Employer pays Rs 4.25 lakh for driver's surgery. What he said to the doctor is an even bigger lesson in kindness

A Mumbai heart surgeon has shared a heartfelt incident that happened at the hospital where he works. Dr Prashant Mishra talked about a surgery in a post on X where a man who worked as a driver had to get a bypass. However, it cost Rs 4.25 lakh at the private hospital, and so he suggested that the family should consider going to a government hospital. However, the patient's son told him that they would have it at the same hospital. The doctor later came to know that the patient's employer had paid the full amount. "The next day, the patient's boss transferred the required funds directly via RTGS," he wrote.

After the operation, he called the employer to inform him about the successful surgery. "Thank you for your support—Mr. Shukla’s surgery was successful," the doctor said to him on the phone. His response left him speechless. “Thank you, Doctor, for taking such good care of my colleague," he said. Doctor Mishra was surprised to hear him call his driver "colleague."

He asked him, isn't he your driver? The employer replied, "He has been with me for 15 years, and I don’t see him as just my driver. I work, and he works. We simply hold different roles in our daily life, but we work together. His job is different from mine, but we are colleagues."

The doctor said his words left him with an important life lesson - "Never look down on your domestic help or staff as mere ‘servants’. They are the ones who keep our lives running smoothly, and they deserve equal respect and dignity."

People reacted warmly to the story. “Absolutely, Doctor! Only very few would understand this… our society is on such a foundation that lacked dignity of labour, a long time back and now too!" one wrote. Another wrote, "Sir this is called servant leadership, in organization where everyone valued and tread with respect as part of team. The boss is such a great person."