“Quick! Grab your stuff and report to the casualty. There is an emergency! STAT!” (I don’t know for some reason everything has to be stat during MBBS internship)
It was my last day at the peripheral health center where I was posted for 15 days as part of my MBBS internship. I was eager to leave early when I got this call in the ward at around 11 am.
So, I reached to the casualty, stat. It looked like just another routine casualty day. Sad prank to play on an innocent intern I thought. I asked the casualty officer what the emergency was? He looked as clueless as the rest of them.
No one seemed to know what was going on. Just then a nurse came out of nowhere and handed me a huge box of what appeared to be medical supplies. Gloves, dressing material, and what not. All crammed into one cardboard box.
“Take this outside! There is an ambulance waiting!” I could feel the adrenaline pump. Yet I managed to ask her what is going on? She said there has been a fire at a godown nearby and the hospital got a distress call. Nothing more.
So I went out. Ambulance at the hospital gate. Engine running. I got in and saw a team of doctors already there. In no time the nurse I met in the casualty came in and off we went!
Sirens blaring, we were traveling at super speed on the traffic-filled roads of Mumbai. We were breaking every damn signal that came on the way. I felt pretty badass!
On the way, everyone, as clueless as me was trying to figure out what was wrong. We constantly kept looking out of the window trying to look for a cloud of smoke. Nothing.
Just then, the ambulance turned left and we entered a gate. The driver announced that we have reached. Wait, what? I don’t see people running around.
It was a bright sunny day with scorching heat. We took a good look around. There were 2 fire brigades with the officials all lined up in a neat row. There was also another ambulance from another hospital. We got off to have a better look. Still confused.
“Udhar Jaake sign karo, mock drill tha!” Said one of the firefighters. Really? I mean like REALLY? I wanted to set the place of fire myself at that point in time.
We reported to the official there who noted down the time. We were there exactly one hour after the first phone call they had made to the hospital. (In our defense, we were there within 20 minutes from when we were told by the hospital.)
Anyway, we started heading back to the ambulance, a little disheartened that we were the last ones to arrive. But then, the gates opened again. We heard the sirens approaching. To our delight, it was the police! We had a nice laugh about how the cops are the last ones to arrive at the spot.
On the way back I began thinking. This was actually pretty cool. I mean, things are actually being done in this country. We keep blaming our government for their poor services and lethargy to do things. I think it is time we also appreciate the good things that they do and encourage them.
I felt ecstatic on the way back. As the ambulance cruised slowly through the traffic, following the traffic signals this time, I felt like I was part of something really cool. One hell of the last day I must say!
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This article has been contributed by Dr. Rohit Nathani who is an intern at Seth GS Medical College, Mumbai. Comment below if you would like to interact.
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