We had friends of ours visiting from India a few years ago. They both are doctors. They stayed at the Hilton in San Francisco. We were staying about 50 miles from the San Francisco City.
I and my wife showed them around the Bay Area. Then took them to our home for dinner.
The conversations were mainly about hospitals in USA and in India.
I opened my big mouth and said hospitals in USA are required to treat you in an emergency whether you have money or not. Whether you have insurance or not. Even big-name brand hospitals have to treat a patient in case of emergency.
I also said it is not like that in India. I read many news items where women who are in delivery pain were not admitted because they do not have the financial resources.
He (the male doctor) said delivery is not an emergency. These ladies know for 10 months that they are going to deliver a baby. Emergency is something that happens unexpectedly like someone is involved in an accident and have to be taken to the hospital immediately and operated upon.
She (the female doctor) took umbrage to her husband’s remark and started arguing with him.
Back and forth, it almost became a fight.
I and my wife, being the host, tried to calm them down and told them dinner is ready.
And they enjoyed the dinner. After dinner we dropped them in their hotel in San Francisco.
(Hope they did not continue their argument after going back to India.)
What do you think? Is delivering a baby an emergency?