Disclaimer- This is a work of fiction and not to be taken seriously.
At the Scholars’ Avenue, next to the Tech Market, the BC Roy Technology Hospital stands proud and welcoming to the students on campus; an institution of trust and security in their “home away from home”.
It’s the freshers’ first month of classes at IIT KGP- being late to class, skipping class, sleeping through lectures…. falling off cycles, and eating questionable mess food; but it’s been a good month because they have faith in their hospital and its troop of well-trained and dedicated doctors.
The Garlic got hold of one such assured freshie — Prithvi (name changed) — on his way out of the hospital.
“What brings you here today, Prithvi?”
Speaking to us, he narrated his first experience with the hospital and its staff.
In an accident neither uncommon to nor unexpected for the average KGP kid, Prithvi had sustained injuries on his knee from falling off of his cycle that morning, owing to a chain mishap (No, not an excuse. Not when you’re at the hospital.)
The wound didn’t look too bad, he had gotten hurt worse before, but he wanted to take care of the situation like the pragmatic adult he was.
Equipped with large hostels with sensible hallmates, the bountiful Tech Market, multiple eateries, and of course, the Reverend BC Roy hospital, the remote KGP campus fills its newly-adult students with the invigorating spirit of independent living and the confidence to take care of any and all issues on their own.
Reassured by this confidence, Prithvi made his way to the hospital. At the reception desk, after explaining his ailments to a distracted staff member, he was directed to Dr. Sen (name changed), an orthopedist.
“After sitting outside her room for 20 minutes, the doctor was ready to see me”,
Prithvi told us.
“For the first few minutes, as I sat on the chair opposite the doc, she seemed more interested in my medical book than in me.”
Having made sure Prithvi was indeed a legitimate student of the institute, Dr. Sen listened half-heartedly to the cause, area, and severity of his injuries, while fiddling with seemingly irrelevant things on her desk with a purposeful and deliberate expression.
She then asked to be shown the wound.
“One look at my knee and her face contorted into a look that did not inspire confidence.”
Dr. Sen mumbled to herself while examining Prithvi’s knee from multiple angles. She sighed with exasperation. The doc seemed confused.
Prithvi felt guilty about having fallen so clumsily that he confused the well-trained and skilled orthopedist.
“You need to get surgery, kid,” said the doc conclusively.
*silence*
“But, why? The wound doesn’t seem very bad.” *nervous laughter*
“Mmm… It shouldn’t look like that.”
“Oh no! What does it look like… and why?”
“It looks bad. Here, get this ointment and these medicines from the dispensary and go to the surgeon.” *hands him the medicine slip*
“Which surgeon?”
“The nurse outside will tell you.”
“Okay…. Umm, is this a very serious injury?”
“By the way, I have a YouTube channel.”
*blinks* “Okay…”
Weird…. but a medical YouTube channel might be something the student community could use. Is she going to give me tips on my condition from her channel?
“I’m a dancer. I perform on popular Bollywood songs.
Do check out my channel. Just look my name up on YouTube.
I’m almost at 1000 subscribers and I upload videos every week, and I do my own
choreography.”
*more silence*
“Tell your friends about it too. And don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit the bell icon for notifications.”
*cricket noises*
*smiles*
“Ma’am, when can I see the surgeon then?”
“The nurse will tell you everything,” said Dr. Sen, as she reclined into her chair, satisfied with her honest day’s work.
The Garlic : “Oh my! What did you do then?”
Prithvi : “I bid my farewell and went outside, but couldn’t find the nurse anywhere. I’ll be
back tomorrow morning again to find the surgeon.”
The Garlic : “That’s rough on you, mate. Take care!”
The Garlic regrets the populace of KGP getting so healthy, that the hospital’s medical staff have to spend their office hours indulging in hobbies to fill their time and distract themselves from dwindling work, while hospitals in Kolkata become a bigger competition than ever before.
As Prithvi walks to his cycle with a head full of worry and a bag full of unnecessary painkillers, he pulls out his phone, presumably to check out Sen’s YouTube channel.
