HOSPITAL BLOG 

 

Mumbai Hospital:   As you know Betty is in the hospital.  We came from the ship on Sunday (Jan. 6).  Upon arrival Betty was seen immediately by one of the surgeons who described the extent of her injury and the need for surgery.    I was taken to the “Grand Tiara Floor”, which seems to be reserved for foreigners.  I was shown several rooms and suites and asked where I wanted my wife to stay. 

Betty’s arm has been immobilized and she is in less pain.   Surgery awaits blood thinners exiting her system, and she will need some steroids for a respiratory condition.   She has seen at least 8 doctors, and my impression is of competence. 

In India a relative must stay with the patient, so I sleep on a relatively comfortable couch and eat the same meals as Betty.  Service is somewhat different than in Canada.  When Betty presses her buzzer the average wait time is 12 seconds, and then usually two people appear.  I was caught helping Betty to the washroom and sternly chastised.  She is tentatively scheduled for a 2.5 hour surgery on Wednesday. 

There are 9 rooms on this floor.   However, there appears to be only 4 patients.  I discovered the Club Room where I can go to sit, read, or use the modern exercise equipment.  I am afraid to think what the bill will be at the end of the week.  I hope the limit on my credit card is sufficient. 

The porter who brings our food seems genuinely concerned whether we like the food.  I have decided that if something is too weird, I should flush at least part of it rather than look ungrateful.  Corn flakes this morning were served with very hot milk. 

I made several trips back and forth to the ship but eventually was forced to take all our stuff off, as the ship sailed on Monday night, obviously without us.  My minimal experience with Mumbai comes from the 30+ minute ride between ship and hospital.  At first, I thought I was travelling in slums, but for all I know it could have been the high rent district.

  The view from our 14th floor corner room shows dreadful slums abutting high-end high rises.  I did see cows on the street a couple of times, but I was not quick enough to get any pictures. 

Being driven through Mumbai is a fun adventure. Driving yourself would be a nightmare.

Champagne Tasting: One of the last things we did before leaving the ship was attend a Champagne Tasting.  Although a limit of 24 people had been expected, a last-minute change of date and a mid-afternoon time change confused several people, so only 9 of us got to taste 3 different Moet & Chandon’s.  The first was paired with raw sea bass, the second (Nectar) came with foie gras and lime jelly, and the third (Rose) came with raw fillet.  We went from there to dinner and ordered a non-Moet Champagne for comparison.  Not up to the Moet & Chandon’s standards. 

Seafood: During our week+ on the ship I found many different and wonderful seafood offerings in several of the restaurants (Seabass, perch, mahi-mahi, lobster, barramundi, Dover sole, halibut, etc.) In Nova Scotia the only fish worth eating is lobster and haddock.  I don’t know why the fish is so good on the ship, although we were once told that the ship has incredibly cold freezers so that the fish they purchase is double-flash frozen, retaining its natural properties.   I wish someone would explain that technique to Sobey’s and Loblaw’s. 

Indian Customs:   I mentioned above the rule that a relative must stay with a patient.  When we came to the hospital another passenger (quite ill) also was transferred.  His husband came with him but refused to stay the night.  Several levels of hospital officials argued for long periods of time that he had to stay with “his brother” but eventually the husband sailed away.  Strange! 

India is a tea drinking country and, of course, there is a kettle in our room.  However, because we are Canadian, coffee is served with our meals. Again, because we are Canadians they have been making our food extra bland. We asked the dietician to make our food a little more Indian.