This One Piece of Paper in Your Pocket Can Save Your Life

1. What medication are your parents/spouse on? 
2. What is the dosage? 
3. What are their allergies? 
4. What is their medical and surgical history?

How well do you know it? More importantly, how well do the rest of your family members know it?

Imagine a situation where - God forbid - they are found unconscious and brought to the hospital. It could be following a heart attack, an episode of low blood sugar or following an accident. How would the treating doctor know what medication they are on and what medications they may have taken? What drugs to avoid? 

This is why I have always advocated writing a note with the necessary details and keeping it in your purse or wallet. 

More than all the yellow and pink Gandhi currency notes, more than your Aadhar or PAN card, this one piece of paper can make the difference between life and death. 

Take it from someone who has had to operate on an 'unconscious person with no bystanders or history' on multiple occasions. Someone who has had to constantly pray during surgery that the medicines he gives do not interact with the unknown medication the person may be taking. Take it from someone who has had to hear innumerable stories about precious time wasted in trying to determine who the patient was and whom to contact when they are brought injured after an accident.

I have actually written about this topic 4 years ago. One of my 25 published short stories in fact specifically deals with this topic, offering this 'note in the pocket' as a solution. 

That book was 'Have A Safe Journey (Amaryllis)' - The World's first anthology on Road Safety.

Now, during the COVID19 pandemic that has firmly taken over the world, this note is more essential than ever. 

While the country's focus vis-à-vis healthcare remains on the deadly virus, other diseases have had to take a backseat due to deficiency of everything medical - be it doctors, hospitals, ICU beds or just beds itself - a constant bane of India. Even the public is scared to come when they are ill, fearing contracting COVID19 from the hospital after going for a routine checkup. 

This delay in treatment is resulting in more severe complications when the disease does strike - acute breathlessness, massive heart attacks and sudden onset strokes. When they are brought to the hospital, they are in no condition to tell us their medical history.

As A) the blood relative or B) the kind stranger who brought him to the hospital, do you know his history? His exact medication? Whom to contact if you don't know him personally?

Here is the format I recommend.
(P.S. I forgot to add 'BLOOD GROUP'. Kindly do so)

That is why, I implore you, to please fill this form on a random piece of paper and keep it safely in your pocket right now. Make similar pieces of paper for each family member and keep it in their wallets and purses. Nobody wishes tragedy upon their loved ones. But when tragedy does come unexpectedly, it is important we do our best to save the person. 

The first step starts not in the hospital but right now at home and involves just

1) 1 piece of paper

2) 1 pen

3) 10 minutes of your time.

I personally also recommend adding numbers under the name/prefix ICE (In Case of Emergency) on the phones of your loved ones. I know it is not a popular format in India yet but should someone check during an emergency and find it, it would be helpful and save valuable time.

You can PIN this image to save this article. Conversely, you can pin the form itself.

Author's Note:

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