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Saturday, February 21, 2009

HAPPINESS is no more

An email which left me sitting still on my chair for I dont know how long. An email about a little girl of 11 years. An email about the girl called 'HAPPINESS'**.
HAPPINESS is no more.....
She was my ex-colleague's only child.

One day of fever....normal at any age
Consulation with doctors the next day....normal routine whenever someone isnt well
Declared dead within 15 minutes of 'checkup' (the staff tried to give oxygen followed by administration of IVF) by the doctor's team where parents were not allowed, despite the child yelling for them ...Abnormal
Death Certificate claiming it to be Dengue....Abnormal

As a mother who has had the misfortune of seeing her 11 month child suffer in dengue, I know for sure that Dengue cannot be detected in a day and cannot be confirmed without specific bloodtests.

A wrong treatment resulting in a death. Who do we blame?
A system gaping with loopholes ?
Callous, incompetent and mercernary doctors ?
Or destiny?

A case can be filed against the hospital and doctor. And ought to be.
But who will do it?
-The shocked and traumatised father who still hasnt come to terms with his tragedy and still walks around talking to the daughter he had taken walking, to the doctor's clinic?
-Or the mother who sits silent and dazed ...her eyes devoid of any emotion?

HAPPINESS is dead. Her parents' lives have come to a standstill.
But the hospital and doctors continue to do their 'business' of licensed killing.

**-The child's name meant HAPPINESS in Sanskrit

12 comments:

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Oh my God! What a terrible terrible tragedy. It makes me feel so sad and scared. And also angry at the human inefficiency, but most of all grief. What can you say to parents who face this bereavement? That life goes on? That time heals? But time can only dull the pain, not heal the ache, and life is forever changed, forever scarred....I'm so so so very sorry for your friend and her family.

Sharmistha Guha said...

@ Sucharita-
There are no words of consolation. I couldnt make myself call her up....
it's such a tremendous tragedy.
We are just sitting ducks...helpless hapless potential victims of inefficiencies & insensitiveness.

Roshni said...

It is the most horrible thing to happen to any parent.... which is why I think they should take action so that no other parent needs to suffer what they are going through right now...
I know it is very easy for me to say that when it only opens them up for more heartache... but I wonder and hope that they will have an outlet and a sense of fulfilment in doing so

Sharmistha Guha said...

@Roshni..
You're right!
But it's too early...It's been only 10-12 days.
They need to get over the shock and resume some semblance of a normal life...
But I too hope they gather the courage and the will power to take up the issue...
May God give them strength to live life and fight for a cause which snatched the most precious person in their lives.

Janaki Gopikrishna said...

destiny, fate, cant say anything

nsiyer said...

Sad and my condolences to the parents. Life's unpredicatable and one cannot fathom the reason it happened.
The mills of God grind slowly but surely.

Anonymous said...

So horrendous...So so heartbreaking...my heart goes out to your friend and her family. Nothing, nothing at all anyone says, can make them feel better, I know... but please hold their hands for me...


I'd a short scare myself when CR was taken to ER for wheezing and shortness of breath, he's doing better now, touchwood!

Roshni said...

Yes, you're right... I'm sorry if I sounded insensitive.
By the way, I don't think you wrote what the child's name actually was (the sanskrit name, I mean)

Sharmistha Guha said...

@NM,Roshni, NS Iyer,Janaki G, Roshni..
Life is unpredictable, uncertain or probably pre-destined...who knows. But life comes to a standstill for those who suffer personal losses of this proportion. We can only pray that they can gather the strength to carry on.

@NM...hope CR is doing fine...children in hospitals are indeed scary. My AD had to be in hospital for 3 long days due to Dengue when she was only 11mnths... those were the worst 3 days in my life...

@Roshni...Happiness is the literal translation of her Sanskrit name. I intentionally did not give her Sanskrit name.

Kavi said...

I am numbed by the tragedy. It must have left them devastated. I pray for all the strength in the world for your friend and for you too.

This is left a gaping void in my thought..

Renu said...

So horrible, feel so frustrated to see this happening, these official cant even imagin that they have ruined the dreams of a couple.very sad indeed.

Sharmistha Guha said...

@ Kavi...praying for them is all we can do.

@ Renu...The worst part is that these medical practioners are not held accountable for the havoc they wreak in a person's life by their negligence & carelessness. They just go scot-free.