Calcutta Oncology Clinic

Our clinic is located at number 5 Harish Mukherjee Road. It’s a very specific spot because we are right across from the P.G. Hospital and near the Gurdwara. Being in this area means there is constant movement. You see people coming from the hospital across the street, looking tired or worried. Our waiting room is usually quite full by ten in the morning. We have simple chairs lined up against the walls and a small desk where the registration happens. The walls are painted a pale color that’s supposed to be calming, I think, but mostly it’s just plain. We don't have a lot of decorations. There’s a water cooler in the corner that rattles when it’s running. The doctors go from room to room, and we try to keep the files in order, though paper stacks up quickly. Sometimes the sound of prayers from the Gurdwara drifts in when the traffic dies down for a second. It’s a serious place, given what we do here, but we try to keep things practical and moving along. People come from all over the state, often having traveled for hours on the train just to get here. We see the same faces every few weeks, and you get to know their stories even if you don't say much. By the time we close up, the streetlights are on and Harish Mukherjee Road is still packed with taxis. We tidy up the desks and get ready to do it again.