[Reader-list] My experiences in the hospital

[manju singh bhati]

POSTING 2

In the beginning, I wasted some days struggling to get access to 
hospitals and finding relevant wards. After getting past that hurdle, 
I found most of the women are not willing to talk. Even after a lot 
of cajoling they did not reveal even the most obvious  details. I 
have  decided to neither write nor record in front of them as these 
things make them more hesitant. It takes time to make friends with 
them and by the time they become friendly with me, they are 
discharged and do not show up the next day. I had to run after them 
to their homes, which is of no use. So I have changed the strategy 
again that I had changed a few times before also.

Now I choose only few exclusive cases to follow for case study. 
Although I go to wards and sit and observe quietly, without missing 
the chance to chat and let them get  discharged without following 
them to their homes as Shuddha suggested to me in the discussion 
which took place last week.

Luckily, I have got two cases for further scrutiny. One is a 61 years 
old lady who got pregnant after 15 years of her menopause. She had 
come from a village to see her pregnant daughter. This woman had a 
complaint of swollen stomach. After investigations, the fact of her 
being pregnant shocked her and startled everyone. I had met her only 
once. This lady is so ashamed of her pregnancy that she does no want 
to spill the beans and hates to talk about it. But at the same time 
the case is so exclusive and interesting that I have decided to 
follow it even if it takes months to get to know everything.

Second case is of a young lady who has post graduated in philosophy 
and has an inclination towards poetry. She is now in Meerut for 
couple of days.

Right now my arena of research is Narender Mohan Hospital and 
Sanjivani Nursing Home.

Narender Mohan Hospital is one of the biggest private hospitals of 
Ghaziabad district, enjoying reputation like a government hospital. 
Notorious for bribes taken by every other worker, this hospital is a 
relief for serious cases. Here patients come from remote villages, 
and suburbs of western U.P.

Sanjivani Nurshng Home is in Sahibabad and attracts urban pregnant 
women. Here conventional delivery is still the method which includes 
enhancement of labour by drugs and small cut called episiotomy at 
vaginal outlet at the time of birth to facilitate delivery. But here 
women feel free to ask the doctor for few more stiches, which makes 
the vagina tight and can help them to lead happy sexual life after 
pregnancy.