Medicosnext
This last month, I have had opportunity to know more about what’s happening in some sectors of the healthcare sector in Kathmandu. I visited a Korean aesthetic center, where I was completely bowled over by its ambience. Its interiors were very well designed, but even more impressive was their hospitality. The staff, mostly young, smiling girls, was so courteous, you immediately felt special. The doctor in attendance, too, was highly qualified and pleasant. “They enjoy what they are doing,” was the thought that went through my mind. The costs weren’t that prohibitive, either. This center is staffed by Nepalis, but run under Korean management.
Another similar, but somewhat older, cosmetic and laser surgery establishment I visited a few days later also had well qualified doctors. However, the ambience wasn’t that good. The interiors were somewhat jaded, and the staff wasn’t that courteous; missing were the pleasant smiles that made the above-mentioned center such a pleasant place to be in. I then visited a dental care center in an upscale area, where it cost me big bucks for just 10-16 minutes of a simple teeth-cleaning. The place wasn’t welcoming, and not only the staff, but the doctor, too, were detached in their behavior. I felt cheated, to be frank. Some days later, I visited a modest dental care center, which as expected didn’t have any frills, but where the young lady doctor was quite efficient, and where costs were on the lower side.
The last month, I also visited a well-known weight-loss center. For a reasonable cost, they assure weight-loss of 7-15 kg in a month. No strenuous activity is involved; instead, they use special machines, along with massages, and put you on a regimented diet that sounds pretty wholesome—lemon tea and a biscuit in the morning, a slice of brown bread and tea for breakfast, then a wheat roti and a green vegetable curry and tomato pickle for lunch, and a similar regimen for dinner. You can have raita, too, as well as leafy stuff. And yes, one hard-boiled egg once a week.
Some way down from this establishment, a new eye care center has recently opened. It is well-known in India, having two dozen branches all over the vast country, and I went there for a free eye check-up. It had an upscale look inside, with quite a few trained professionals around, who were all very polite. After registration, a counselor asked me to sit down in the reception area, and another lady put in a drop of something each into my eyes to dilate the retinas. The check-ups—three of them—were done very efficiently, and then the counselor took me to the retina specialist, who went over my reports and explained patiently and clearly about a problem I had with my left eye.
Apparently, a small clot had formed in the retinal capillary, accompanied by leakage, and a procedure to inject a medicine into the affected area was advised. I agreed immediately to have it done, since it wasn’t really that expensive, considering that it was my eye that was in the picture! So, that day itself, I had the operation done in the operating theater, which had a strong smell of disinfectant. It was a painless procedure, and the doctor told me that I should be careful about taking preventive measures for the following week to prevent infection. “We have done a very clean operation,” was what she said. I came out of the center with a deep sense of appreciation, since everything was done so efficiently, and without wasting unnecessary time. I’ll be having two more similar injections in the next two months.
And yes, in mid-December, we—that is, Medicos Next—participated in the Nepal Medical Show in Kathmandu. While it was certainly a good opportunity to interact with manufacturers of various healthcare products (mostly from India) and know about new innovations, it would have been more satisfying if there had been more of local manufacturers. Anyway, this past month has been quite an instructive one, and from what I have observed, bodes well for the future growth of the healthcare sector in the country.
