The start of 2013 was quite a lot different from the
previous years. Many a time, I've wondered why we need to celebrate a day as
the start of a New Year. One of my seniors wonders whether there is any meaning
in the celebration of the start of New Year. I also agree that it is not much
different than any other day of the Year.
Why was this year different? I've been quite
anxious than the previous years.
The major reason is the planned departure of our
surgeon, for a 2 year break from NJH. Being a hospital which deals with quite a lot of emergency surgical
and obstetric load, a surgeon is a very much needed person in the scheme of
things here. We've been searching high and low and praying a lot . . . but,
there does not seem to be any breakthrough in getting a new one.
So, that is the
first reason of my anxiety.
The next anxiety that I’ve been having is the
increased clinical load of the place and the lack of appropriately trained and
dedicated staff. As has been described in previous posts, it is not routine clinical
care which has been the most tough . . . the intensive care of patients has
been a major area of concern.
In addition to the clinical load, it is the major
involvement in Community Health and Development by NJH which gives me quite
anxious movements. The same reasons . . . we are yet to find the complete team
for giving leadership to the projects.
There is major opportunities for both clinical care as
well as community health and development. And there is hardly any quality work
that is happening in anything.
Few of us were discussing the other day on the
possibilities here. A small hospital in a 25 acre campus catering to the
secondary and probably tertiary care requirements of a radius of almost 100
kilometers is big opportunity. Pediatrics . . . Internal Medicine . . .
Orthopedics . . . it’s only people who we need.
If there was one dream for me in the beginning of
2013, it would be that of more qualified and dedicated staff joining our team. It
would be a great pleasure to have more people to share our 'foolishness' of
trying to live out life in this place. The only assurance I can give is that
of a life which would bring blessings into the countless number of people around
us. Nothing more . . . nothing less.
As I sat penning this mail, I received a call from a
friend of mine. Recently, his sister was being evaluated for a very benign
looking swelling of her neck. The final diagnosis was out . . . she had leukemia.
All my anxieties looked minuscule in comparison to the crisis that this family was
in.
She is getting treatment at one of the best centres
for cancer treatment. I request prayers for this young lady . . . Her name is Rinsu
Susan George.
As we in the medical profession rush for higher
degrees and recognition, please remember that the world of our patients are in another
realm of things. In places such as ours, there are patients who die because of
the absence of very basic medical care. Or they die because they are too poor
to access appropriate care.
On the other side, there are people like my friend whose
lives come to a standstill because of a serious illness in the family. Many a time, we do
not have an answer on why such good people go through such a tough time.
To make matters worse in this world of ours, there are
events like the Delhi rape case which sends shudders through each of us.
In a time of such anxieties, my only prayer for the
New Year would be that all of us would remain true to St.Peter’s exhortation to
cast all our anxieties on Him (The Holy Bible, 1st Peter: 5:7) who gives
everlasting life (The Holy Bible, John: 4:1-42) and to
believe that God is good and his gracious love is eternal (The Holy Bible, Psalm:
106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 136:1).
