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‘We would have had to suffer there’: Indian doctor compares healthcare in India, UK after husband falls ill
An Indian doctor shared why late-night access to medicines had made her feel grateful to be in India.
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An Indian doctor has sparked a conversation online after sharing why easy access to medicines and healthcare at odd hours makes her appreciate living in India, while drawing comparisons with her experience of healthcare systems in the UK and other Western countries.
(Also read: ‘Felt lied to’: Man shares why Bengaluru hospital impressed him over US healthcare)
Taking to Instagram, Dr Deepanjali Sharma posted a video of herself driving out late at night to get medicines and injections for her husband, who is also a doctor and had suddenly fallen ill.
‘Such a blessing to be in India’
Explaining the situation, Sharma said her husband had developed a headache before experiencing repeated vomiting.
"Right now it's 10:00 PM, and my husband, who is also a doctor, is sick right now. He had a slight headache since the evening, and then he started vomiting back-to-back. So, I'm heading out to get some medications and IV injections for him. And it is in moments like these that I realize it is such a blessing to be in India," she said.
Sharma went on to compare the situation with what she believed she would have experienced abroad.
"Because if I were in the UK right now, or in any Western country, irrespective of the fact that I'm a doctor, I would have had to wait in line. It's possible that in the emergency department—which stays so overloaded—my husband wouldn't have received immediate assistance right away. And you don't get over-the-counter medications there for me, being a doctor and certified clinical practitioner, to just pick up medicines for my husband."
(Also read: Indian-origin woman in Dubai praises healthcare system after leg injury: ‘Have been spoilt by this city’)
She added that being in India meant she could step out late at night, buy the medicines she needed and return home to help her husband.
"So, to anyone who thinks that moving abroad is all hunky-dory and a bed of roses—it's not. There are many struggles. Things that we take for granted in India present themselves as struggles over there. So never, ever feel like living in India is a disadvantage. It just depends on how you use your situation, and yeah, that's about it."
‘No country offers a 100/100 experience’
Sharing the video, Sharma clarified that she was not suggesting that India’s healthcare system was without problems.
"It's always very easy to look at the not-so-good aspects of our own country, India, without realising how moving & living abroad is not a bed of roses either! There are definitely loads of things that need improvement in our country, but we shouldn’t forget no country offers a 100/100 best-case-scenario experience to us!" she wrote.
She added that she was simply appreciating the advantages available to her personally, while acknowledging that not everyone in India may have access to the same privileges.
Watch the clip here:
Social media reacts
The post drew reactions from users who related to Sharma’s observations. One person wrote, “This is so true and relatable.” Another commented, “We often take these things for granted in India.” A third user said, “Healthcare accessibility really makes a difference,” while another added, “Access to medicines at odd hours is a blessing.”
(Also read: American woman praises India’s healthcare, says US system makes patients ‘go into debt’)
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
