Diary of a House Officer/Intern

Chapter 2

Kinza and Ayesha finally reached the 2nd floor. Right across the wall facing them was a big plaque that read 'Nafsiyat Ward' ergo 'Psychiatry Ward'. On the right side was the Psychiatry Department and on the left was the Dermatology Department. One could easily recognize the Dermatology interns and residents a mile away.

They would always be well kept and groomed, majority had bright red lipstick, and a myriad of make-up on their faces, not a hair astray. Whereas the Psychiatry residents looked half mad themselves, they would pass by muttering to themselves in a trance. Word around the hospital was that Psychiatry was a hub for drugs itself. Charas/Hash/Weed/Naswar/Meth/Ice any sort of substance and you would find it in this department. The ward catered not only to patients with psychiatric illnesses but also patients admitted for drug withdrawal. The interns and residents would indulge in confiscated substances themselves on a tough night, or take a strong concoction of benzodiazepines to pass out.  

Atleast, this was still better than the stuff Kinza had heard about the General Surgery department where the head of department Dr. Hasan would routinely drink alcohol before a surgery to be able to do it in peace. He wreaked of alcohol in the mornings too, something the medical students had noticed during morning rounds. But obviously, nothing can be done, this is Civil after-all. 

Kinza and Ayesha handed over their joining applications to the admin office run by Sir Shah, an old man who sat behind a brown dusty desk held up by pieces of wood under the table legs. He had multiple rings on his right hand, and spectacles that he hung around his neck. He took out a stamp pad from a broken drawer underneath the desk, and with 2 swift stomps he stamped their applications with the seal of Civil, binding them to the department for 3 months. 

'Chai tou la abay' he shouted to his assistant, who hurriedly brought him his morning cup of tea. He took out a little baggy from his kamiz pocket, which contained some sort of crunched up mixture, he carefully opened it, rustling the bag between his hands and slowly removed a pinch which he dropped into his tea. He stirred his tea with the back of a pen that was kept on the desk, blew away the steam from the cup and took a long sip. Kinza and Ayesha just stared fixated at this gesture, he looked up and said. 'Kia dekhrahi ho, jao Sir k pass'

They scurried off into the department, in search of their mentor residents who would be carrying out the orientation for them. The department was a long hallway with rooms on either side. On the right side was the male ward, and on the left side was the female ward. At the end, a tiny door peeked through which was the on-call room for doctors. And right across it was the long passage-way that led to the 'Library'. 

The 'Library' had an extremely famous long table placed inside. It was supposed to be used for studying for exams in one's free time, but everyone knew what it actually was used for. That table, which they had heard from their seniors was the only thing kept in great condition through out the entire department. Whether the air conditioning didn't work throughout the summer did not matter, but the surface of the table had to be routinely polished and cleaned, and maintained without fail.

It was because that long table that extended all the way across the room, was used on weekend 'consultant conferences' for teaching experiences and discussions or they would claim, which only consultants were allowed in. In reality it was just an easy means for majority of the consultants to snort cocaine off the table in peace.