The Advice

30/12/11, there we were, doing our ward rounds as usual. There's a new patient this morning it seems. She was Post-Op day 2, as she was retained in the ICU the day before. We were there seeing the removal of the central line and the drainage tube from the peritoneal cavity, carried out by Dr Madhuri, one of the senior PG (Post Graduate) students.

After the round ended, we again see our patients in the first floor, reading up their case sheets to understand more of what had happened, and why have they came to hospital. And there we stood, next to a patient, who had left us, speechless.

We were having a conversation with one of the patients of OBG (Obstetric and Gynaecology) department. She was referred to BMJH (Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital) from another hospital as the scan during the ANC (AnteNatal Checkup) showed fetus is no longer moving, and it was suspected that IUD (Intra Uterine Death) have took place after 27 weeks of gestation. As soon as she arrived in BMJH, the diagnosis was conformed. The fetus is already dead, and the pregnancy can't be continued. The dead product of conception has been removed through C-section.

We started the conversation by asking the patient how is she doing. She smiled, saying that she was alright, although i know, from her eyes, she was hiding the terrible pain that she's having, not from the site of the incisions from the C-Sect (Caesarean Section) i believed, but mostly, deep from her heart and her soul.

And then, one of my colleagues explained to us the history of the patient, as he was posted in the ICU the day before. The patient just smiled as she saw our colleague narrating her case, and as he ended the narration, the patient spoke to us.

Mrs N.B : "So you people are final year students? You all must study hard. You must save the baby when other people like me come. Don't let them lost their baby, like i did. The baby is very important for the mother. You people should not worry about the mother. You take care of the baby, and HE (God) will take care of the mother, insyaAllah."

She's very strong holding back her tears while giving us this advice. InsyaAllah, Mrs N.B, we'll try our very best to live up to what is expected from this line of profession. Be strong, God is testing you. And thanks again for the advice. We really appreciate it.

Ammal Dzulfiqar Ismail,
BMJH,
30th December 2011.