Just spent a relaxing morning at home watching the Australia-India cricket test match. After an extremely disappointing start for India (all out for 330), I watched them dispatch Australia for 212. Then I walked over to the Leela Palace Hotel's Oxford book store with the kids. Bought a few more CDs, but no room for the books I wanted to buy. There's always Amazon.com!
Will head to the airport at about 12:30 AM for the long wait for our flights home.
Showing posts with label Bangalore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangalore. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Last Legs
We left for Mysore in the morning. I was not surprised that there were several hassles with the Ginger Hotel as they tried to reconcile the bills. Several people were stuck for a long time arguing with the hotel about their billing. The hotel staff themselves seem extremely nice and apologetic. However, their systems are a mess. I do not understand why all the accounting items cannot simply be posted in a single online record for each room. They have multiple written folios and have trouble transferring data from all the folios into the online system. A complete mess.
Our bus ride to Bangalore was relatively uneventful except for a disaster lunch location. We found out that no clear arrangements had been made for lunch and we automatically appealed to Mr. Dwarkanath for help. He spoke to the drivers who recommended Hotel Ramanashree (three star) or Hotel Taj West End (five star). I was leaning towards the three-star hotel when the guide insisted that it was too far and inconvenient and that we should eat at a local Hotel Kamath. I clearly told him that a key requirement for a lunch location was clean restrooms. He insisted that Hotel Kamath fit the bill. As you may imagine, I have rarely seen a worse restroom in my life. It was beyond bad – it was sickness inducing. Absolutely outrageous. Luckily the food was pretty good and we left there relatively unscathed. The group was not really in the mood to do more sightseeing and after a walk through the beautiful Lal Bagh gardens, we headed to the Ginger.
The bus stopped briefly in front of Manipal Hospital and almost threw me and my baggage off the bus before proceeding. I found my way to Lalla periappa’s house from there. I went for a nice dinner at Bombay Post for some beer and great chicken seekh kabab.
Our bus ride to Bangalore was relatively uneventful except for a disaster lunch location. We found out that no clear arrangements had been made for lunch and we automatically appealed to Mr. Dwarkanath for help. He spoke to the drivers who recommended Hotel Ramanashree (three star) or Hotel Taj West End (five star). I was leaning towards the three-star hotel when the guide insisted that it was too far and inconvenient and that we should eat at a local Hotel Kamath. I clearly told him that a key requirement for a lunch location was clean restrooms. He insisted that Hotel Kamath fit the bill. As you may imagine, I have rarely seen a worse restroom in my life. It was beyond bad – it was sickness inducing. Absolutely outrageous. Luckily the food was pretty good and we left there relatively unscathed. The group was not really in the mood to do more sightseeing and after a walk through the beautiful Lal Bagh gardens, we headed to the Ginger.
The bus stopped briefly in front of Manipal Hospital and almost threw me and my baggage off the bus before proceeding. I found my way to Lalla periappa’s house from there. I went for a nice dinner at Bombay Post for some beer and great chicken seekh kabab.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Back to Mysore
Yesterday and today have been quite productive work-wise. Having a nice, fast broadband connection at my uncle's house has been godsend. I have been able to deal with a bunch of UMD work that has been piling up at an alarming rate in Duluth. Although I know I'm going to be snowed under (both metaphorically and literally) when I get back, it was nice to sit here with the remote desktop connection and make a dent (however small) into the email that has been building up there. I still am surprised at the Internet connectivity in Mysore. I guess that is one of the many things that will be upgraded soon as there is a greater demand for connectivity from people in the area.
Last night I woke up a few times with a very bad cough (my nose seems much clearer now). Finally, my mom came in very early in the morning and forced some more cough syrup down my throat. That helped as I ended up sleeping until 9 AM.
I took the famed "Volvo bus" back to Mysore. It was an excellent experience. The bus left at 3:35 and offered air conditioning and comfortable reclining seats. The seats reclined quite a bit, actually, which allowed me to take a nice nap. The ride was comfortable. After we left the bus station in Bangalore, the conductor brought each of us a moist towelette and then a bottle of water - better than Northwest Airlines! Not bad for a Rs. 190 trip. The trip also took less than three hours. I was actually back in my hotel room by 6:30 PM.
Last night I woke up a few times with a very bad cough (my nose seems much clearer now). Finally, my mom came in very early in the morning and forced some more cough syrup down my throat. That helped as I ended up sleeping until 9 AM.
I took the famed "Volvo bus" back to Mysore. It was an excellent experience. The bus left at 3:35 and offered air conditioning and comfortable reclining seats. The seats reclined quite a bit, actually, which allowed me to take a nice nap. The ride was comfortable. After we left the bus station in Bangalore, the conductor brought each of us a moist towelette and then a bottle of water - better than Northwest Airlines! Not bad for a Rs. 190 trip. The trip also took less than three hours. I was actually back in my hotel room by 6:30 PM.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Manipal Hospital - An Insider's View
After my several days of misery (well detailed in the blog here), I decided it would be foolhardy for me to spend two full days sight seeing in a non-air-conditioned bus. I still have not fully recovered and sleeping at night continues to be a bit of a chore. Rather than just hang around at the hotel for two days, I decided to go to Bangalore. My parents (and kids) are visiting there and my mom insisted I go to a doctor to get some antibiotics. So, I took a cab and headed to Bangalore late last night (getting here around 1 AM this morning). After a flat tire on the way, it still wasn’t too bad to make the trip in a little less than three hours. I continued to cough through the night and struggle with breathing, but hopefully the doctor will give me some miracle drug this morning.
So, I went across the street with my uncle to the world-famous "Manipal Hospital" to see a doctor about my cold/cough/flu. This is supposed to be one of the more fancy and expensive hospitals in town. Here's exactly how it went down.
I went to the "Registration Desk" at about 11 AM and asked to see an ENT (ear, nose throat) doctor for my flu/sinus problem. I was asked to fill out a short form and turn it in to the desk. The lady quickly entered my basic details (name, age, sex, address, etc.) into the computer and asked me to verify the details on the large monitor facing me (she had a smaller monitor facing her desk). Since I was a completely new registrant (never been to the hospital before), I was asked to pay Rs. 150 as a one-time registration fee and Rs. 350 for the doctor consultation fee, which I did. I was told that the Rs. 350 doctor consultation fee covered me for all consultations with the doctor within the next seven days. I would not have to pay for a return visit within the next week. She then printed out a nice plastic hospital ID card for me and sent me to the ENT department upstairs. Total elapsed time: about 10 minutes.
When I handed my ID card to the ENT department desk upstairs, I was told that I was on the list and it would be about 45 minutes before my name was called. My uncle and I went for a stroll around the hospital and checked out the departments, the stores, and the various other hospital services offered. We were back in the ENT department in about 30 minutes. After about another 25 minutes (approx 12:00 noon), my name was called and I headed into a room with one large chair (like a dentist's chair) in the center and an important-looking doctor sitting in front. Around him were clustered several other doctors or nurses with clipboards. The nurse asked me to sit in the chair and face the doctor. He looked at me and asked what the problem was in a business-like fashion. I told him, in a few seconds. He asked if I had taken any medication and I said "Yes, Sinarest." He picked up a few instruments and looked down my throat, up my nostrils, and felt around my neck, all the while dictating medical terms which a couple of the surrounding doctors quickly jotted down. Then he glared at me and announced "you have a sinus infection and your taking Sinarest made it worse! I need to see an X-Ray to decide what antibiotics to prescribe. Go downstairs to get an X-Ray and come back." I was ushered out in all of about 1-2 minutes and a new patient was in the chair almost before I left the room. One of the many minions hovering around the doctor followed me out and filled out an X-Ray request sheet and asked me to go down to Floor -1. These doctors must see hundreds of patients a day and seem to be freed from almost all responsibilities except diagnosis and follow-up treatment. By this time, it was about 12:15 PM.
I headed down to X-Ray and handed in my sheet. She took it without a word and entered it into the computer. She then said that the X-Ray fee was Rs. 170 and that I should pay at one of the cash counters and come back. I walked to one of the many cash counters around the hospital, and just handed my plastic card. Since the X-Ray request was already in the computer, he just said "Rs. 170" which I paid. He stamped "PAID" on my form after taking my money. I returned with the evidence of payment and she just waved her hand towards the seating area. None of this took much time despite Saturday being a particularly busy day for the hospital. Within about 10 minutes a lady called my name and I followed her into the X-Ray room where I was asked to sit on a stool and face an X-Ray screen with my mouth wide open. By this time, it was about 12:55 PM. When I came back out to the seating area, I was told it would be about 30-40 minutes before my film was ready. It was about 1:30 before my film arrived and I headed back up to the doctor. Unfortunately, the ENT department was all closed by this time and the place was manned by a single "emergency doctor" who was being harried by all the people who wanted her attention all at once. When we explained that we had already seen the doctor, she asked me to sit down while she dealt with several other people with a huge variety of requests. Finally, she called the doctor on the phone and described my X-Ray (along with a few other patients) and took rapid notes with several "yes sirs" sprinkled in. After dealing with another horde of impatient customers, she called me up and told me that I had some sinus congestion and that I should go on an antibiotic (Augmentin) for 7 days, use a painkiller (Dolo) for 3 days, and use Otrivin nasal drops before a steam inhalation three times a day. She wrote out the prescription and I headed to the pharmacy. At the pharmacy, we were handed a token number which was called in about 15 minutes. I was asked to pay Rs. 620 for the drugs (of which Rs. 520 was for the Augmentin antibiotic) which I then picked up at a counter around the corner. We headed out of the hospital at about 2:30 PM. The doctor had asked me to schedule another appointment with the doctor in about a week. Maybe I'll see him again on the 17th if things are not much better by then.
Overall, for someone with no history or record with this private hospital, everything seemed to go smoothly with "pay-as-you-go" services that did not seem exorbitant. I now have a nice plastic hospital card and can even see the doctor again before I leave Bangalore without paying another office fee. From the hospital's standpoint, they got a Rs. 150 new registrant fee and a Rs. 350 office visit fee for all of about 5-8 minutes of the doctor's time. And believe me when I say this doctor probably sees many more patients a day than the typical US doctor. All in all, it was a great visit. I also got the details on their numerous "maintenance check" packages for my next trip here. For Rs. 5000 (about $125) I can have a comprehensive check-up including blood tests, stress tests, eye checks, dental checks, etc. that take up most of a day and include a concluding consultation with a doctor.
So, I went across the street with my uncle to the world-famous "Manipal Hospital" to see a doctor about my cold/cough/flu. This is supposed to be one of the more fancy and expensive hospitals in town. Here's exactly how it went down.
I went to the "Registration Desk" at about 11 AM and asked to see an ENT (ear, nose throat) doctor for my flu/sinus problem. I was asked to fill out a short form and turn it in to the desk. The lady quickly entered my basic details (name, age, sex, address, etc.) into the computer and asked me to verify the details on the large monitor facing me (she had a smaller monitor facing her desk). Since I was a completely new registrant (never been to the hospital before), I was asked to pay Rs. 150 as a one-time registration fee and Rs. 350 for the doctor consultation fee, which I did. I was told that the Rs. 350 doctor consultation fee covered me for all consultations with the doctor within the next seven days. I would not have to pay for a return visit within the next week. She then printed out a nice plastic hospital ID card for me and sent me to the ENT department upstairs. Total elapsed time: about 10 minutes.
When I handed my ID card to the ENT department desk upstairs, I was told that I was on the list and it would be about 45 minutes before my name was called. My uncle and I went for a stroll around the hospital and checked out the departments, the stores, and the various other hospital services offered. We were back in the ENT department in about 30 minutes. After about another 25 minutes (approx 12:00 noon), my name was called and I headed into a room with one large chair (like a dentist's chair) in the center and an important-looking doctor sitting in front. Around him were clustered several other doctors or nurses with clipboards. The nurse asked me to sit in the chair and face the doctor. He looked at me and asked what the problem was in a business-like fashion. I told him, in a few seconds. He asked if I had taken any medication and I said "Yes, Sinarest." He picked up a few instruments and looked down my throat, up my nostrils, and felt around my neck, all the while dictating medical terms which a couple of the surrounding doctors quickly jotted down. Then he glared at me and announced "you have a sinus infection and your taking Sinarest made it worse! I need to see an X-Ray to decide what antibiotics to prescribe. Go downstairs to get an X-Ray and come back." I was ushered out in all of about 1-2 minutes and a new patient was in the chair almost before I left the room. One of the many minions hovering around the doctor followed me out and filled out an X-Ray request sheet and asked me to go down to Floor -1. These doctors must see hundreds of patients a day and seem to be freed from almost all responsibilities except diagnosis and follow-up treatment. By this time, it was about 12:15 PM.
I headed down to X-Ray and handed in my sheet. She took it without a word and entered it into the computer. She then said that the X-Ray fee was Rs. 170 and that I should pay at one of the cash counters and come back. I walked to one of the many cash counters around the hospital, and just handed my plastic card. Since the X-Ray request was already in the computer, he just said "Rs. 170" which I paid. He stamped "PAID" on my form after taking my money. I returned with the evidence of payment and she just waved her hand towards the seating area. None of this took much time despite Saturday being a particularly busy day for the hospital. Within about 10 minutes a lady called my name and I followed her into the X-Ray room where I was asked to sit on a stool and face an X-Ray screen with my mouth wide open. By this time, it was about 12:55 PM. When I came back out to the seating area, I was told it would be about 30-40 minutes before my film was ready. It was about 1:30 before my film arrived and I headed back up to the doctor. Unfortunately, the ENT department was all closed by this time and the place was manned by a single "emergency doctor" who was being harried by all the people who wanted her attention all at once. When we explained that we had already seen the doctor, she asked me to sit down while she dealt with several other people with a huge variety of requests. Finally, she called the doctor on the phone and described my X-Ray (along with a few other patients) and took rapid notes with several "yes sirs" sprinkled in. After dealing with another horde of impatient customers, she called me up and told me that I had some sinus congestion and that I should go on an antibiotic (Augmentin) for 7 days, use a painkiller (Dolo) for 3 days, and use Otrivin nasal drops before a steam inhalation three times a day. She wrote out the prescription and I headed to the pharmacy. At the pharmacy, we were handed a token number which was called in about 15 minutes. I was asked to pay Rs. 620 for the drugs (of which Rs. 520 was for the Augmentin antibiotic) which I then picked up at a counter around the corner. We headed out of the hospital at about 2:30 PM. The doctor had asked me to schedule another appointment with the doctor in about a week. Maybe I'll see him again on the 17th if things are not much better by then.
Overall, for someone with no history or record with this private hospital, everything seemed to go smoothly with "pay-as-you-go" services that did not seem exorbitant. I now have a nice plastic hospital card and can even see the doctor again before I leave Bangalore without paying another office fee. From the hospital's standpoint, they got a Rs. 150 new registrant fee and a Rs. 350 office visit fee for all of about 5-8 minutes of the doctor's time. And believe me when I say this doctor probably sees many more patients a day than the typical US doctor. All in all, it was a great visit. I also got the details on their numerous "maintenance check" packages for my next trip here. For Rs. 5000 (about $125) I can have a comprehensive check-up including blood tests, stress tests, eye checks, dental checks, etc. that take up most of a day and include a concluding consultation with a doctor.
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