New Zealand, Canada or Australia.
There was one young man who used to come by when they needed some help or travel, a distant nephew of his, but even he was leaving for New Zealand in a couple of weeks.
I am not sure about what the future of this place is when everyone seems to be moving out to better places.
I asked him what he would do if he developed a sudden major complication of cirrhosis while at home - like vomiting blood, or brain failure or a severe infection. And he told me that the grocer and a plumber he knew well stayed nearby and the grocer had a small car and they will take him, if they could get him on his phone in time. His family won't be there in any case. He seemed melancholic while he was saying this to me.
I'll see this old couple again in four months. They will make that 10 hour trip. If they are hale and hearty.
Shamshera releasing in cinemas across the globe tomorrow! For worldwide cinema listings, click here - https://t.co/flsyAZ9FlM
Releasing in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu. Celebrate #Shamshera with #YRF50 only at a theatre near you on 22nd July. #YRFinternational
Here is wishing @SrBachchan my dear @thisissandeeps and the entire cast and crew all the best for this beautiful looking film. Cannot wait to see it ❤️🤗