Rural Hospital

Our hospital is right opposite the railway station in Igatpuri. Being so close to the station means we see a lot of people coming and going. You can hear the trains pulling in and the whistles blowing all day long. It’s a sound we don’t even notice anymore, it’s just part of the background here at the Rural Hospital. The building is old but sturdy. It has that institutional feel, with high ceilings and wide doors. Since we are in Igatpuri, we get a lot of local folks from the surrounding villages and sometimes travelers who get sick while on the move. The air here feels a bit different than in the bigger cities, especially during the monsoon when everything turns green. We don't have a lot of fancy equipment, but we have the basics that people need. The waiting area is usually full of people sitting on the benches, talking quietly or just waiting for their turn. We try to keep things moving, but in a rural hospital, you learn to be patient. There’s a lot of paperwork and a lot of talking to families. We eat our lunch while watching the station entrance across the street. It’s a busy life but it feels useful. We’re just a regular part of the landscape here, right by the tracks, doing what needs to be done every day. It’s not a glamourous job, but it’s our job and we’ve been doing it a long time now.