The Cost of Veterinary Care in India: A Personal Journey
Fans who have watched “I’m Not the God of Medicine” probably know that generic drugs and medical care in India are of high quality and low price.
And it is. Take the dentist as an example. One day I crushed a tooth and went to the dentist twice, which cost a total of 2,000 rupees (about 175 yuan). On the other day, I found a lump in my breast, so I went to a specialist hospital near my home to see a doctor. On the same day, I did ultrasound and fine needle aspiration cytology, a total of 5,000 rupees. Arrive at the hospital at 11:00 in the morning, everything will be done within two hours, and there will be no extra charge for registering with a doctor the next day to see the examination report—not only is it highly accessible, cheap, but also extremely efficient.
Human medicine is like this, how about veterinary medicine? My cat’s appetite suddenly dropped last winter and it went from bad to worse. Since then, I have started a month-long winter veterinary adventure in Delhi, and experienced veterinarians from low-level to high-level, public welfare to profit-making.
We first visited Dr. Husai, a public welfare veterinarian. His clinic is located in a poor Muslim community. Rich people in India tend to keep famous dogs, and cats are mostly pets of middle- and lower-class people. Dr. Hu Sai found that my cat sister was breathing abnormally. He took blood for examination on the spot and suggested that we go to a nearby institution for a chest X-ray. The results of the examination revealed mycoplasma infection and pulmonary fluid accumulation, and renal function was also affected. Subcutaneous infusion, diuretics and antibiotics were given the next day, but the effect was not good after two days. Dr. Hu Sai suggested to go to a large hospital for further examination.
Distraught, I rushed to DCC, a luxury commercial veterinary hospital newly opened by Fuji Group in Delhi, with my sister cat in my arms. The five-star environment is comfortable and relaxing, and there are almost no other patients. The doctor calmly took five X-rays of the cat’s chest cavity and abdominal cavity. Although he told us that the hydrops in the chest are very serious, I am afraid there may be other diseases besides mycoplasma infection. reasons, without any intervention, to maintain Dr. Hussey’s diagnosis and treatment. I paid over 6000 rupees before leaving and felt ripped off.
At the suggestion of my friend, I took my cat sister to the clinic of the well-known Dr. Rainer. Dr. Rainer is about 70 years old. The clinic is located in an old middle-class community in Delhi, where there are many people. The old market outside the clinic has been transformed into a pure pet market over the years, with pet grooming, pet groceries, pet pharmacies, and pet Ayurvedic treatments. There are many puppies with weak legs waiting outside the clinic, and the clinic is very crowded, which can be called chaos but orderly. The clinic does not keep case files, and the medical records are kept by the owners themselves, and they have to be taken out and explained to the doctor every time.
Dr. Rainer was very gentle. He changed the cat sister to another antibiotic, continued diuretics and subcutaneous infusion. After a week, seeing that the situation did not improve, he ordered another Dr. Santosh to do an ultrasound examination. Dr. Santosh replied, “It’s a heart attack! The subcutaneous infusion should be stopped immediately.”
Since it was found to be a heart problem, I found Dr. Banu, a heart specialist at Max Animal Hospital, the largest veterinary hospital in Delhi. During the initial visit, Dr. Banu redid the echocardiography and more detailed blood tests. At that time, I thought to myself that such a high-end hospital might really go bankrupt this time. It was a big relief to pay more than 4,000 rupees at the checkout.
This toss made me deeply feel that the animal patients in India are very happy. Veterinary medicine is not a high-class industry in India, so most of the doctors are people who really love animals, with low medical fees and professional services.
Dr. Banu’s family has three generations of veterinarians, and his medical skills are very good. If you call him with any questions on weekdays, he will answer the phone and explain patiently. Even after changing the attending physician, I still kept in touch with Dr. Santosh, who seems to be a cat person, with a cat-like look and voice. I remember being devastated when my cat was diagnosed with a heart attack. I was devastated and asked Dr. Santosh, “How long will my cat live?” He said, “We have no way of knowing, cats are crazy!” The most healing moment of the great adventure.
