Your Child Is Fine!

One of the biggest concerns for young parents is the health of their little ones. Just as the pleasure of seeing a child grow has few equals, watching them suffer during their illness has few equals in pain. The problem is somewhat muted when there is elderly support at home. The experience of the earlier generation in seeing through such difficult times acts as a balm to the young couple. If such comfort is not available to young parents, they are left to fend for themselves and see the child recover to normal health. It need not be any serious illness that requires long hospitalization; even a bout of severe cold or fever makes young parents very uncomfortable. The problem is even more acute for parents who are both working, with similar working hours. 

Forty years ago, health care was not this advanced. Working women with no elderly support at home had to take the help of creche or daycare facilities to tend to babies and toddlers when they were to be away at offices. These centers neither had adequate facilities for tending to sick children nor was any element of professionalism in running them. These were run by either people who desired to supplement their incomes or those with service mind to some extent, save for rare exceptions. Income levels of working mothers was also not sufficient to afford good daycare facilities. A sudden telephone call from the creche (mobiles were not heard of then) would make the mother (or father in some cases) drop all the work at the office and run to the creche to take the child home. Caretakers were naturally not willing to risk the health of other kids by holding back a sick child. 

With the sick child at home now, the parents had to wait for the doctor's shop to open for medical help. They had to wait in the normal line with other patients. Each moment of wait at the clinic was a torture for them. The medicines prescribed by the doctor were sometimes not available at the Medical Shop. There were instances when the parent had to search the entire area by going from shop to shop to get the prescribed medicine. The medicines had some side effects as well. When the problem became acute in the middle of the night, waiting till the morning for the doctor's shop to open was indeed an endless wait for the anxious parents.

Parents were much better prepared for dealing with sickness of the second child. The invaluable experience in dealing with the troubles of the first child would have given them both strength and patience to manage the situations. Suffering was no less now, but the ability to withstand the suffering would have increased. We all old timers went through these anxious days at one time or the other.

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Observing developed childcare facilities today is indeed an experience. Cost of treatment has no doubt increased manifold, but income levels have also gone up at least for some sections of the society. Medical insurance has become an important part of our lives and provides some relief to sick patients and young parents. The type of facilities provided and support extended by hospitals in advanced countries is indeed an indicator of the quality of life there. Some visits to the childcare hospitals accompanying young mothers and their kids recently was a very educative and heartening experiences. Some of the highlights are as under:

• Records of the child's birth and all subsequent visits are maintained by the children hospitals on their computers. The information can be viewed by the parents as well. There is no need for searching volumes of paper records when you take a sick child to the hospital in an emergency.
• All details of immunization requirements are mapped in advance and available for scheduling appointments at the appropriate time. In case of difficulties, appointments can be changed over phone.
• Medication is generally discouraged and the emphasis is on developing natural immunity. Taking the child immediately to the hospital is also somewhat discouraged. Anxious parents can speak to the nurse or hospital for guidance. For normal cold or fever, no medication is recommended. A child is to be taken only if the temperature crosses 105* F. 
• Parents can call the helpline and summon ambulance with paramedics at all times of day and night. 
• Emergency facilities are open 24 hours and sick child is attended immediately.
• There are separate waiting rooms for children with regular appointments and those who arrive on sickness emergencies. Mixing of sick kids with other children is totally avoided.
• There are a series of examination rooms at the centre. A trained nurse receives the child in one of these rooms and checks temperature, weight and other desired parameters. The details are fed to the computers in the room and the nurse proceeds to the other room to see the next child.
• The Pediatrician arrives thereafter and verifies the data in the computer before examining the child. The examination is courteous and smooth. 
• There is no dispensing of medicine through paper prescriptions. The doctor enters the details of the medicines, method of administration and time intervals in the computer. Details of the items are mailed to a pharmacy of the parent's choice immediately.
• Sick child and the parent do not come into contact with other children and parents at the centre in examination rooms as well.
• By the time the parent drives the child to the Pharmacy on the way home, pharmacy keeps the items ready for delivery. The parent can pick up the prescribed medicine from the Pharmacy on the way home.
• In case of any problem of dispensing the prescribed item by the pharmacy, the issue is sorted out by the pharmacy with the doctor directly.
• There is no requirement for payment at the pharmacy if the amount payable is within the insurance coverage available for the child. Only the difference amount is to be paid in case of necessity.
• Pharmacies have drive-in facilities for picking up medicine. This prevents the parent from taking out the child from the car seat and take it inside the pharmacy. There is least inconvenience to the child and this also helps in avoiding contact with others at the Pharmacy.
• Follow-up medical care can be had through telephone contact with the centre.

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Some of these facilities may be available at major cities in our country. But smaller centers are still a long way to go. Availability of such facility in all places would enhance quality of life for all citizens. 

Please have lunch with us

We often use the word "Emergency" in our daily routine. What constitutes an "Emergency"? Online dictionary defines the word "Emergency" as "a sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or occasion requiring immediate action". It further describes emergency as "a state, especially of need for help or relief, created by some unexpected event". It gives some illustrations as well. Weather emergency and financial emergency are given as examples. We know about weather emergency like hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. We know many people who are always in financial emergency, especially when they find someone who (they believe) can lend. There are many natural causes creating emergency situations. We have an equal or even more number of emergency times which are entirely man-made. Everyone knows about political emergency and management emergency. These are totally man-made emergency creations.

There was an emergency situation last week due to a bundh (shutdown) called by various organizations to protest a certain event. As with any bundh, there were the usual pro-bundh and anti-bundh sentiments. Nevertheless, the bundh was total. The bundh had its usual share of problems for people arriving in the city early in the morning with all transport facilities shut down. Those living alone with dependence on food served in restaurants and small outlets had the problem of hunger. Unfortunately, hunger does not accept any bundh calls irrespective of the enormity of the reasons. The problem mostly arose for them from either having no facilities for cooking in their places or due to not knowing cooking (or lazy to cook) issues. Some were prepared with standby arrangements like bread, milk, fruits and allied items. 

There were many kind hearted families who invited such troubled souls to join them for lunch. Many telephone and mobile calls were exchanged with the message "Please have lunch with us". Some were honored while some others were politely declined. Some had the problem of reaching the host's house though willing and eager to join them. The roads were blocked with burning tires and stones laid horizontally across the road. Though the bundh was voluntary and streets were deserted, there were volunteers moving around on motorcycles as well to enforce the bundh. Invitations for lunch were accepted and met when the host's place was within a walkable distance.

When should an invitation for lunch, supper or dinner be accepted? Should all invitations be accepted without second thoughts? Are there any guidelines available anywhere? What are the factors to be considered for accepting or rejecting such offers?

***** 

Krishna voluntarily accepted to act as the ambassador and represent Pandavas before King Dhritarashtra and make one last effort to avert Kurukshetra war. He arrived at Hastinapur after a long and tiring journey. It was sunset time when he was received amidst excellent arrangement by the Kauravas led by Duryodhana. Duryodhana knew that he had to cross the final obstacle of Krishna to deny any share in the kingdom to the Pandavas. Krishna must be pleased and trapped at any cost to achieve my goals, he thought. Unprecedented arrangements were made with welcome arches, banners and decorations. Bheeshma, Drona and other elders were also present. Krishna received all the bouquets and offerings with a smiling face. After exchange of pleasantries with those present in the welcoming party, it was time to retire for the day.

Duryodhana was confident that Krishna will stay with him. Krishna was his close relative. Though people were more conscious of the marriage between Krishna's sister Subhadra and Arjuna, Duryodhana had better and closer family ties with Krishna. Krishna had married Jambavanta's daughter Jambavati after the "Syamantaka" episode (which is recited even today during Ganesha Chaturthi). Krishna and Jambavati had a son by name Saamba. Duryodhana had a son and daughter twins, son Lakshmana Kumara and daughter Lakshmanaa. When Lakshmanaa's swayamvar was announced, Saamba went there and kidnapped her. He was only following the example set by his father when he kidnapped his step mother Rukmini. He fought the Kauravas, defeated them but was ultimately captured and put in jail. Krishna's elder brother Balarama intervened and got Saamba released. Though Krishna was apparently not interested in the alliance, Balarama persuaded both parties and Samba and Lakshmanaa got married. After all, one of the Pandavas has married Krishna's sister. But Krishna's own son is married to my own daughter. Thus Krishna is closer as a relative to me than Pandavas, Duryodhana thought. Duryodhana invited Krishna for dinner with him in his palace and later on to stay overnight there. This is what Krishna told him:

संप्रीति भोज्यानि अन्नानि आपद् भोज्यानि वा पुनः |

न च संप्रीयसे राजन् नचैव अपद्गताः वयम् ||

Sampreeti bhojyani annani aapad bhojyani va punah

Na cha sampreeyase Rajan nachaiva aapadgatah vayam!

An invitation to dine with should be accepted under one of the two circumstances: when invited with love and affection or when confronted with an emergency. 

O King Duryodhana, (you are a party to the dispute for the resolution of which I have come and hence) your invitation is motivated. Neither your invitation is with affection nor have I come in distress or an emergency for accepting the food offered by you!

Krishna refused the invitation as neither of the two conditions were met. Bheeshma and Drona also were anxious to invite Krishna for dinner and stay with them. They were hesitant to violate Duryodhana's  intentions. Now that Krishna refused his offer, they came up with invitations to join them for dinner. Krishna refused those offers as well for one simple reason. He told them that they kept quiet in the royal court when Draupadi was harassed. They had lost the entitlement to invite him due to this one failure. Vidura was the only one to openly and unhesitatingly protest the action. Hence Krishna chose to go with Vidura even though there was no explicit invitation from him! Later on Vidura tells Krishna that he should have accepted Duryodhana's invitation and not come with him. That could have persuaded Duryodhana to accept truce, he says. Krishna just smiles. Rest is history, as they say.

*****

Those who accepted invitations for Lunch on the bundh day were following the principles enunciated by Krishna in Mahabharata. The invitations were not extended with any ulterior motives. All those invitations made on that day were out of love, affection and compassion. Hence first condition was fully satisfied. Those who accepted the invitations were indeed confronted with an emergency as defined in the online dictionary. Hence the second condition was also equally satisfied. Krishna said one of the conditions was to be met. But here was a rare instance when both conditions were met to full extent. 

That the invitations were accepted without knowledge of the above history and existence of the stipulated conditions did not really matter!