I am pleased to be able to write about people who give a service that goes far beyond their call of duty. As a hospital patient, I have had the good fortune to be cared for by a wonderful team of doctors and nurses. I am now nearing the end of a three-week stay at the Durdans Hospital, in Colombo, where I had bypass surgery.
On returning from a 10-day business trip overseas recently, and considering myself “clinically” healthy, I was looking forward to resuming my usual day-to-day activities when I was diagnosed with heart disease. I was advised to undergo immediate bypass surgery. Thanks to Dr. Selvi Perera’s timely intervention and a follow-up diagnosis by Dr. Neomali Amarasena, I was spared a massive heart attack. For this I am ever so grateful. On the recommendation of both doctors, I decided to have the surgery done at the Durdans Hospital. I was put in the care of Dr. K. Dev and his team.
With my very first consultation with Dr. Dev, I felt calm and reassured. He explained everything in detail, and even gave me his personal mobile number in case I wanted to discuss matters further.
The manner in which the doctors, sisters, nurses and other staff conducted themselves, and the care and attention they showed me, gave me the confidence to go ahead with the operation. I could see that the nursing staff were up to date in their training. The junior staff who prepared me for the operation were kind, soft-spoken and very caring.
I was taken into the operating theatre, and knew nothing until I regained consciousness in the Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit (CSICU). The caring manner of the nursing team and the rest of the hospital staff was no different from a mother talking to a child who is not well.
I was in the CSICU for three-and-a-half days. A nurse or sister was assigned to each bed to give the patients personal attention. The CSICU nursing staff’s teamwork was amazing. I observed how well they helped each other whenever a need arose. As someone who appreciates system-driven management, it was a pleasure to see how efficiently the incoming staff took over duties at each change of shift, and how well they were briefed and updated on each patient.
I have to say how very impressed I was by the highly organised nursing services. When a patient is to receive his or her medicines, the nursing staff goes to the team leader to get approval to administer the medicines to the patient.
From the intensive care unit I was moved to Ward Number 8, where the care and the nursing were of an equally high standard. I did not feel I was in a hospital ward, because the staff were so warm and friendly.
My appreciation of Durdans Hospital staff extends to the team of physiotherapists, who helped me get on my feet and climb stairs in a surprisingly short time.
It was very pleasant interacting with the team of doctors who helped me along.
After my surgery, Dr. Dev visited me at the CSICU and in the ward, regardless of whether it was a Sunday, a Poya day or any other holiday. Such was the hospital staff commitment.
As a patient, I can only speak for myself and my experience at Durdans Hospital. I want to believe that all other hospitals extend a similar service.
The gains from my hospital experience go way beyond value for money. If this is what a Sri Lanka hospital can offer, with the support of a team of expert Indian doctors, I see no reason for any of us to rush off to other countries for bypass surgery.
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