My tryst with Spectacles

It was my first experience of going to a reputed ‘hospital’ for eye check up. They gave me a form to fill. I was so happy that they are willing to know about their patient before checking.

After sometime, I was called into the doctor room. The doctor was a lady in mid-30s. He asked to put my cheek in a machine and she tested by projecting a beam into my eye. A couple of minutes later, she finished the testing and she looked a bit worried.

She said “ You have very high power and still you are wearing glasses. There is a possibility of getting ______(some medical term) in future…..” and she continued for full 3 mins. I was hearing her in pertified state and while listening, I wiped my eyes with my hands.

That was the end of world for her. She said “No No No. you should not do this. You will face this problem. Your cornea is too soft.. blah-blah” and she gave judgement stating that I have to do laser surgery.

 I remembered writing occupation as MNC in the form they gave me earlier and that was the reason for their new-found care in me. After the formalities are over, I said I will think about laser surgery and asked for my eye-power details. She told me to get it in reception. I went to the reception and asked for it. They asked me to go to the opticals which was inside the hospital. The optical guy was having the form I filled up and he was showing me spectacles in 10k range. The minimum starting price was 1k.This incident happened in 2007.I asked him for the sheet doctor gave. He was somewhat reluctant to give it and gave it after much persuasion.

That was the end of “reputed hospital” for me. I have become allergic to fully air-conditioned hospitals with receptionists speaking in English. But the stupid middle class, of which I am a part of, thinks that those hospitals provide quality healthcare. I hate people going to such dental care and eye care clinics. When the doctor in my street corner collects 100-200rs and detects my problems in the wink of an eye(which most street-smart-doctors do), these modern day doctors, whose sole targets are IT and ITes and other aspiring urban middle class elite, are nothing but puppets in the hands of corporates. They are given monthly targets and best way to achieve that is by making you undergo a series of tests.

Finally, I got my spectacles changed outside the hospital for less than thousand rupees. A couple of years later, I came to know a friend of mine whose relative makes these spectacles and sells them. He laughingly told how they would sell the same spectacle to local shops and these “reputed” hospitals at varying prices. According to him, the price of a single piece will never cross 30 rupees at any cost owing to mass manufacturing.