Harbhajan Singh comes out with medical help to save his ex Punjab teammate

Harbhajan and Harry were teammates at Punjab U16 team.

Harry developed a fitula in his intestine. (India Today)

As competitive as Harbhajan Singh was in the cricket field, Harbhajan Singh is a nice human being with a nice heart. Recently he has come out to help his former Punjab teammate named Harman Harry from the Under 16 playing days who has been suffering a serious health issue. 

Both Harbhajan and Harry played under-16 cricket together in the 1990s and while Bhajji's career took off after he made his India debut in 1998 against Australia, Harry struggled to take his game beyond the age-group cricket.

One day when Harbhajan received a phone call from his long-lost friend, looking for money to save himself from the clutches of death, not once did the off-spinner had second thoughts.

"He (Harman) somehow contacted me and told me about the trauma he was going through," Harbhajan told India Today. "He was in desperate need of money and I told him to go ahead with the surgery and promised to take care of all the medical expenses. There's nothing more important than a human life," said the Indian veteran spinner. 

"I had told him to forget about money and go ahead with his surgery from a well-equipped hospital and good experienced doctor," said Harbhajan. 

After finding it difficult to get admitted in the private Delhi hospitals, Harman finally got the treatment at Rathi Hospital in Nangloi.

File Picture of the operated portion of his body. (India  Today)

"His situation was deteriorating and he needed surgery. His was a case of perforation peritonitis and enterocutaneous fistula (abnormal connection that develops between the intestinal tract or stomach and the skin. As a result, contents of the stomach or intestines leak through the skin)," said Ankur Rathi, who owns the hospital.

Despite his busy schedule with CSK, Bhajji ensured that his friend got the necessary treatment. "I will remain indebted to him for life. He has proved what true friendship means. I had no money left with me, having spent all my savings on treatment in the last one year. Harbhajan came as an angel and has pulled me out from the jaws of death," Harman says of Harbhajan.

"When I got operated, the hospital got me to sign a piece of paper where it was mentioned that if something happens to me, the hospital or its staff will not be responsible. I can't tell you how I have spent the last one year."

Harman is now recovering well and has rented a one-bedroom accommodation next to the hospital, which makes it easier for him to go for regular checkups. "I am doing well now, but I still need money for the medicines. Hopefully, that problem will also be resolved,"  Harman concluded. 

 
 

By Anshuman Roy - 06 Jun, 2018

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