Becoming a Patient at CMC

Since my platelet level was 62,000 one week before leaving for India (I have ITP) my hematologist sent a script with me to have my blood drawn once per week while in Vellore. Sounds easy enough since I'm working at a hospital, right? Wrong! I mentioned my situation to several people I met last week, but the best suggestion I could get was to "find someone in the medicine department." Very helpful. Luckily our friend Swami (one of the guys from Oklahoma) has a few connections here since his mother went to medical school at CMC. Once I told him about my issue we started to get things done. Swami called his mom's friend who sent me to her husbands clinic. Interestingly her husband happens to be the head of the internal medicine department. However, even having this connection the process was not simple.

Upon arriving to his office we (Vida was kind enough to come with me) were sent down the street to another office where we were able to speak with him. He informed us that I would have to have a chart made and then come see him in clinic in an hour and a half, after he finished lecturing. We set off to have the chart made, but had no idea where we needed to go for registration. It was then that we met Joseph - a wonderful man who has worked the front desk at the CMC Annex, where the residents live, for 25 years. We stopped only to ask directions, but he went out of his way to help us. He pulled out the paper work that I would need to fill out, then had one of the other workers go around to make sure that everything was taken care of because as he said "they will give you too much problems." When problems where encountered Joseph walked over himself to talk to the registrar. An hour and a half and 75 rupees later I had a chart! I was so thankful that I could not believe it! I would have been willing to pay any price for the service, but Joseph refused to take any payment. He said he just wanted to help. What a wonderful man! This is why I love Vellore!

After obtaining a chart number we headed back to the clinic to get the lab slip and then were sent back down to registration to pay. At least by this point we had figured out how the whole system worked so we were able to maneuver with minimal difficulty. Once the payment was complete it was off to the lab with plans of returning for the results later in the afternoon.

Overall this was a very interesting, albeit time consuming process and it really isn't all that different than the way things are done in the US. It really is the cultural and language differences that make the process unique. I am very thankful that Vida came with me on this adventure because I would not have wanted to do it alone.

PS My platelet count came out to be 102,000 this time so as of now everything is ok. I will check them again next week.