‘Such a blessing to be in India’: Doctor who returned from UK shares late-night experience

An ex-NHS doctor in the UK has highlighted what she sees as an advantage of living in India after she was able to step out late at night to get medicines and IV injections for her husband, who had suddenly fallen ill. In an Instagram video, Dr Deepanjali Sharma compared the experience with healthcare access in the UK and other Western countries, saying obtaining medicines and immediate medical assistance there can involve a longer process.

Sharma said her husband, who is also a doctor, developed a headache in the evening before beginning to vomit repeatedly. At around 10 pm, she left home to get the medication and injections he needed.

“Right now it’s 10:00 PM, and my husband, who is also a doctor, is sick right now. He had a slight headache since the evening, and then he started vomiting back-to-back,” Sharma said.


“So, I’m heading out to get some medications and IV injections for him. And it is in moments like these that I realise it is such a blessing to be in India,” she added.

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A post shared by Dr Deepanjali Sharma, MD | Pulmonologist | (@dr_dpanjali)

Why Sharma says India felt more convenient

Sharma said the situation made her appreciate how quickly she could access medicines in India, particularly late at night.

She argued that if the same situation had occurred in the UK or another Western country, she might have had to wait longer for treatment. She also said that even as a doctor and certified clinical practitioner, she would not be able to simply buy over-the-counter medicines for her husband in the same way.

“It’s possible that in the emergency department, which stays so overloaded, my husband wouldn’t have received immediate assistance right away. And you don’t get over-the-counter medications there for me, being a doctor and certified clinical practitioner, to just pick up medicines for my husband,” she said.

‘Moving abroad is not all hunky-dory’

Sharma said her experience was a reminder that relocating abroad does not automatically mean that everyday life becomes easier.

“So, to anyone who thinks that moving abroad is all hunky-dory and a bed of roses, it’s not. There are many struggles,” she said.

She added that certain conveniences that people may take for granted in India can become difficult to access elsewhere.

“Things that we take for granted in India present themselves as struggles over there. So never, ever feel like living in India is a disadvantage. It just depends on how you use your situation, and yeah, that’s about it,” Sharma said.

She acknowledges India’s shortcomings

Sharma also made it clear that her comments were not meant to suggest that India does not have problems. Instead, she said it was equally important to recognise areas where the country works well.

“It’s always very easy to look at the not-so-good aspects of our own country, India, without realising how moving and living abroad is not a bed of roses either!” she wrote in the caption.

“There are definitely loads of things that need improvement in our country, but we shouldn’t forget no country offers a 100/100 best-case-scenario experience to us!” she added.

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‘This is just me appreciating some things’

Sharma further qualified her comments by saying that her experience may not necessarily apply to everyone.

“This is just me appreciating some things I enjoy as a privilege of being an Indian (and I agree not everyone may be as privileged as I am to enjoy those benefits in my country), but hey, I am just sharing my situation and story with you all,” she wrote.

Her video has since drawn attention online for focusing on an everyday healthcare experience and using it to compare the practical realities of living in India with those she encountered in the UK.