Chapter XXI
NIGHT
WATCHMAN of a Coal India
HOSPITAL: ‘Shift Neurosis’
Since
I was a Medical Officer, I was given shift duty, mostly night shift or second
shift (2-10 p.m. ), the
morning shift being kept reserved for lady doctors. Even my juniors were posted
there as specialists, as in Bihar it takes a long time to award you degrees. I was an
MD, even before joining but none of the unit
in-charges liked me in his unit , may
be due to some complexes or the hospit al
authorit ies were not having enough
hands to run the casualty. Coupled wit h
it was the fact that I had no
vehicle, so that neit her I could
attend duties in two parts of a general shift (morning and post-lunch) nor did
I have a
residence where calls could be served. However, in later days, I had a good
company wit h Dr. Amar K. Singh. I
used to attend hospit al in his car
talking on various issues wit h him
and on certain occasions when I was given general shift. Yet, I disliked that I
was given general shift duties in wards only in place of some specialist doctor
who wanted to go on leave.
After
sometime, I thought I could rather establish my reputation in the casualty it self. Init ially
I had some minor problems. People of the colony were accustomed to
self-prescribed and or costly drugs. Sickness-fit ness
was other menace. People used to come wit h
the prescription of some outside doctor and wanted that those drugs should be
supplied to them on the CCL’s slips. Misuse of telephone by colony people and
even by the patients or doctors was not uncommon and managing the ambulance was
another headache.
The
junior staff and my colleagues gradually became my admirers since I used to
tell the things quit e frankly but I
had a few sad experiences.
Once,
I was given a warning for neglecting a patient when as a matter of fact, I had
worked for his welfare. One early morning, I had two patients; one having 60
per cent burn and the other had lost a toe. The hospit al
had no bed vacant and the patients were to be referred to the RMCH. The burn
patient had many attendants but the other had none. Seeing the seriousness of
the burnt patient. I prepared reference papers
quickly and also for the other, and requested the attendants to see that the
other patient was also admit ted in
the RMCH.
On
going to the RMCH, one who had lost the toe which was found to be complicated
by tetanus and as he had no companion, he could not be sent to the Infectious
Diseases Hospit al (IDH), which was
far away from the RMCH. The driver also returned from the RMCH, leaving the
patients there. A press reporter found him lying on the floor unattended and,
put the question concerning negligence of the patient before the CCL authorit ies in a press conference held the same day after
the inauguration of a new ward at the Naisarai Hospit al
(near Ramgarh) of the CCL.
When I
was asked, I honestly stated all the facts. I admit ted
that I had not fully examined the case as the patients usually resented to be
examined if they were not to be admit ted
to our hospit al for want of bed and
the forwarding letter from the colliery had also mentioned Hansen’s disease.
And in anxiety for his welfare I sent him in haste so that someone would be wit h him at the RMCH. But in the CCL, you are all
right till any problem occurs?
After
a few months, I received a telephone call from the then Director (Personnel)
that his driver had an impacted fish bone in his throat. I advised to send the
driver who came and a surgeon took out the fish bone. But the Director
complained to the CMO that I did not talk decently wit h
him (and probably that was also one point that later on I was not promoted as a
specialist in the departmental interview).
I stated to the then CMO, Dr. M. P. Singh that I had frequent talks wit h him on phone and whether he ever had found my
talks rude?
In
fact, the CCL top bosses were accustomed to, " ‘Yes sir’, ‘Sir’, ‘Sir’
culture", and of course, I was not adept in it .
I would have been pleased if he had phoned me if the work of the employee had
suffered in anyway. An officer should see the work performance. I remember, the
then CMD, J. D. Rai had come to see someone who had been admit ted to the hospit al.
I had simply shown him the cabin where the patient was admit ted and I continued wit h
my duty to examine the wait ing
patients. Anyone in my place would have glued himself to him till his departure
or anyone in his place could have taken it
for a matter of discourtesy.
A
doctor is bound to some medical ethics and codes even if employed. Many in such
concerns are forgetting this and so the problem crops up wit h those who want to work genuinely.
One
night a pers on came for the
ambulance. I told him to wait till
the arrival of the surgeon on call for the two patients already admit ted including one wit h
injury on duty, which had a top priorit y
in industrial hospit als.
A
few days later, I got a show cause notice for not providing ambulance. I
clarified my posit ion that even if
the hospit al had many ambulances,
only one driver was deputed in the night shift and the company should also see
that an honest working officer was not harassed by anyone, even by a union
leader. Thus the chapter came to an end.
But after
a year or so, once again in the night, a pers on
came for the ambulance and I gave it
immediately. A lady was brought. It is my habit
that if I suspect a case to be functional, I take much time only in watching
the patient so much so that the attendants may presume that I am neglecting the
patient. After a few minutes, I left my chair and asked some questions and
examined the patient. Then I asked whether someone in the family had cardiac
ailments? She affirmed that her husband had. I admit ted
the case, writ ing my diagnosis,
hysterical conversion reaction.
The
human mind is so powerful that no sooner had I closed writ ing
the admission papers than it flashed in my mind whether she was the wife of
that cardiac patient whom I could not provide an ambulance earlier. Outside,
the husband (a Muslim) was telling to my driver (also a Muslim who was an
admirer of mine), “This doctor does not appear to be a bad man. I am sorry for
my past complaints.” Later the driver told me the whole story. That pers on did not face me being ashamed of his previous
conduct. I looked after the patient as usual and she was discharged after a few
days.
But
I found that the employees were not respecting even very polit e doctors. Once for misbehavior wit h Dr. (Mrs.) G. C. Raghavan we had to go on a
lightning strike. She was the most laborious and soft-spoken lady doctor,
always present on her emergency duties. She was weeping and had also submit ted her resignation. Once I had seen, other senior
surgeon, Dr. S. S. Swain, in agony after being transferred to another place
while he was being scolded and hurled wit h
indecent words by the then CMO.
The
days passed on gradually and I became accustomed to the shift duty. I also
discovered a new syndrome, shift neurosis not only in myself but in my
friends also. You feel yourself isolated from your colleagues and are in an
anxious mood at the time of shift changing eit her
for catching up wit h the time or wait ing for the reliever to come. In the general shift
you could apply for leave even afterwards but here some of your friend will be
wait ing for you and not only he/she
but his/her spouse as well. Of course, I had then no wife but brotherly young
medicos would have become anxious if I was late. Sometimes one had to continue
till late, in case, any other reliever doctor was not arranged. Of course, it was the casualty department and it could not be kept closed.
During
these shift changes, in crit ical
time, one may have some unpleasant exchanges wit h
patients, attendants or staff for none of the faults of the pers on concerned, as it
was the bane of shift neurosis. I learnt subsequently that the
psychiatrists had studied it and
they had also found that it was
worse when the shift change was frequent and it
was not uncommon in our case to have 2
to 10 p.m. duty after you had just concluded your night shift.
I
recall that I used to take night shifts in my ‘housemanship’ at Darbhanga for
keeping myself free during day time for the NMO work but at Ranchi I was
obliged to take several night shifts even for others as it
might have been considered easier for me since I was unmarried till then and
could afford to sleep in the hospit al
it self as well as work as if was a
night watchman of the CIL’s premier hospit al.
It
was difficult for me to go to the hospit al
in the night, as auto rickshaws did not operate in the cit y
at late hours. The bicycle was my friend and be it
raining or freezing cold, I had to go. I was the lone cyclist executive, as I
had to save money for the dowry for my sister’s marriage, as I did not agree to
sell myself in exchange. I knew China had ‘bare foot doctors’ but they worked
in villages and the CCL provided loan for vehicle but they turned down my
application since I was on probation and
they did not take care of confirming my service for more than two years. The
bureaucracy was more or less same everywhere, my resignation was hanging in
‘suspended animation’ for long.
I
found myself working whether good or bad like other colleagues. I wonder, why a
fixed sum is not granted to all in lieu of the LTC or LLTC. If you are a Muslim
and have four wives and scores of children, probably your LTC/LLTC bill could
be more than the salary for a year. Of course, I was single and even parents
were not entit led in the CCL as
family members for those purposes. Probably government has accepted that the
nuclear family is the norm and daughters-in-law cannot remain wit h their parents-in-law. I do not think that
everyone’s wife is as such. Of course, I was a bachelor till then.
But one had to deposit
false bills, for many things otherwise your deduction for income tax would be
much higher. I was tormented over doing all sins like others knowing that it was meant for not more than one hundred rupees
per day salary, even after 15 years of continued study after my matriculation (SSC).
I had an
occasion to work for the flood relief by the CCL in 1987. It was more a showbiz
before the Bihar * Govt. than true work! We had
to go to Patna it h
me were sore at me over my style of government duty like a social work. They also appreciated my zeal later and
worked rigorously but what were they rewarded? An application for higher rate
of DA was turned down. I think the local purchase rs
of the articles at Ranchi purchase colour TVs, I
do not know how? For me, it was an
affair of social service. The ADM had given me a good testimonial.
It is not
that I had been unhappy always, nor I was happier after leaving the CCL. I
resisted temptations to rejoin it
like Maharana Pratap had after having seen the cat snatching even the bread of
grass from his daughter. Later I saw worse days but I accepted my destiny to be
so, even knowing that I would never retire from the practice as a degenerated
administrator of a company but would be forever a learned and honorable member
of the society. I felt, gradually I was turning into a dwarf pers onalit y
and after the resignation; I had the occasion to meet J. D. Rai, the then CMD
of the CCL. I felt as if I had elevated myself in private practice though not
having enough money in the nascent phase. Yet, this ex-night-watchman is
thankful to the CIL for providing him the financial support when he needed it most.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Including
Jharkhand.
No comments:
Post a Comment