Attendants’ patience put to test outside hospital

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 11

“Ander vo maut ke sath ladai lad rahe hain, aur bahar hum zindagi se ladai lad rahe hain,” Inside the hospital man is fighting a battle with death and outside the hospital we are fighting a battle to stay alive”, was the spontaneous reaction of a patient’s relative who is camping outside the hospital as his brother is undergoing treatment at the PGI.

Dip in mercury coupled with rain is posing more problems for the people taking shelter outside the hospital. It was 9:30 pm and everyone cuddled inside their mink blankets. A shady tree surrounded by a cemented floor near the Nehru Hospital of the PGI has become the most sought-after spot for the people. Those who get a space at bus stops consider themselves fortunate.

A gurdwara inside the PGI is filled to the brim. According to one of the caretakers, over 1,000 people have taken shelter in the two-floor dormitory of the premises.

“Rajniti to sab karte hain sahib, par garib ki koi nahin sochta,” “Everyone is busy playing politics, but no one bothers about the plight of the poor,” said Ashu Gupta from Saharanpur sharing his plight with the relatives of other patients.

“Who would like to travel hundreds of kilometres for treatment? In Saharanpur, government and even private hospitals lack medical facilities. As and when someone suffers from a serious ailment, he is brought to the PGI for treatment. Here we get the best medical facilities at an affordable price. Though we have to run around a lot for treatment, but the life of our loved ones is more important,” said Gupta.

There are many like Gurmail Singh of Sangrur, who are camping outside the emergency for nearly two months. Gurmail’s son was hit by a speeding truck on October 5.

“He suffered multiple fractures on his right leg. I admitted him to the PGI. Ever since, footpath outside the emergency has become my home,” said Gurmail.

“Earlier it was easy to spend a night outside, but as the mercury is dipping it has become difficult to sleep outdoors. We have no other option, but to sleep in the open,” said Gurmail.

Similarly Darshna Rani, leaning against the wall, is hoping that her husband will be soon discharged from the hospital.

“Now I am realising that life could be so cruel. Never before had I slept on the floor. I had never spent a cold night under the open sky where the winter chill shatters your bones. I had visited a gurdwara for shelter, but it was already overcrowded with people,” said Darshna.

Rain, dip in mercury add to their woes

Dip in the mercury coupled with the rain is posing more problems for the people taking shelter outside the hospital. It was 9:30 pm and everyone cuddled inside their mink blankets. A shady tree surrounded by a cemented floor near the Nehru Hospital of the PGI has become the most sought-after spot for the people. Those who get a space at bus stops consider themselves fortunate.

The joy of giving

• Two elderly persons from Uttarakhand were impressed by the generosity of the people who were distributing mink blankets outside the hospital. “Punjabis have a big heart. Community kitchen (langar) starts from the dawn and continues till midnight. Frankly speaking, so much langar is not even offered on the banks of the Ganges as it has been outside the PGI. People visit here, offer food and cloth and leave. Who does all this,” said the duo from Uttarakhand.
• Anil Goyal, who runs a business in Nayagaon, was busy offering tea and biscuits to the relatives of patients outside the PGI. Despite being reprimanded by private security guards for not offering tea near the emergency (as people throw disposal cups on the road), Anil was quietly offering tea to the people. He said for the past five years he, along with his brothers, was visiting the hospital every day at 9 pm, without fail, to offer tea and biscuits to the people.