anonymous

29th October 2019

MY STORY - 8

 MY STORY - 8

DR SHANTILAL J. MEHTA

Once a very senior medical practitioner brought an 18-year-old boy along with his father to me and said that he had a tonsillitis problem. He told me to charge Rs 300 from the man of which I had to return Rs 150 to him. When I said that I would like to examine the lad, he told me that another doctor had already agreed to the terms. I refused and examined the boy. To my shock, there was a cavity in the boy's right lung. I took the senior practitioner aside and said: "Doctor Saheb, he needs a physician to treat him for TB. An X-ray of his chest will also have to be taken”. The boy was the only son of a multi-millionaire.

But this senior physician reprimanded me and said that I was just beginning my practice. He brought me patients and I was not treating them. He cajoled me further, but I refused flatly. I then called the boy's father and told him the truth.

In those days, my consulting fees were Rs 10. I returned the sum, along with another Rs 10 and told the father to have the boy X-rayed. He told me to keep the money and said that he would get the X-ray plate. The senior doctor also wanted to go, but I told him to wait. Thirty minutes later, the father returned with the X-ray which showed the huge cavity. I threw it on the doctor's face and told him: "You are not a human being, you are a demon. You should not be in this profession. Get out of here and do not come near me in the future”.

Word about this incident soon went round and I was declared mad! During the first two years of my private practice, Bombay doctors starved me. They would send a patient but after the operation was performed, they would send a clerk to get the kick-back. The first time it happened this way: a clerk called at my Consulting Room and met my secretary, Babu, and asked for money.

"Doctor saheb ko milna hai", said the clerk.

"Kya kaam hai?"asked Babu.

"Wo operation jo kiya hai uska cut dena chahiye na?"

To which Babu replied: "Yeh baat Saab ke pas mat bolna: nahi  toh saab aap ko phek deinga baaari meh se"!

Despite that the clerk walked into my room and said: "Dr Mehta, so and so doctor has sent you a patient and he wants his cut”.

So I said: "Get out and tell your doctor not to come to me again!”

This news spread all over. No doctor would send me his patient. So my income was Rs 100 to Rs 200 only per month.