Recently during the time of COVID 19 where one can never be sure if the person has just the common flu or the virus itself, I experienced a situation within my own family that changed me a lot. My father had gone to buy a few grocery items from the shop and was unexpectedly caught in torrential rains. He came back home, changed his clothes, took medicine, and that was the end of the issue. However, the next day he started having headaches in the morning, and around noon his body became extremely hot. Upon taking his temperature reading, we realized he had a high fever. The afternoon went by in a very tense situation. Finally, when it was decided to visit a doctor, matters took a turn for worse, and he suddenly collapsed on the floor. Nobody knew anything now, everything became haywire, and the people around me lost the ability to think rationally.
With some divine intervention, my mother had a thought, and she pours water on his head and body. This water had some magic powers which brought my father back to his senses and opened his eyes. More family members were contacted after a while, and there was divided opinion among everyone, where one person told to take him to the hospital and get a COVID test. On the other hand, the rest of them were telling us not to visit the hospital at this point as in a small city hospital can’t be trusted completely. At this point, I was sent out to buy a few medicines, and I rushed to find a medical shop. In the end, it was a case of the common cold, and with God’s grace, his condition stabilized after a few days, but the whole situation completely shook how I perceive life.
After the whole ordeal came to an end, I sat back and thought how many people must be suffering at this moment itself, and how lucky are the ones who don’t necessarily have to go through these situations. I thought about the importance of hospitals and their function in society. In the worst situation, where my father didn’t have the strength to even lift his body, the close family members refused to come by and offer their help. I realized the importance of true relationships where families stand by each other in times of sickness.
Then my thoughts shifted to the hospitals. I figured out that the distrust among people is the same as how a few rotten eggs make the whole basket bad. Few particular hospitals were taking advantage of the pandemic and charging people extra money or giving out fake reports of the virus.
As hospitals are in an industry that provides service to all human beings irrespective of caste, gender, sex, etc., why do people still distrust hospitals? Even in the need of dire help, humans as a service user can be so helpless. As a service provider, the hospital needs to build more trust among the masses so that no one is afraid to come and ask for help. There are millions more suffering each day because due to some unfortunate circumstances they cannot go to the hospital. They must build up their trust and reputation, so no life is wasted because of indecisiveness.
For a complete month, I was affected a lot mentally and couldn’t smile or find happiness in anything, but seeing my brother and mother fighting through this tough time helped me move forward.
One good thing I learned from this experience that no matter how dire the situation one should never lose hope, and the ability to make rational decisions.
One bad thing I experienced was the true nature of human beings who won’t make the extra effort to help someone in need. In the future, if the same situation arises, I’ll not make the same mistakes of relying on people, instead this time I’ll be well prepared.
One bad thing I experienced was the truth of life. That it’s a good thing to ask for help, but it is better to be prepared to tackle your problems on your own. Because even if they want to help you, sometimes there are circumstances that prevent you from getting any help.
In the future, if the same situation arises, I’ll not make the same mistakes of completely relying on others. Yes, I will always ask for help if necessary because that’s what makes us civilized. But from now on I’ll be well-prepared.
