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Chapter 17: A concoction of bitter emotions

8th April 2020

"But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not."

[Surah Al- Baqarah]

Chapter 17:

A concoction of bitter emotions

Rufaida gazed at the retreating back of her last patient for the day, and placing her hands on her desk, she sighed. She was a single mother of two school-going girls, and throughout the nutrition counseling, as she asked her about her diet, the lady spoke about her personal life too and Rufaida saw so much of her mother in her.

She hated the fact that the hospital had introduced a new policy, and while initially, the doctor prescribed a basic food chart free of cost with the medication, while a detailed diet plan could be availed from the nutritionist by choice, and if the patient could afford it, the latter option was revoked from the past few weeks. So now, the patients who already struggled to pay for the medication were forcefully sent into nutrition counseling, which became an added burden. To top it, if Rufaida wanted a hike, she was compelled to advocate supplements and complementary micronutrient tabs from tie-up companies, and meet a particular target every month. She never got into prescribing those things unless they were truly necessary and the clients could purchase it without burning a hole in their pocket, but that also meant the higher authorities were blacklisting Rufaida. She didn't tag along in their extra money-making schemes, and it was starting to become a problem for them.

A knock on her cabin door startled her, and she was met with the ward boy who'd brought with him some news.

"Dr. Aruna is asking for you," he announced.

"I'm coming," Rufaida nodded, as she stood up and trailed her path to the Chief Dietician's cabin.

She knocked on the door and having sought permission to enter, she walked inside, greeted her and accepted the seat she was offered.

"Ms. Rufaida," Dr. Aruna started, and Rufaida patiently waited to hear what she had to say. She mostly expected her to ask questions regarding her counseling sessions.

"I heard you had a little encounter with Dr. Shashi this morning."

At the unexpected inquiry, Rufaida willed herself to not seem startled and maintained her composure.

"Yes, Doctor, but it was sorted right there," she clarified.

"I'd be glad if you could elaborate on it, nonetheless."

Nodding, Rufaida explained, "I've been monitoring the patient in 302 and taking care of his diet from the past couple of days. I prescribed him a glass of milk along with his breakfast this morning, and when the food was served, Dr. Shashi was around and immediately called me to the unit. He started yelling at me for planning milk in his diet because according to him it wasn't allowed with the medication that the patient was on. I clarified that the patient was not allowed to have milk only for 12 hours after consuming the tablet, and I had checked the time and it was completely safe to drink it then since that many hours had passed."

"And I believe all of this happened in front of the patient and the floor nurses?"

"Yes, Dr. Shashi initiated the debate there, I was only defending my case."

"Okay," Dr. Aruna nodded, and then asked, "And what about your monthly targets? I heard that you haven't been meeting them?"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but most of the patients I've been counseling are struggling to make ends meet, so I've resorted to giving them a low-cost diet that meets the nutritional requirements, and I haven't been prescribing supplements unless truly necessary."