Dr. Ramachandran

I woke up on Saturday to sore throat, cough, fever, and blocked nose. I tried to dose myself and when the symptoms did not go away I went to the doctor in Munirka. My colleague does not hold very high opinion of him. He is on our medical board and comes to the medical center very evening.
"He always refers us to his clinic," is my colleague's grouse.
I do not care. I go to him because his medicines invariably work.
There are few doctors like him. Dr. Ramachandran for example.
This doctor had his shop in Geeta Sadan, Chembur, Bombay, long time back when my parents were living there. He had two standard questions.
"Say Aah."
"Do you have fever."
Then he would prescribe the medicines.
Dr. Ramachandran did not believe in the queue system. He would come out of his room, cast an eye around the waiting room and call in the person he liked/knew. My mother had the advantage here. My father, often away, was known only as my mother's husband or my brother's father. My mother staying put in the house was known to every one. So if my father took my brother to Dr. Ramachandran, he would have to wait and wait. On the other hand if my mother took him to the doctor, the examination was over in few minutes.
The medicine he gave were never meant for consumption. They were meant to be purchased and put religiously on top of the refrigerator. The patient, however, recovered soon after the visit to Dr. Ramachandran.