A toast to your health

A recent invention to emerge from marketing departments of hospitals is the preventive health check. Some annual, some monthly, some at odd intervals. Look at it from the marketer's perspective and it makes perfect sense. Get people in, on the premise that you want to protect their good health. Find a problem. Treat it. Bill it. Profit.

Okay, so I'm not even starting to comment on this modus operandi. The interesting part is there are more healthy people waiting to see a physician than ailing ones.

Let me explain.

50 employees from company ABC Softwhere turn up at this well known hospital for their complimentary health check-up, an employee perk which otherwise the employee would have decided was entirely unnecessary. But if it's free it has to be taken. So what if it's a HIV test and you've never had sex.

Getting back, that's 50 relatively healthy people waiting to see the doc. Also waiting are some others. These folk are unwell - fevers, food poisoning, migraines etc.

Now then. Who sees the doctor first? The healthy folk? Or the sick?

Simple.

Consultation by appointment only.

Sony... er, yet so far away

Last evening I stepped into the Croma on North Usman Road.

Aim of experiment? To procure a HD video camera.

Budget? 25K or less. The latter being the more attractive option.

I figured that having just passed Diwali, the store would be less crowded, and I'd be able to motor my way around without being glared at by fat bottomed Maamis.

All above turned out to be true, and a salesman was at our elbow as soon as we set foot inside Croma. For those who haven't heard of Croma, it's a multi-brand store that stocks electronics among other things. I then informed the salesman of my intentions, desires and depth of wallet.

He promptly showed me the available range of Sony HD camcorders. Explained a few features, while laying emphasis on those absent in the less expensive model.

Cool. All is well. I like what I hear. Now I'd like to appreciate what I will see. "Can you hook up the camera to a television so I can appreciate the quality of the video it captures?"

"Sir I can do it after you buy the camera. With your piece."

"You mean, you cannot give me a product demo?"

"No sir, it's against the rules."

Very quaint. This must be what they call free after sales service. I could imagine the ad.

FREE demo on purchase of HD video camera worth Rs. 25,000. Conditions apply.

I kid you not. This did happen. Try it yourself.