Apollo Hospitals - The Smiles Behind the Mask: Heartwarming Stories From Apollo Hospitals

Contents

THE STORIES

P EOPLE OFTEN DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF CONQUERING A debilitating or life-threatening illness as rebirth.

And like every birth, and perhaps even more so, rebirth is a moment of joy, of celebration, of affirmation of the spirit and a time for gratitude.

Over 38 years, Apollo Hospitals has been privileged to live thousands of these moments and stories. To be a part of the birth of new vitality, of hope, of families coming together through the storm.

Making the light shine through, helping life find vitality anew, is what Dr Prathap C. Reddy, our Founder and Chairman, describes as the most profoundly satisfying moments for a physician. It is what makes us better every day. It is what makes us go the extra mile and ensure benchmark clinical outcomes.

With this book, we at Apollo Hospitals share some of those stories. Tales of grit, of fortitude, of finding hope against hope. Of smiles breaking out on our patients and their families faces, and our smiles behind the mask.

We bring those smiles to life with these stories that we dedicate to our amazing patients, with gratitude for your trust and a promise to be here for you, always.

Sangita Reddy

Hyderabad

27 December 2021

O N 25 JANUARY 2021, 44-YEAR-OLD KAVITA SARAF WAS admitted to Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals in Kolkata for a laparoscopic fibroid surgerya minimally invasive procedure that treats abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. Kavita was put under the care of senior gynaecologist, Dr M. Padmaja, who came highly recommended by her friend.

At the hospital, Kavita surrounded herself with several books. When a nurse remarked that she seemed to be fond of reading, Kavita told her she had been the principal of a reputed Bengali-medium school for the past fifteen years and was an avid book lover.

Even so, the lady seemed restless. The nurses overheard Kavita directing her staff on how to conduct the Republic Day flag-hoisting ceremony in her absence. I am sorry, I wont be attending the ceremonyits the first time in thirteen years, but my health does not permit me to be there, she said softly.

Now, the Apollo team that always looks for opportunities to do something special for their patients, and Kavitas conversation gave them a chance to do that for her. The Apollo Hospitals celebrate the Republic Day every year, where the flag is usually hoisted by the security officer. This year the team decided to let Kavita do the honours.

The plan was quickly put in place, without a word to Kavita. Doctors, security personnel and nursesall were taken into confidence.

On the morning of 26 January, Kavitas nurse came to her room and wheeled her right outside, to the grounds. Utterly surprised, Kavita kept asking why she was being taken outside, while her surgery was scheduled for the afternoon. Then she saw itthe National Flag wrapped around a pole and the entire Apollo team waiting for the hoisting ceremony to begin.

She could hardly believe it when they asked her to hoist the flag. Overcome with joy and gratitude, Kavita unfurled the flag, of course with a nurse standing right by her side. The Apollo team sang the National Anthem as the flag went up and began fluttering proudly in the air. It was an emotional moment, tinged with national pride.

It was the first time that an Apollo Hospital patient was hoisting the flag for them. This made the occasion even more special. Kavitas eyes welled up at the thoughtfulness of the gesture, and she thanked the Apollo staff profusely. Later, she could be heard sharing her excitement with her family and friends on the phone.

Kavitas surgery was conducted as scheduled and it went off well. Her husband was by her side all along, assured that his wife was in good hands. She went home on 28 January, fully recovered.

O N A SLEEPY AFTERNOON IN A SMALL MAHARASHTRIAN town, a beat constable noticed a tiny bundle on the ground. Leaning closer, he realized it was an infant, barely two days old. As is the practice in such cases, the police handed over the abandoned girl to an orphanage.

From the moment they took her in, the orphanage staff knew the baby was not normal. Her head was remarkably oversized, and she was crying nonstopit was the unmistakable wail of an infant in pain. They contacted the Apollo Hospitals in Nashik and got an appointment with Dr Sanjay Vekhande, a top neurosurgeon.

The diagnosis was grim. Baby Anushka had congenital hydrocephalusa condition where water accumulates in the ventricular system of the brain. She would have to undergo a ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery to correct this deformity.

Sister Rashmi Waghmare, who was in charge of Baby Anushka in the hospital, looked after her with utmost tenderness. The Apollo out-patient team gifted her a dress, while the pharmacy team put together a hamper of baby-care products.

Two days passed. No one from the orphanage got in touch with the hospital. Concerned about the babys welfare, Sister Rashmi spoke to Sister Yamini. They learnt that the orphanage could not afford the surgery fee and were thinking of taking Anushka to a government hospital. Sister Rashmi called and assured them that Apollo would arrange for everything.

The Apollo teamRashmi, Yamini and Sandeep Shinde from the PRO (public relations officer) teamagreed to take on the case, irrespective of the expenses. They decided to pool in their own resources if funds could not be raised. Luckily, they were able to arrange for adequate funds within fifteen days.

Sandeep helped in getting money from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund, which provides medical treatment to people from poor economic background. While Rashmi coordinated with the Apollo Hospital authorities and various departments (billing, PRO and MSW [medical social work]) to send the requisition to the Chief Ministers Office. Their fund-raising application included Baby Anushkas diagnostic test results as well as her treatment plan.

The Maharashtra government approved the application and Baby Anushka was brought to Apollo Hospitals in Nashik for her surgery.

Her surgery was scheduled for April-May 2021. By now, the baby was exhausted from constant pain. She cried non-stop and would not drink milk normally. Thankfully, she was now in capable hands.

Dr Sanjay Vekhande inserted a pipe that connected the back of the head with the abdominal cavity. The pipe transferred the excess water in the brain to the abdominal cavity, where the body absorbed it. As the excess water drained out, the size of Baby Anushkas head began to reduce. The brain retained enough water for its functioning, and the surgery was a success. Soon after, she was discharged from the hospital. The tube inside her head was a permanent fixture that would help her lead a normal life.

The total cost of Anushkas surgery was Rs 4 lakh, out of which Rs 2.5 lakh came from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund, and the rest was waived off by Dr Sanjay Vekhande and the Apollo team.