Bitter and humiliating experience with Dr Meena Thiagarajan, Apollo Hospital Chennai – 9 March 2009

She made my sick baby wait for 2 hours longer than her usual 60 mins waiting time just to spite my husband who dared ask her why she was always late.

We choose the pediatrician even before the baby was born. My husband Eric and I chatted with her and we liked her and decided that she would probably be the best for our baby. Every parent wants the best for her child. Kamala, my daughter was born 30 July 2007 and even before I saw Kamala, her doctor met her and did the round of routine checks.

Ever since then, Eric and I always visited Dr Meena for all her little illnesses, which was maybe once in 3 months. On all her visits one thing that really put us off was the 60 min to 90 min wait outside her room. Children waiting outside any doctor’s room are usually sick and Eric and I worried endlessly about Kamala getting infected or infecting other children.

Slowly our trip to the doctor became less and less exciting and we would dread going to meeting her because of the long wait, while the visit with her was itself 15 to 20 mins, the wait was really tiring the baby and us.

Kamala had a slight fever on 24^th Feb night, she was fine and active on 25^th and I had to leave on work to Madurai on 25^th night and my mom came over to take care of Kamala while I was away. Thursday morning Kamala’s temperature was high and my mom and Eric took Kamala to the Apollo clinic. Eric really lost his temper because the baby was ill and she had to wait for an hour before the doctor saw her. She was late to the clinic by half hour, which contributed to further delay. When it was Kamala’s turn to meet Dr Meena he told her that this was not right. Having a sick baby to wait for 60 mins was really not right. Dr Meena yelled back saying that Eric could take the baby elsewhere if he did not want to wait. Our baby, all of 19 months had to witness this shouting by the doctor while she was ill and missing her mother….. but, well the doctor did not care, Kamala is supposed to be privileged to meet with such an important and busy doctor.

My mother for mortal fear of her doing some harm to the baby kept apologizing profusely. Anyways, they both came home and 2 days later, on Saturday the baby developed rashes all over her body, looked liked measles to us. My mother called Dr Meena and she was asked to administer Crocin syrup, I was returning Sunday early morning(1^st Mar) from Madurai, so Sunday morning Eric and I took the baby to emergency room in Apollo Hospital Greames Rd. There the doctor looked at her called Dr Meena and had a telephone discussion. They were going to run tests and they wanted Eric to come at around noon to collect the results.

When Eric went in to collect the results, a Dr Regina was in and she called Dr Meena. Dr Meena asked Dr Regina to inform Eric that he should bring Kamala the next morning to the hospital between 9 and 10 AM. Eric cross checked this information because our belief was that she usually does her in- patient ward visits at that time. But, Dr Regina confirmed this and Dr Regina, also spoke to me on the phone to tell me that indeed Dr Meena wanted to see Kamala between 9 and 10 AM Monday.

Monday 2 March 2009 - I still shudder to think of this day even if it a week since.

Kamala was very ill and still sleeping, I dragged her out of bed carried a bottle of apple juice (this was all she was drinking) and rushed to Apollo hospital and was there at 9 AM on the dot just as Dr Meena wanted me to. But, Dr Meena Thiagarajan did not show up, her secretary kept telling me that he could not reach her.

At 10.40 AM Kamala was in tears, she was tired and wanted to sleep, my mother who is a diabetic knowing waiting for Dr Meena was always long did not take her medicines in the morning for fear of collapsing during the wait. I just realised, she has managed to terrorise my whole family.

I picked up a paper and wrote a note saying the baby is very agitated and her secretary by then asked me to go to meet her assistant Dr Jothi on the 2^nd floor. I rushed from the 4^th floor to the second floor to meet her and she called Dr Meena on the mobile and she did not pick up the call. At 11 AM on the dot Dr Meena came into the room I was waiting in . Exactly 2 hours after the time she gave me and her first question was “Do you want me to see the baby?” I have never felt so humiliated in my life. She wanted to show her authority and power, She wanted me to beg her to see the baby. Which I did for the sake of my baby. She was still very upset with my husband for what happened on Thursday and she said so to me “ all the babies come and wait for 1 hour what is so special about your baby that she cannot wait” I never expected to hear this from a doctor, especially a pediatrician! My baby is special, for every mother her baby is special Dr Meena just forgot that.

Her next question was “why should you keep calling me for every fever?” – I reminded her that we usually don’t like visiting her very often and we usually take care of the fever unless we think it might be some illness that we need her special training for.

She loudly exclaimed that she is always very busy, she is responsible for starting a new pediatric hospital and she does not have the time to see us. Then why on earth did she say, she wanted Kamala to come at a certain time. To make matters worse when I reminded her I came in because she wanted to see Kamala between 9 and 10 AM she simply said she never gives that time because it is her time to visit ward patients and we did not have an appointment. It slowly dawned on me that Dr Meena Thiagarajan was witch hunting us. What hurt most was that she thought it was her right to punish a 19 month sick baby because she was angry with the baby’s father.

Dr Meena Thiagarajan said” I don’t have to see your baby, I can ask you to go and see someone else”- Is this right? Can a doctor refuse to see a patient especially a sick child? Maybe it is a doctor's right to refuse to see a patient.

I don’t know… All I know is I decided to put an end to this. I had enough of Dr Meena Thiagarajan’s abuse. My baby is too precious. I have lost all trust in her. I don’t believe she cares for my baby, any more. Her heart seems so full of hatred, anger and vengeance.

I spoke to my friend Dr Manorama, Chairperson - Child Welfare Committee in Chennai, who herself is a pediatrician. She comforted me and was very shocked to hear this kind of treatment by a doctor. Her advice was that I change the pediatrician immediately. I normally speak for people's rights and I am very verbal when it comes to one's right. This time around I was too shocked, felt completely vulnerable and I am yet to recover from Dr Meena Thiagrajan's act of violence on my little girl.