Safdurjung Hospital

Working in the Department of Medicine here in Ansari Nagar keeps everyone on their toes. It’s not a quiet job. We get people coming from all over, not just from the local neighborhood. Most of the time, the hallways are packed with families waiting for news or a consultation. We try to see everyone, but there are only so many hours in a shift. The building itself shows its age in some spots, but that's just how it is with a place this big and busy. We spend a lot of time looking at charts and talking to patients about their symptoms. It’s straightforward work, really. No one is here for the decor. They come because they need help with their health. We have interns running around and senior doctors trying to manage the flow. Sometimes the tea stall outside is the only break we get in a ten-hour stretch. You get used to the smell of antiseptic and the sound of trolleys clicking on the floor tiles. It is a constant cycle of admitting people and discharging them once they are stable enough to go home. We just stay focused on the patients in front of us. It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s what we do here every day in this part of the hospital. It’s a big machine and we are just small parts of it making sure things don't stop because the work is important and there is always someone needing attention.