in.ane - origin Latin "innis"; content that lacks sense or substance.

chat - origin Middle English "chatten"; to converse in an easy, familiar manner.

in.ane chat - origin "innis chatten" - to converse in a familiar manner, content that lacks sense or substance.

Monday, June 22, 2009

1st World Country, 3rd World Government - NHS

Sometimes you get surprised that a country like UK should have practices that you get to see in 3rd world countries. In fact it is worse, because in 3rd world countries jumping queues, paying bribes and other tactics works whereas in UK, under the pretext of being a 1st world nation these things are not possible. As a result you end up in a situation that neither works in the 1st world nor the 3rd world.

National Health Service
At a certain GP Practice in London, if you go in at 8:30AM for an emergency appointment, the response is your appointment is at 12 come back then. I think someone needs to explain to them that an emergency means immediate attention, and if you are telling someone to come back 3 hours later for an emergency appointment it defeats the meaning of the word. In fact to get any appointment takes forever and once you get an appointment if you want to get an expert opinion it takes 3 appointments with the GP before they can make sure it requires expert opinion and refer you to one. By then it is almost 2 months and for all that you know your ailment has cured itself or gotten worse.
What would happen in the 3rd world is:
  • If you are getting delayed at one hospital you can go to the other.
  • You or someone you know would know someone (and this can go on and one) who would know someone influential to help you get straight to the doctor in case of an emergency and promised the best treatment.
  • If you think you have to go to a specialist you don’t go to a GP, you go straight to a specialist, who the influential person above will arrange so that you don’t have to wait and utmost care will be given to your treatment.
  • Labels: , ,

    1st World Country, 3rd World Government - Home Office

    Sometimes you get surprised that a country like UK should  have practices that you get to see in 3rd world countries. In fact it is worse, because in 3rd world countries jumping queues, paying bribes and other tactics works whereas in UK, under the pretext of being a 1st world nation these things are not possible. As a result you end up in a situation that neither works in 1st world nor the 3rd world.
    The Home Office
    If you are trying to get your Indefinite Leave to Remain visa or Permanent Residency then the only way you could get this is by calling the home office at sharp 9AM. One should consider themselves lucky if they get through in the 10th call. They take calls for appointments for 6 weeks in advance and it is inevitable that they will tell you that it is booked out. Which means you keep calling everyday until one day they tell you an appointment is available. Now here are the 3rd world practices in the Home Office of 1st country:
  • There is no call waiting facility, you will get a message that everyone is busy so we have to call back
  • If they cannot take booking for 6 weeks from the day you call the only other option is to call them back
  • There is no way to make a booking over the internet
  • There is no way you can go straight to the office and get the work done
  • There is no way you can pay someone a bribe and get the work done
  • The only other alternative to making numerous calls everyday with the hope you will get an appointment is to send them the application with the passport and expect to get it back anywhere between 4 to 14 weeks!!!
  • Labels: , ,

    Thursday, June 18, 2009

    Peter Roebuck on the Fab 5 of Indian Team

    "If Anil Kumble was the colossus, Sachin Tendulkar the champion, Rahul Dravid the craftsman, VVS Laxman the sorcerer, then Ganguly was the inspiration."

    As published in cricinfo in an article by Peter Roebuck on the eve of Saurav Ganguly's last test match of his career at Nagpur against the Aussies.

    HT: Cricinfo and Peter Roebuck