Magic touch of a Kerala doctor: Why it's preferable to be treated in govt hospital

By Rosamma Thomas*
On the morning of May 23, 2022, this writer slipped and fell on a slimy moss-covered private road in Pala town, Kottayam district, Kerala. One look at the ankle of the right leg was enough to show that it needed medical intervention – the ankle was out of shape, and the bones had got out of whack.
I was bundled into an autorickshaw – there was already an elderly lady in the auto, but the driver understood the urgency of the situation and requested his passenger to accommodate a slight delay in reaching her destination. The kind old lady obliged us, and an aunt accompanied me to the General Hospital, Pala.
There, the doctor at the orthopedic department refused to take questions on the names of affected bones, shut me up and told me I would have to bear some pain – he was manually going to adjust the joint. One painful pull, and then a push; and then a quick plaster of the leg, till below the knee.
I was admitted to the hospital for tests that needed to be done ahead of surgery. When the doctor arrived on his rounds, he said that surgery would be necessary. After seeing the x-ray taken post-plaster, though, he admitted to being confused.
The bones had fallen back in place quite neatly, and although there was fracture that needed to heal, it appeared like that manual tug and push had served to place the bones back in their normal position – no surgery was needed.
I know for sure that had I rushed to a private hospital, I would have been put through surgery. I know for a fact that in a private hospital, the doctor would not have had as much experience from having seen as many patients – the skill doctors develop to tug and push and offer in treatment such simple remedies comes from repeatedly practicing such skills.
I was fortunate that the doctor I met was skilled; that he was flexible enough to see that his earlier opinion might need revision when new evidence presented itself. That he was professional and courteous, and treated all his patients alike, no matter what their background.

Several of my companions in the female ward were part of MGNREGA scheme. Could special provisions be made for such patients?

General Hospital Pala is fortunate to have this doctor on its staff. There are, though, other problems that the hospital could solve, with some effort – the old and new buildings both need to be accessed by patients, who might be admitted in the new building but need to visit the old for tests.
For one with a broken foot, this distance is rather too vast, and there are no local transport facilities easily available. Three-wheel rickshaw drivers could perhaps be hired to do just this short distance, at regular monthly salaries, and no reliance on fossil fuels?
There are small fees for tests – the ECG, for instance, costs Rs 40. The small bottle in which one collects the urine sample costs Rs 30. These fees are rather too steep for many of the patients admitted, who give up daily wages to get themselves treated.
Several of my companions in the female ward where I was admitted were part of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Could special provisions be made for such patients? But this is perhaps not a task for the government or this particular hospital, but for the citizens of Pala.
---
*Freelance journalist

Comments

Zulaikha Rafiq said…

You bring up excellent points to ponder about the public health system. Glad you had such a positive experience. Truly impressed by the doctors and other people who helped you.

May 28, 2022

Unknown said…

Definitely Govt Hospital doctors are much more equipped to handle cases by virtue of the massive experience gathered over the years treating patients of all classes .

May 28, 2022

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Health Day ads spark row as NAPi targets Britannia campaign, criticizes celebrity endorsement

By A Representative The advocacy group Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) has raised concerns over what it describes as misleading advertising of ultra-processed food products (UPFs), particularly those high in sugar, fat and salt, calling for stricter regulations and an end to such promotions across media platforms.

Search This Blog