LA RUMBA POOL PARTY

December 7 2019 Saturday Morning “Pranitha? What a weird name? Who asked you go inside Operation Theatre without permission?” The HOD of Plastic surgery scowled upon her. “Don't you even know who is HOD?” Pranitha, a fair complexioned girl with brown eyes and long mahogany hair, wearing blue coloured OT dress, entered into the OT of the Plastic Surgery. That was her first day. She didn’t know exactly the rules and discipline followed there in Plastic Surgery under Hari Prasad. She heard from the previous colleagues that it's a hell to work there but until she saw with her own eyes, she couldn't realise. She was in her MS General Surgery Second year in Gandhi Hospital and posted in Plastic Surgery in Osmania Hospital as a part of her Peripheral postings in Super specialities. Generally, while reporting a posting, HODs don’t mind if u come late on the first day, but plastic Surgery wasn't like that. Everyone must be there by sharp 8 Am. She remembered what her colleagues told "Be there by 8am". She could have come early but she ordered some medicines in online for her Mom and kept waiting for the arrival. She couldn't be so cold-hearted daughter after all, caring for her duty and not her mother’s ailments. "Sir! I was actually on time sir but...” "Don't give me any lame excuses" HOD Hari Prasad eyed on her peevishly. Any excuses she told seemed to be foolish, so avoided giving the lame excuses. She wavered being lost in thoughts mumbling indiscreetly occasionally. "Sir! Pavithra Mam was there in Op... She was asking me so many details" "Pavithra?? Why the hell have you been there?" The HOD chided with angry looking into her eyes. Pranitha didn't know at the time what repercussions it would have if you had taken her name before him. Pavithra and Hari Prasad were like two poles of a magnet. Though they were working in same department they don't like each other. "Sir! I actually went over there checking for you" "Who told you I will be there? Don't you get informed from your colleagues? You need to be kept disciplined" "Yesterday, I asked my colleague. She told you were in OT. So, I thought today you would be in OP Block... But Pavithra mam was there instead." She disclosed a slip on which her name was there with phone number. "She had a lot conversation about the NEET score" "Instead of meeting your HOD you were having stupid conversation with her?" "Sir..." she faltered in her words. “Go and change your dress." She complied, changed to her normal red dress with gold embroidering, and confronted the HOD. "Go to ABC ward" He ordered eyeing upon her irately. ABC is Acute Burn's Care ward where acute cases come for a few days when they are treated adequately and shifted to normal ward. Pranitha rushed into the ward. While entering she saw a Plastic Surgery 1st yr. PG talking on phone. He waved his finger to come towards him. "Ok sir..." he dropped the phone and looked at her "Pranitha?” the tall and dark-complexioned puffy person asked her. She nodded. “Yes sir she is here... Okay sir... Okay" he hung the phone and puffed a deep sigh of relief."What happened, Mam? Why did you come late? Don't you know how the situation is here?" "Sir! I came early, sir. But, Pavithra Mam... She asked for lot of information and wasted my time" "Still... how long will you have a talk" he asked her friendly. She opened up and told how she was late bringing medicines for her mother. He felt sympathetic for her. The head nurse in the ward, dark-complexioned middle-aged woman wearing white dress and white cap talked out of concern in her rough voice “So, that's how it happened." Ajay, the first yr. PG "Anyways... you have to stay in this ward until 1 pm. Learn about the cases properly. Age, percentage of burns, treatment, number of patients and how many in each unit, the referrals. A to Z. Later when you meet, he will ask anything. Be prepared" Pranitha, listened to him attentively and nodded affirmatively. From the moment she became so busy with the patients’ case studying. Three were small kids with accidental scald injuries due to hot water or oil. Remaining were older patients with multi flames injury. Pranitha went through each case and felt sympathetic for them. Some were self-inflicted injuries while some were out of domestic violence. One case was pathetic. That woman was having 96% of multi flamed burns of her body aged just 22. She did out of harassment of her husband who thought she was having an affair. "People like her husband has to be hanged in the middle of the road" the head nurse shouted angrily. She immediately got a call from her colleague Rahman. "The Neurosurgery Professor wants to talk to you" Rahman handed his phone to Professor Sridhar. Pranitha was confused. "What happened to your log book? Why didn't you submit yet?" Sridhar asked. "Sir, my grandfather expired recently... Couldn’t come..." "So what?! You have to come to the department and get signed. There is a rule you know, to send the attendance by the 5th of every month. If you didn't submit how shall I send the attendance?" "Sorry ... sir" Pranitha faltered. She wanted to submit along with her friend who didn’t show up in time. “I am here in plastic Surgery dept. Will submit" She didn't know what trouble she would land into at that time. On the way while taking stairs to Neuro Surgery department which was present in 2nd floor of Quliqutubsha building, a super speciality block, she opened her log book which was just a note book. As per his rule every student has to mention the work done and had to get his signature at the end of the day. She saw that it was pending. Her professor verified up to 14th of the month. Remaining days, she didn’t get his signature. She scribbled down anxiously the work she had done the remaining days. She was so preoccupied that she lost her way to Neurosurgery several times. Somehow, she managed to reach the N.S OT, left the slippers and went through the corridor towards a room. She peeked into check if anyone's there but to her horror there was another professor too along with Sridhar. She waited patiently until all the professors leave him alone. On the right moment when the time came, she stepped inside to meet the tall and heavy, serious, white bearded and big moustached monster, looking grimly into his books. "Excuse me sir. May I come in?" She faked a smile and so was Sridhar. "Come Pranitha. Show me your logbook" Pranitha apprehensively took out a note book and showed it to him. He went thoroughly through the initial pages. "You came late in the first day and didn’t see me. And you told your grandfather was sick. And 2nd day you didn't meet me. 3rd day... You didn’t come to rounds... 4th day you were in leave... 5th day you attended...” so he went through all the days and concluded "You came only 3 days in whole month. What shall I do?" Pranitha attended her duties regularly but she couldn't reach in time in the initial days as she had responsibilities for her ill mom, later she had to leave early after her duty and couldn’t get his signature after duty. Recently she called her cousin who was preparing for civils exam to look after her mother to attend her Plastic Surgery postings in time. "You went for CME and took a leave for a week but you didn't attend the conference" "Sir! I attended the conference sir." "But your friends said you didn't" She looked dumb struck. "Then submit your participation certificate as proof." She looked down calmly not daring to utter any word. "Which unit are you?" "2nd unit in General surgery, Gandhi Hospital” she answered timidly. "Who is your Chief?" "Ram Mohan sir" "Call him" "Sir. Please sir. I came regularly to duties. I couldn't get the signs" "Why didn’t you get the signs?" He asked eerily with bulged open eyes. "Sir. I thought I can get the signs later" "Don’t say all the excuses. Call your professor" “You can confirm from Virat sir, Sanjay sir and Abhishek sir. I was there in night duties when they were in charge." "I will confirm but you call your professor immediately" and he called a ward boy. "Call Vishwa Ram" "Vishwa Ram sir is in leave." The OT boy a brown coloured hefty person told obediently. "Okay call Virat" Pranitha was faking as if she was still searching for his professor's number though his number was right there on her screen. She was impatiently waiting for Virat to come despite frequent order from the Professor. Finally, she lost her patience and called her professor Ram Mohan who was her unit Chief. Once the phone rang, she gave it to Sridhar. "Hello Sir. I am Neurosurgery Professor. Pranitha is your student right.... I called to inform that your Student Pranitha didn’t attend the duties properly." At the moment Virat, a short and dark short bespectacled lean N.S PG came inside and stood there obediently. “Initially she gave excuses that her mother was sick. “I thought it was her personal problem and didn’t interfere. Later she didn't come regularly. Over all she came for 3 days out of 31 days. What shall I do? …. Okay... Even I thought the same but wanted to inform you in prior." He hung up the call and told to Pranitha. "We decided you to give an extension" Pranitha’s voice choked with the news. She began pleading desperately. "I have a sick mother. If she knows this, she can’t take it. I will be detained for exams if I have this extension. Have to wait further 6 months to give it. Please don't play with my life sir." "I have nothing to do now. Go and bring your other logbook. I will do what I need to do" She looked terrified. If the real logbook, a large and bound one unlike the short book, comes into his hands, she must face so many implications. Moreover, Sridhar complained with her professor. She must bear all that repercussions. It may lead to loss of chances in surgery or get abandoned. Without the skills she couldn’t survive outside. Adding to that, her mother couldn't tolerate this matter. And how to survive for 6 months being detained without stipend, the only means of income to the family?! "Just go away. Don’t waste my time" Sridhar chided upon her and adjusted his spectacles. She meekly left from there. While she was leaving, she saw 10 missed calls from Dr. Ajay. She rushed to ABC. "What the hell happened with you? Why didn’t you lift the calls?" "Sir I was in Neurosurgery" "Why the hell have you been there? Don't you know that you have to be in ABC?" Her eyes welled with tears which trickled down from her eyes. Ajay softened his face "Sorry if I am harsh. HOD sir was calling me to send you to his chamber. As you were not there, I was anxious. Please don’t take it personal" Pranitha felt so relieved with his compassionate words and decided to share her problems to get relieved from this impending boom in her head which deafened her ears and numbed her thoughts. Ajay listened carefully. "Such things happen in these departments. Being a surgeon, you have to bear all this. Be strong. Did you go through all the cases clearly? HOD sir will ask you." she was dumbstruck. She forgot all about that due to the heat of the conversation with Sridhar. “One-minute sir I will go through again. "You have no time" immediately he got a call. "Yes sir. She is here. I will send sir. Okay sir" He cut the call and turned towards her with a sad face. "Sir was asking you to come immediately" She looked bewildered and helpless. Plastic surgery HOD Hari Prasad was talking to some other people while she waited patiently. The moment her turn came, the rapid fire round began. He began asking questions without gap. "What did you do in the ward?" "Sir! I went through all the cases. I checked some venesections which were leaking so I reinserted them, did some sterile dressings. Checked if the iv fluids were going properly" Hari Prasad looked derisively at her. "Fluids?! That's what even a nurse does" he laughed. "Are the referrals done?" "Yes sir. The paediatrician came and observed the cases. The first patient Rishiqa khatoor" He frowned "I don't care if it was Rishiqa khatoor or Kharishma Kapoor. Tell the cases properly" "Okay sir. 6yrs female, weighing 20kg, accidentally dipped in boiled water resulted 22% scald burn injuries" "What did he say?" “He suggested blood transfusion. And the 2nd bed was good. 3rd bed was hyponatremia. 125 Na level. Suggested repeat electrolytes" "What? First bed needed blood transfusion?! How much is haemoglobin?" "She has 7.2 and haematocrit 27" "Really?! Go and bring case sheet." She scurried to ABC to check the documents. To her shock, she realised that she was wrong. Actually, first bed patient had hyponatremia while 3rd bed patient needed blood transfusion. She gulped with fear. With a herculean effort to muster her courage, she confronted the HOD. "Did you find your mistake?" "Sorry sir!" "Don’t need your sorry. I gave you one simple task and you couldn't do that too? Shame on yourself" "Sir...” "You came late. Instead of meeting me you went to that Pavithra to chatter?" "Sir... she only asked me the details I was helpless" she told with painful expression with her voice choking and eyes welled with tears. "Don’t cry in front of me and just get lost" When she was passing out of the Plastic Surgery Department professor Pavithra, a middle-aged woman with wrinkled face and white apron spotted her "Did you get the details? What rank did the seats end in Open category in General surgery in OMC?" "Mam! I didn't know yet. Will let you know soon." She said "Didn’t you know yet?! I asked you long back. What were you doing till now? When I give you a task you have to do it. Don't you have respect to your professors?" "I was busy in duty since morning... didn't have time. My friends’ phones were either switched off or busy." Pranitha said tiredly. "Don't give me all those bullshit excuses." Pranitha couldn't fathom what to do. "Don't want to talk to you anymore. Get lost and send me the information" she chided on her and left from there. She didn’t know how to vent her frustration. Any wrong step would make her face the consequences and succumb to the mental torture. She was having a war within her. She wanted to scream aloud so that her vocal cords break forever. Then the flashes of the burnt patients came into her mind. Their helpless faces with brown burnt body with contuse wounds, with blood oozing out, disturbed her thoughts. They represent the chaos she was suffering