Outline : Calm evening—telephonic call; visit to the hospital; Scene inside the hospital—enquiry room, operation theatre; X-ray room; unable to find friend's room ! I wandered all over the hospital; got direction; met friend,
A visit to a hospital is a very painful experience. Someone who is dear to you is either seriously ill or has met with an accident. He is in a state of complete helplessness. He needs immediate medical care and treatment. The very name, hospital reminds us of sickness, disease, pain and cry. One becomes sick and frozen when one has to go to a hospital. It was calm and peaceful evening. I was enjoying an interesting
programme on my TV. All of a sudden the telephone bell rang. I took the receiver. Someone from the other end was speaking that my bosom friend Ravi had met with a serious accident. He was now in the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. I left the programme in between, took my scooter and; dashed to the Hospital. I enquired from the 'inquiry' about my friend, but I got no satisfactory reply, still I continued my search from ward to ward and from bed to bed. In this frantic search, I got dead-tired.
Now this hospital is quite spacious and very big. There are scores off wards. Separate wards for males and females are there. My inquiring inter the words did not yield any fruitful result. Then, I went to the Intensive Care Unit. But the patients there were all unknown to me. I felt disappointed. Then by chance Ravi's papa came into my way. He guided me that my friend was in the X-ray room. It was feared that Ravi had fractured his right leg. I was badly shaken and prayed to God to be merciful to my friend. I reached the X-ray room. Thanks God, Ravi was in his senses. His right foot was bleeding and dangling. I at once knew that had multiple fractures and got his foot crushed. The X-ray report came The doctors took Ravi to the operation theatre. There he was operated upon. His foot was set, stitched and plastered. The poor fellow came out of the theatre after five hours. The doctors attending on him assured that Ravi would be all right within couple of days. I thanked God and said my silent prayer to Him for the speedy recovery of my fast friend.
Prior to all this, I had wandered all over the hospital. I saw doctors ans nurses in their white uniforms. They looked to me as angels who with their balmy touch cured the sick and the diseased. They were the persons who gave a lot of psychological and moral strength to a dying patient. 0. P. D. (Outdoor Patient Department), Blood Bank, Intensive Care Unit and the like are a part and parcel of a hospital. The Medical Science has advanced tremendously (very greatly). There are specialists and specialists in every branch. One doctor is expert in correcting and curing a sick heart. Other is an eye-surgeon. The third is master of E.N.T department (Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat
In a hospital you meet face to face with the afflicted and the ailing. You sympathise with them. You speak a word of comfort and consolation lo them. Mercy, kindness and compassion are the words most needed in (he hospital. Many get well there. A few meet their end. But the angelic figure, the doctor is there to help one and all.
