Health care in india

So I finally saw Sicko on the plane to the US last month. And when I got back to India my guard (who is actually an employee of a company my company pays) returned from an emergency trip back to his village. He had left suddenly in the beginning of December when the hospital called him to say that his mother was bleeding profusely but wouldn't tell him more over the phone. I am witness to many more grown adults crying here than I was in the US. When he returned he reported that she was better but it would be an on-going problem related to high blood pressure. And then he asked for money. Apparently the treatment to date cost $1000 and he had taken a loan which required 2% interest a month. I have agreed to give him that money but it's a harder decision than for Satender's wife's situation a year back in that I don't actually employ him and $1000 is not going to solve his problem, there will be on-going expenses. He probably makes about $100 a month (assuming the agency takes half of what we pay them). I consider it part of my 10% of salary end-of-year donations, which I hadn't completed yet anyway.

Then yesterday I finally decided that I should see a doctor about my ankle. It's been in pain for probably 8 months but never seemed serious enough for a doctor. I called one guy at the hospital across the street but they didn't have an appointment for over a week. So I called a guy recommended by friends and scheduled an appointment for the next day. Saw him this afternoon, he asked some questions, poked around and then suggested x-rays and an MRI. They took 3 x-rays. Total cost of x-rays and appointment was $30. They don't take credit cards so you know it can't be too expensive! Went around the corner, got an MRI done for about $125. I hadn't had an MRI done in 15 years (last time was for the jaw) and it's a really long process. My favorite part was while I was waiting I had a work phone call. As soon as I got off, the front desk called me. I went up and she ignored me for what seemed like forever (probably 15 seconds), no eye contact, no acknowledgment. She then walked me into this closet and told me I could keep my watch, phone, wallet, pocket change in this "locker" (a drawer with a key). As it seemed locked I looked at her questioningly. She responded that when the patient came out I could put my stuff in. I asked, "should I sit down now?". She nodded yes. So why we had that conversation then, I don't know. When the patient came out she rushed me to the "locker" insisting I put my stuff in now - ignoring the fact that the previous patient was trying to collect his spare change and with her and him in the closet there was no way I was fitting in. After disapprovingly saying that they were waiting for me I proceeded. The MRI machine had a swastika painted on front with red marker as well as some hindi word I couldn't read as the first symbol was in sanskrit and I forget the sound. Someone had tried to erase them but unsuccessfully.

All in all, the appointments and tests cost me about $150 (without insurance) and took a total of an hour and a half. Pretty unbelievable when you think about how much it would cost in the states. And how many doctors you would have to go through before being allowed to get the tests.

India is always contradictory, no?