To:
KRISHNA Heart Institute
Ghuma, Ahmedabad

A HEART INSTITUTE WITH A HEART

By the time you reach the state of the art KRISHNA HEART INSTITUTE, you have almost forgotten the polluted concrete jungle i.e. Ahmedabad. Because as you take a turn for the Bopal-Ghuma Road, leaving the traffic nightmare called Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway, you are in for an eight kilometer’s relative calm, instead of your familiar chaos.

No Amdavadi is easily impressed by imposing buildings and so Yogeshwar will not surprise him. But the surprise begins the moment a huge sheet-glass door opened for you by a Peak-capped and regally uniformed man with a polite bow. It takes a few more seconds to sink in that, you have just stepped into five star hospitality. You look in front of you and benign smiling Krishna statue greets you. The deep-rooted Indian mystic in you assures you that ‘all will be well’. On both sides now, there are rows of chairs and sofas with people chatting or reading a profusion of mags and periodicals. On the left hand corner, a glass paneled room houses a library of sorts, housing various books on good health and mind and of course spirituality. The relaxed atmosphere reminds you of an air-conditioned air-port lounge, minus the hustle-bustle.

By the time you are directed to the Registration counter with smartly turned out girls, you are tempted to imagine that perhaps one of them would hand over the keys to your ‘Royal’ or Presidential suite. Then the generally un-heard of phrase ‘Good Morning! May I help you Sir’ brings you back on terra-firma nay, highly granite floor!

I was one of the group of IFFCO officers for our annual health check-up routine, and as soon as the purpose of our visit left my mouth, the girl opposite pulled out a sheet of personal particular forms along with a couple of silk-flower badges with IFFCO emblazoned at the centre, for us for wearing on our breasts. This was for obvious purpose for our being recognized as a group and be treated as such. Some imagination indeed! As the forms were filled in and handed back, we were directed to our first health check-up point. From there every thing went through with clock-work precision.

As the morning wore on, the diabetics among us were treated to a whole-some break fast while, others were served the normal fare. These were brought in shining trolleys by uniformed men and a good sister laying the table for us. This over, the tests proceeded like a well-oiled machine. Then we were directed to the physician with whom all the test results had already arrived. We looked agape at this fast efficiency! The doctor after explaining each one of us about the implications of various individual test results wrote the prescriptions. These put in neat folders, would be dispatched to our Co’ C.M.O. Immediately. Finally we were directed to a dedicated dietician, who advised us about the appropriate constituents of our meals. Here itself we were advised to proceed for our lunch.

The dining hall is five star revelations, complete with all the amenities, minus the frills. The counter-staff serving the food wore surgeon-like gloves and light capes. Every thing was hygienically sterilized the food was steaming hot. The ambience, homely yet business-like.

We all came out with a feeling as if; we could have lingered on bit longer. By the time we reached the Company car, the driver said that it was four and half hour since we were gone. We collectively looked at our watches. He was right! I longingly looked back at the fast receding beautiful tall building standing in the midst of manicured lawn and exquisite garden.

Good bye KRISHNA! You do have a heart which will continue to warm a million hearts like mine.

S. K. Sengupta