Delhi State Cancer Institute Dilshad Garden

Since it was now obvious that the disease had come back as had been confirmed by the biopsy report received from the Apollo hospital, there was nothing but to go for the treatment whatever it was worth. Accordingly, we began looking for the best available option. The best in Delhi was of course All India Institute of Medical Sciences, having the best faculty and arguably the most modern equipment and laboratories. The only problem was that it  was a government hospital.There would be queues and crowds. More over there would be no admission during administration of chemotherapy. What I heard was that after getting the dose of chemotherapy the patient would have to go home.The other hospitals on the list of hospitals approved under the Central  Government Health Scheme were the Max hospital in Saket and the Dharmshila Cancer Hospital  in Vasundhara Enclave.The Max hospital at Saket was far away and the reports about the Dharmshila   hospital were not sanguine. Dr. Anil Agrawal had suggested that the Delhi government hospital, namely, the Delhi State Cancer Institute was a good one and that I could use its facilities which ,according to Dr. Agrawal, were very modern and up to date. Patients are grouped as "Private" and "General" patients.Private patients have to pay much more than the patients in the General category.In return the queue for them would be shorter and the rooms , if admitted , would be more commodious with a separate bathroom attached to each.
Twenty thousand rupees were required to be deposited in advance.The tariff for a day was five  thousand and one hundred rupees. The room was very commodious, air-conditioned and a toilet-cum-bathroom attached to it. A TV set and a refrigerator were thrown in for good measure. Of course, the administration of drugs was done by nurses and brothers (i.e. male nurses).They were available all the twenty four hours and were courteous and well behaved, Administration of drugs and other relevant fluids took several hours. The process was over by one a.m.
What caused a bit of irritation was the process of discharge, which seemed interminable. Repeated inquiries would elicit   the stock reply that the file was under submission. Anyway, around one p.m. did we finally get the green signal that we could leave. Later, we came to know that almost all decisions are taken at the level of the Director of the hospital-Dr. Grover
A meeting with Dr. Grover does not happen easily.I could meet him only by invoking my old associations.I requested one of my earlier  bosses--one Madam Kiran Dhingra, who was from the UT cadre to intervene. And she did.The staff of the Principal Secretary of the Health department Government of NCT Delhi arranged a meeting with Dr. Grover. Dr. Grover is a suave gentleman , experienced and worldly wise and has a total control over the Institute.When we three---Col. Saklani, Ankit and I met  him, we did not come out displeased.
The dose of chemo did have its side effects and I  had to undergo them.