Different colour, different price
TG hasn’t been feeling too 100% of late. A few weeks ago she had shooting pains up her neck and into the back of her head. This was followed by dizzy spells and she was convinced her hearing in one ear had diminished. She is not the sort of person to complain about any ailment but this was truly troubling her so we decided to act. This morning she went to without making an appointment for a consultation with the local GP who happens to be an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist. He checked her blood pressure and examined her ears and informed her that there was no aural infection but to be on the safe side she should go for a spinal CT scan and a HRCT temporal bone scan at the Apollo Victor hospital in Margao. When she asked the cost of the scan he candidly replied, “that it depended on the colour of your skin”. No discrimination here then!!! His consultation cost only 200/- (2.35p). We were told that if we get there before 1.00 p.m. they could do the scan today. At 10.30 a.m. we were at the hospital reception and paid for both scans which cost 8250/- (97 pound). At 11.30 TG had the scan and we were told the results would be ready for 2.00 p.m. so we went and did some shopping. I bought a new nylon acoustic Yamaha C70 guitar for 7500/- from Pedro Fernandez music shop which is near the market and next door to the Leprosy clinic. TG bought some soft pillows. The pillows supplied with the apartment are basically concrete blocks with a material surround.
We returned just before 2.00 p.m. for the promised results and were told that they would not be ready until 4.30 p.m. This happens all the time in India either Indian people have no concept of time or they cannot tell the truth. However, I was impressed with the availability of the local GP and with the speed that the hospital carried out the scan even though had a dubious price structure.
TG returned to Margao at around 5.30 p.m. to pick up the results of the scan and they confirmed that she has had her brain removed and replaced by a very small pea but other than that everything was thankfully, 100%.
Martin said,
February 5, 2007 at 8:06 am
Hi Nick & TG
Glad to hear that TG’s pea is all ok and 100%! Saw the pic on the blog and read the first few lines and started to fear the worst!!! Glad to see that you’ve lost none of your sick humour! (is there a pun in there somewhere!?)
Anyway, keep the blog going – it makes great reading and gives us something to smile about! And yeh, we’ll definately meet up for a few beers when you get back!
Take care
Callum Leah said,
February 12, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Hey N and T glad all is well on that front ! its good that your both well, i do miss your Sunday visits where we normally catch up and drink both wine and tea haha!! well here i am in the Valleys of Glamorgan, Well where to start the time seems to be flying by for both for me and you to i should imagine !! How is India ?? i wish sometimes i was in a sunny place, My course is excerlent everyting i imagined and more ! how ever i do struggle with some of the physics and maths aspects, but i suppose i would be bored if i knew it all. its definately keeping me on my feet, i feel like i do a lot more lectures than some of my friends, but then again i know people who have more work than me so its all good! Have you had time to relax and chill ?? the pillow comment made me chuckle !! went to the union on saturday and drank brains beer for the first time, its really nice and i was suprised at the taste soo ive found another little tipple i like !! we went out into cardiff on saturday night for two of my friends birthdays and there was plenty of drinking , we were playing PUB GOLF where you have to drink 9 differnet drinks in a certain number of PARS meaning that for say a can of cider you have 3 tries at drinking it then it should be drunk !! as you can imagine i struggled and when we hit the john smiths i was sick in a jug !!! after that all was well then we progressed onto a club !! far to amusing !! how many more places do you have to stay in ??? its all very exciting ! cant wait to catch up properbly !! speak soon callum !! Xx