Have been visiting the hospital the past few days. Learned some new things, and discovered the devoted daughter in me (the kind you see in TV serials 
) that I never knew existed. 
Here I was, obsessed with the life of an engineer. Cribbing and ranting about the pressures we face, the life we live; as students and as professionals. And there I was in the hospital, surrounded by chaos, tensions. Caring and loving, as well as irritation and desperation. Not that I had never been in a hospital, I’ve spent enough time in hospitals, but maybe this time, I had the time to really observe things.
Hospitals are supposed to be depressing, the uncertainties and insecurities of human life are exposed to you every time you visit a hospital. The smell of medicines, the stink of spirit (and perhaps blood??), the wheezing man sitting next to you waiting to see his doctor, the man who just had an accident being wheeled into casualty. It unnerves you. My reason for being there was not really a serious one, so I thankfully did not have to see anything gory. And this hospital is far better than most that I’ve seen. Some of the permanent patients and their dear ones were watching the India-Pakistan cricket match and seemed to be having fun. There’s a huge statue of Lord Krishna and another one of Jesus, where the religious were seeking solace. Tiny speakers all over the place were playing songs from the latest Hindi movies at low volume.
The pathology lab is another place where you can get really depressed. Imagine spending your day diagnosing if someone has got malaria or tuberculosis or even cancer. Maybe I’ve read too many Arthur Hailey books about the medical practice, but I expected to see some people that were fed up with their jobs. I was surprised to see them in a good (if not jovial) mood. For a while it put me in serious doubt about their dedication to their work. “Do they even know what an important thing they are doing? Or are they so used to it, that it has lost all it’s seriousness? Are they aware that what they note down and print out is going to affect a real live person?” But turned out they were quite professional in their work. The frivolous gossiping aside, they were nice people who knew what they were doing, and were aware that they should be accurate. They even postponed their lunch so that I could have the report within 45 minutes.
And finally he doctors. My what a life! I’ve known quite a few doctors personally, and I have a couple of good friends who are on their way to becoming doctors, but I never really appreciated what these people go through. Each patient comes to him with some tension, some ailment, some stress, and goes away, somewhat relieved, knowing that things will most probably be OK soon. But the doc himself has to see patient after patient after patient and deal with each one with equal patience and caring and confidence. Constant knowledge that your slightest decision, smallest hesitation could affect one live and kicking human, and his family too. Constantly aware that your slightest error in judgment could mean defamation for the rest of your life. And to think these people actually chose to do this!!! This is a rare breed of those few who take an oath and abide by it (most of them do it anyways). Of course they earn accordingly, but as one of my mum’s friends (she is a gynecologist) said, the blessings that she receives from the family concerned every time she delivers a baby, are enough to sustain her. All the stress, the waking up at odd hours to attend to emergencies, the effect it has on their personal lives– the grateful blessings, and the blind trust that they receive, makes it all worthwhile.
