Volume 4 Issue 7 July 2014
The faithful old client
A person peeped into my consultation room and said: “I have brought a friend of mine for your consultation. Will you be able to see him today?” I could recognize the person as an old patient of mine treated for alcohol dependence and had remained abstinent for quite some time. I assured him that I would see him after I finished seeing others waiting with appointment, for which he happily agreed. After about an hour I called him in with his friend. He came in alone and said that his friend is sleeping on the bench in the waiting room. Sensing that there may be some serious problem with him I rushed out. He was responding poorly to commands and also to painful stimuli. Wondering what the matter is, I looked at the old patient and he said: “Doctor, he has consumed kerosene this afternoon.” I did not know how to react to him as I could understand that he had brought the person in good faith, but to a wrong place due to his ignorance. Realizing that his ignorance could cost the person his life I immediately made arrangements to shift him to an emergency praying that he will be successfully revived.
Senior psychiatrist and Professor, KMC Manipal.
