Emergency Ward
Emergency Ward
The emergency ward is prelude to heavenly peace
Patients lying in rows of beds
With or without oxygen masks, and
Saline bottles hanging from their side-stands
A lonely fly passing from bed to bed
Senior Doctors are like God’s messengers
He finds out a pair of understanding eyes
Among the shadows called ‘patient party”,
And explains the science behind every singular death
Also keeps room for the miracle to happen
The shadows calculate their finance and sacrifices to be made,
Argue among themselves in low hushed-up tones,
Blames their fate, plans about attending the dying one
Calls their political connections for some fictive better treatment,
Also respond to the call of numerous other shadows
You always see a bunch of junior doctors and interns
Bright sunshine faces, learning, giggling at their
Repeated failures to set a rice-tube,
Discussing among themselves every little lesson they learn
Proud of their bright future
Young Nurses in their immaculate white dress
Address interns as doctor plus their first name
Otherwise hard as ice
To the shadows sitting on iron stools beside every bed
Their every word uttered is tinged with disgust and vague grievance
Meanwhile, life hangs on the drippings of saline water
Occasional injections, timed simultaneously;
“You can’t see prescription without permission from the superintended”
The daring shadow cowers back, this emergency cell
They all come here to breathe their last, in peace…
I once saw a film, traumatized doctors writhing in agony
Why all their efforts go in vain in this battle against death;
Such things happen only in films, here on earth
Cool verdict is passed, those who come here must die
Their condition is so serious….Nothing serious can be done…