Dolo 650

I have had two health aberrations in my first month in Mumbai, and surprisingly, neither has involved the digestive tract anywhere along its route.

A 24-Hour Virus

The first incident was about a week ago when I came down with some sort of 24-hour virus. It made me feel slightly hot and feverish for a full day, and then I was left snuffly with sinus issues for a few days after. I think I mentioned this in my chai blog. Other remedies offered by my work colleagues included ginger steeped in boiling water, which I must say was pretty effective, and the more traditional paracetamol-based solution, a drug called Dolo 650.

A Backache on a Public Holiday

Today, I’ve done something to my back. I’m stooped over, in agony, looking every bit of my 50+ years! Unfortunately—or fortunately—today is one of the numerous public holidays in Mumbai, the second of the 15 while I’m here on my secondment. The unfortunate part is that I’m not in the office, so there’s no one to fuss over me and bring me ginger tea, masala chai, or Dolo 650. But the fortunate part is that there’s no one to witness my stooped-over, wincing state, which is not becoming.

In the case of my back, Dolo 650 would be the first remedy my colleagues would offer. However, I’m 100% certain a herbal alternative involving steeping some spice or herb in boiling water might also have been suggested. Weirdly, that herb or spice would likely be in the pantry for the Pantry Boys to whip up for me. (The Pantry Boys are three young men who work in the pantry. Like the two Toilet Ladies who work in the women’s toilet and the Office Boys [who are grown men] who do odd jobs around the office, they form the human ecosystem that keeps everything functioning. I’m sure they’ll be the ones to turn off the lights when the last white-collar worker is replaced by AI.)

Navigating Healthcare in Mumbai

These health aberrations have made me realize that I actually don’t know how to seek professional medical help here. It doesn’t seem necessary to be registered with a GP equivalent primary care person. Instead, it seems to be entirely up to you where to seek medical assistance. I’m not sure that this is entirely true, but honestly, no one has explained the process particularly well to me. The vague responses I’ve received invariably involve people getting in touch with someone they know through someone else.

Whenever I’m asked where my new apartment is, the person inquiring always looks very pleased when I tell them. They all point out that there’s a very good hospital nearby. I’m not planning to need the services of a hospital while I’m here, but I think that’s where I’m expected to go should I need any sort of medical attention. For all drug needs, the millions of pharmacies dotted around should be able to supply Dolo 650.

Office Safety and My Blood Group

One thing I don’t need to worry about is any sort of accident or medical emergency in the office. I’m completely confident that my work colleagues will assist me in receiving the best medical care. Plus, I proudly wear, on my Photo ID Card, alongside my mugshot and name, my blood group. Yep, my blood group.

On my very first day in the office, like every new joiner, I was asked to have my photograph taken for my Photo ID card. This card enables access to the building and helps Security identify me as I come and go. All good, right? But then, unlike any other large corporation anywhere in the world, I was also asked for my blood group. I don’t know my blood group, which might be remiss of me, but in my 50+ years, I haven’t really had to know it.

The admin team looked bemused. “You don’t know your blood group?” That’s a problem. They cannot issue an ID card without a blood group. Oh, I asked, why is that? Again, bemusement on their part—what if there’s an accident and I need blood? They need to know my blood group to give me a transfusion. There were a lot of bemused faces in this exchange. They all looked at me like I was some sort of alien that had dropped from the heavens—firstly, I don’t know my blood group, and secondly, I didn’t know that you need to know your blood group before you can have a blood transfusion.

I was really bemused, freaked-out-grade bemused, if I’m totally honest. I thought to myself, what sort of accident and emergency will I have in the office that there will be no time to get me to a hospital where they can carry out appropriate tests, including for my blood group, before deciding whether I need a transfusion? Instead, they will need to give me an emergency on-the-spot blood transfusion for which they will use the ID card around my neck to determine what blood they can use? I’m a sedentary office worker—how did I lose all that blood in such a short period of time? And who is this person that has arrived with lots of different types of blood that will check my ID card and decide which to use? I cannot visualize the situation. No TV drama can I draw upon to understand why I need to wear my blood group around my neck during office hours! Or maybe they just call it in? They phone for an ambulance, and the non-medical admin team will use the data around my neck to advise the hospital that they need to bring this specific blood.

The Quest for My Blood Group

I could see that not knowing my blood group was a problem, so I asked for 24 hours to find out. I spent that evening trawling my NHS app for any blood tests that might have revealed it. I found out many things about my blood in that quest, but not my blood group. So, I tried the Message Your GP service on the app and messaged my GP, asking if they could send me my blood group. A few hours later—what a great app!—I got the response that they don’t know my blood group either because unless I’ve had surgery or some other reason to have needed blood, it’s not a data point they have on record.

I reported this back to the office the next day, feeling less alien, and everyone looked disappointed, but nothing more was said. They were probably wondering what sort of carefree, naive country the UK is, where no one is prepared for any medical emergency. I returned to my desk expecting to receive my ID card in due course with a big blank where the missing data should have been. However, no more than an hour later—no exaggeration—the admin team gathered at my desk, asking me to accompany them to a meeting room. There, seated, was a man from some clinic to take my blood and determine my blood group! Honestly. And no one else was weirded out.

I watched very carefully as Clinic Man donned a mask, opened up a pack of blue gloves, a new needle, and a new blood-collecting tube. I consented to him taking some blood from me. He was very efficient, finding a suitable vein from my very pathetic ones, and he was all done in under five minutes. By the end of the day, the report had come back confirming my blood group, which I now wear very proudly around my neck. Trust me, I’m wearing my ID at all times because I haven’t yet figured out what in the office will cause this massive blood loss situation, and therefore, I cannot mitigate the risk of it happening. I must be prepared.

Future Medical Plans

My sister, who is a doctor, is coming to visit me in a few weeks. I’ll be asking her for a list of medical tests that are difficult to obtain in the UK that I could get done here. I shall just pop into this very good hospital near my new flat or invite Clinic Man or one of his associates to visit me in the office and get myself a full analysis of my 50+ year-old body!

In conclusion, navigating health issues in a new city can be quite the adventure. I’m learning to embrace the quirks of the healthcare system here, and who knows? Maybe I’ll come out of this experience with a newfound appreciation for my health and a solid understanding of my blood group. After all, I’m not done yet!