I am writing to thank you and the whole team at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital for the great care I received during my recent surgery there.

The daily visits from the surgical team were pleasant, comforting and important to my understanding of the procedure. My daily phone conversations with you after discharge were most reassuring as well.

All of the diagnostic personnel were friendly and efficient. I really appreciated the fact that they took a little extra time to explain the process and, in the case of the swallow test, even let me view the images. All the images were provided to me on discharge, a great help to my local doctor.

During my stay in , I was soothed and reassured by the attentiveness of the staff. Pain management during that time was excellent. The small comfort touches, including oral care, cleansing and hair care, were so important. I found myself wishing I had brought my CD player with me for a little audio distraction. Such devices might be a good addition to the impressive and much more crucial technical array. I was especially touched by the response when one of my neighbor passed away. Such sad events must happen in an environment accommodating dire medical situations. Having given all the medical care possible, the staff, understanding what was happening, sang, prayers I believe, to aid this soul in passing. I added my prayers, grateful to be in a setting where the whole person is honored and cared for.

After my transfer to a private room on the 5th floor, I found encouragement and important information in the visits from physical therapists and dieticians. I am putting that information to work and it is serving me well during my recovery.

I was amazed at the frequency and friendliness of visits from the housekeeping staff. I am not famous as a tidy person, but could not make messes fast enough to keep them busy. This is a significant contrast to a recent experience I had with a California hospital, where the housekeeping visits were infrequent and not entirely thorough.

Access to the computers in the Patient E-Library meant so much in terms of staying in touch with my family at home. The staff there was very kind and helpful.

My two private duty nurses were competent professionals who became kind friends.  The Sisters on the 5th floor are an outstanding team. Their visits to the room were so frequent that I only rang the bell once, and that time by mistake. On that occasion the Sister was in the room in less than 30 seconds – remarkable! Meds were dispensed on schedule and with care. Each interaction with the Sisters was warm and nurturing. The family association with the title “Sister” describes nursing care that goes beyond the technical demands of the profession.

Please convey my gratitude to the whole team.

Mary E. Gibbons