Acknowledgements

I thank my Dad for correcting the document and rephrasing it. I am most indebted to my Dad without his help this document would have not been this readable.  Many thanks to Mr C Sabapathi without his inputs this document would have been incomplete.

 

March 17, 2002

Singapore Badminton Hall

 

Early Sunday morning around 7.00 AM Vaidy woke me up to get ready to go along with Mr Sabapathi to the Singapore Badminton Hall (SBH) where we play our weekly shuttle badminton games. In the other sense it was our rendezvous for the gang during the weekends.

We joined Mr Saba at the ITE and moved towards SBH. We after our warm up set on to play a double’s game as usual. I and Vaidy made a team and our opponents being Saba and Sundar.

That was the first game we started that day and never dreamt that it would take an overt turn. Both sides were gaining points steadily, and it was Vaidy’s turn for the serve which had to be taken by Saba. Saba returned serve and immediately he collapsed on the ground and was unable to move. This is not the first time for Saba of sudden cramps, initially we did not panic, since on all other occasions the knee would get set after few minutes and either he would continue to play or rest for the day. But this day was not the same. He could not move his left leg in any direction. When tried, he felt a pricking unbearable pain at this knee and would scream attracting the entire hall’s attention towards him. We tried our best massaging him and trying to straighten his leg in vain.

We had to lift him in same position as he collapsed, one lifting his left leg in the same angle while he was seated at the field and others lifting him bodily. We moved him to the visitors stand and let him rest there. The time was 8.30 AM when the mishap occurred. Everyone in our group tried to do his best so that his leg would regain normalcy would be able to walk, but to no avail.

We thought that his leg would get set after some time and we resumed our play. Time was ticking but no change in his agony. Each one who was sitting out would try one way or the other to help Saba to move his leg. We were not the only group playing there. Seeing the sufferings a Singaporean came to us with pain reliever and sprayed it on the knee and advised us to move Saba to hospital (once again a nice and decent gesture from a common Singaporean). Even the spray could not stop Saba from feeling the pricking pain at his knee.

Mr Raja (SIA) asked us to get some ice and place it on his knee so that that part gets numbed, instead of getting his knee our fingers got numbed. Nothing worked our way and we finally decided to call the ambulance and move him to hospital. 

Deciding on the Hospital and the Physician:

After certain amount of deliberations by our friends we decided to take Saba to Mt Elizabeth Hospital at Orchard (The first mistake). We had dared not to inform his pregnant wife (Sankari) at that time about this incident. Saba finally called up his home and informed his wife about this and asked her not to panic assuring to get back to her with the developments.  Meanwhile we decided as to who would accompany him in the ambulance (since only one is allowed to join him in the ambulance), and who should reach his home to bring his wife and her mother to the hospital in case of hospitalization.

The ambulance arrived and the stretcher was brought into the hall. It was a real test for the hospital staff to see that he is lifted without aggravating pain. First they tried to move him from the visitors stand to the stretcher. After number to futile attempts to comfortably move him onto the stretcher, finally the senior staff asked Saba to cling to his shoulder as if he is hugging and caught hold of Saba’s trouser and instructed him to put his whole weight on his right leg and bodily lifted him to the stretcher.

On reaching hospital, he was moved to the Accident and Emergency ward. Thanks to the staff for their patience and attitude, we did not experience the indifference we normally encounter in our native country hospitals.

He was taken into the ward for the first aid and we went thru the formalities for his admission. We had asked the nurse to page to Dr Ravi Pillai based on our other friend’s previous experience. Meanwhile the other tests like the pulse rate, BP etc were being carried out. The doctor had advised to have the X-Ray done on the injured knee. At the X-ray chamber the Technician requested Raja and Jaya to assist Saba, and also took care that they are not exposed to the rays by providing them with 10 pound rubber jacket.

Every formality was completed by the time Doctor arrived. He after having checked all the details, he bandaged his left leg with a sponge which later turned hard like a rock.  He informed us that an MRI scan had to be conducted (but on the next day, God alone knows why not the same day leaving my poor friend to suffer) based on which he could decide what his next move should be. He instructed the nurse to give the patient a shot of pain killer, and instructed us to check if Saba could get reimbursement of the medical expenses since the bill would be quite significant.  

We kept on posting Sankari on the happenings. Vaidy and Sundar reached Saba’s home to accompany Sankari and her mother to hospital. We passed on the Doctor’s message to Vaidy since he is Saba’s colleague and asked him to get the details from the office regarding reimbursements before we admit him as an inpatient.

Till this point of time Saba had physical pain, added to this was the mental agony by the vague answers and information we were getting from his HR personnel. Eventually we were informed that he could get reimbursed only if he is treated at Raffles hospital and not from any other hospitals. Vaidy reconfirmed this and we decided to move to Raffles. We made the necessary arrangements and appraised Dr Ravi Pillai about this issue and he understood that we are unable to continue treatment. The nurse at Mt Elizabeth Hospital prepared the case sheet accompanied us and personally handed over the report to the nurse at the Raffles Hospital.

We finally admitted him at Raffles and after preliminary study by the resident doctor, they informed us that Dr Krishnamoorty, the orthopedic, will be attending him shortly. It was around 1.00 PM.

Sankari reached the hospital along with her mother, Vaidy, sundar and with food for all of us. Since morning, Saba was empty stomach with no food intake except the apple juice we got him at the MT Elizabeth Hospital. We made him to have some grub so that he would not be on empty stomach when he would be given medicines (Mistake no 2).

The doctor arrived and after investigations concluded that Saba needs a minor operation (Arthroscopy) done on this knee since his knee got locked with the damaged Anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL). He advised us not to panic as it is a minor operation and it would take an hour to go thru.  The doctor could have done the operation immediately, but for the mistake of us feeding Saba without consulting the doctor, he set the operation time to 6.00 PM.

As per the surgical rules patient should not consume food (not even water) at least 6 hours prior to the operation. During anesthesia there are chances the patient might vomit and inhaling of the vomitus into the lungs during surgery would be life threatening.

Time stared ticking, he was assigned a bed and was resting, meanwhile we informed our remaining friends about the crisis and everyone arrived before Saba was moved to the operation theatre. As he was moved to the op theatre Sankari broke down, returned to normal state by the soothing words from her mother and friends around (A down-to-earth wife).

Inside the operation theatre the nurse-in-charge proceeded with her formalities like, reconfirming that the patient is Saba, the injury is same as stated on the document available with her and explained him the step-by-step procedure: firstly anesthetist would attend him and later the doctor would perform the operation which would last around an hour. The operation started at 6.15 PM and finished just after 7.00 PM. Saba regained conscious at 7.20 PM and was eager to inform his wife about his welfare and asked the nurse for her mobile so that he could pass the message (A loving husband).

Use of Mobile was restricted in the operation theatre and other areas in the hospital as it would infringe with the wavelengths of the other equipments used within the premises.

So the nurse switched on instrument hung on the wall so that he could see all of us waiting at the lounge of the op theatre. She came out and informed us that the operation was successful and he would he out of operation theatre in few minutes time. Meanwhile the doctor came out and we all flocked around him. He was surprised to see such a gathering and this made him think we are of the same family.

Indeed we are a family alright.

He explained us about the operation and also informed us that we could gain more knowledge about this injury from the net where there is a huge cache of info on this subject. He also told us that Saba could get discharged the next day and can get back to his normal life within a weeks time.

The next day he was discharged from the hospital after the doctor’s morning rounds. The doctor advised him on some exercises.

After remitting a huge bill we returned home.

The whole affair taught me/us some vital lessons:

• Keep your body fit and have health check up done atleast once in a year from a reliable hospital.
• Maintain the health records so that you can keep track of it.
• If you happened to injure yourself (either internal or external) get it treated as soon as possible. Do not postpone it as it may lead to a permanent damage or complications
• To pick up a right Medical Insurance policy (where ever you are) and especially in the country where medical expenses are very high.
• Check with your employer and have the document prepared about your Medical benefits, narrow down on the hospitals and physicians they recommend for medical treatment (so that they can reimburse without any hassles) and the ceiling for your grade. Keep a copy of this in your personal file at home. This will help you overcome the mistakes we had done on that grim day. ( Solution for the first mistake)
• The following should be taken care of if reimbursing thru the Insurance Co.,: A letter of concern/guarantee should be sent to the hospital from your employer during admission; an insurance claim form has to be filled by three parties, the first being the employer, the second part by self and the third part by the doctor who has attended you. The hospital bill along with the Medical certificate from the doc to be attached before submitting.
• Within the hospital premises please consult the concerned doctor before feeding the patient, so that we do not hold up/or obstruct the doctors next move to cure the patient’s suffering by hours. (Solution to mistake no 2) 
• The least but not the last – Make a list of the phone numbers of Hospitals, the ambulance operators so that they come in handy when ever we encounter unfortunate incidents. Once the list is prepared have a copy at home and carry one with you always.

N Ramesh