Cars and patients; they both fall sick

Intern’s diary by Anedu

Suddenly a fever had struck the doctors. It was vehicle fever; everywhere, everyone was talking of which vehicle to buy. It had been a long time since a permit had been given and most were hoping to trade in their Marutis (the only car a basic doctor's salary supported) for a better, bigger vehicle. The more affluent were in general going in for SUV's but were in a quandary as to which brand to buy. But we interns with no permits had no such worries.

It was also a bit of a nostalgic week. Having been the proud owner of a 1972 Mini for sometime now, I finally made the decision to let go of the little car. We had burned many a mile together, and the curvy little car was my first. There was and is nothing more fun than doing it in a Mini! But the Mini demanded a sizable chunk of your time. It is the ultimate do-it-yourself car, and the hours I've spent with this spanner and that wrench were all great fun. But sadly I no longer had that time, and having resisted the thought for so long I had to finally give in to the practicalities of life.

In the meantime there was also the occasional rumour that our junior batch was to start their internship, but these rumblings came and went and nobody seemed to come.

Time had unknowingly gobbled up nine months of our internship. Some in the more hectic wards had already started a countdown. There was less than 100 days to go now! And that's the answer I got when I asked my roommate whether we should clean up our messy room. So like the pile of dust that was collecting underneath the beds, we laid to rest the idea of a clean-up. After all there was less than 100 days to use the room!

The 270 days that had already disappeared were pockmarked with many sleepless nights. There was nothing more annoying than to be woken up at 2 a.m. for a child with a cough or a child who had not gone to the toilet for five days. Why come now when you had five fine days to come to hospital, is the question you want to ask. But you suppress the thought. Although you know there is no emergency here, the worried parents probably don't. And they probably have their own reasons for coming to hospital in the middle of the night!

Besides, this is all part of being in an essential service, like the enemy who attacks at night and the electricity breakdown that happens at night, people unfortunately fall sick at night!

Then there is the story of the intern's diary. Well actually such a thing does exist (other than this column!) In fact every doctor is required to maintain a diary, where each day's activities are entered. So although doctors don't have to sign when they come to work their work is in fact being recorded. But in the case of the intern who spends many more hours in the hospital than the stipulated amount, the intern's diary seems an unnecessary exercise (and boring too).

But unnecessary exercises are many in hospitals. Like having people operate lifts. It must be one of the most coveted jobs in the hospital. How hard can pressing a button while sitting on a chair inside a lift be? Beside most of the time the operator is missing and those who use the lift manage very well. Then there are those annoying characters who use the lift to get from the second floor to the first. They probably spent a good five minutes staring at the steel lift door when a walk down would take only 20 seconds!