Doctors' Dashain: A Different Reality

Kathmandu. While the whole country and its citizens are enjoying the joy and enthusiasm of Dashain, a different scene is visible in the emergency rooms, wards, and operating rooms of hospitals.

Everyone wishes to spend time with family, enjoying tika, jamara, meat, sweets, and a pleasant atmosphere, but for doctors and health workers, the festival season becomes even more responsible, challenging, and busy than other times.

In this context, here is an edited excerpt of an interview conducted by Ratopati with Dr. Saroj Gohivar, MDGP & Emergency Medicine Consultant working at National Trauma Center and Om Hospital & Research Center (the full video can be watched and listened to):

The medical profession requires continuous work and spending time in the hospital. How satisfied are you with this profession? After entering this profession, personal happiness is not enough. This is a profession for others. Therefore, I prioritize patients, professional duty, and responsibility over my personal life. Seeing some of the current circumstances can sometimes lead to disillusionment, but personally, I have never regretted choosing this profession. I am proud to be a doctor.

What is it like to be on duty at the hospital when everyone else is enjoying with their families? Everyone wishes to be with family and relatives during festivals, receive blessings, and have fun. However, due to the need to prioritize professional duty and responsibility, one must move forward by balancing both.

Dr Saroj Gohiwar1

Did you have to work during previous Dashains as well? Yes, I mostly work during Dashain. We have to coordinate duties with colleagues. After I work during Dashain, I get leave during Tihar and Chhath.

What are your experiences with patients and their attendants in the hospital during festivals? The hospital environment is also a bit different during festivals. Since patients and their attendants are away from their families, they need not only treatment but also humanitarian sympathy. Just two words, 'We are with you,' can be like balm on their wounds. In the emergency, some lament, saying 'Is it Dashain or disaster?' At such times, we try to console them and provide positive energy, which fosters an emotional bond between the patient and the doctor.

Don't your parents urge you to come home during Dashain? Of course, there are requests. My parents are happy when I visit home once or twice a year. But my parents are understanding and comprehend the seriousness of my profession. Therefore, they are confident that I will come during Tihar even if I can't come during Dashain.

How is the patient load during festivals compared to other days? We discharge patients with common ailments and send them home. However, the emergency room (emergency) does not stop for festivals. Since people tend to celebrate more during festivals, we see patients with health problems arising from food poisoning, traffic accidents, and excessive alcohol consumption.

During such times, the health worker staff is کم (less), how is the management done? We manage duties by arranging compensatory leave among ourselves (internal coordination of the respective department).

Dr Saroj Gohiwar2

Do you have any unforgettable moments from working during festivals? I recall an incident while working at Kathmandu Model Hospital. On the day of Dashain, a mother who was admitted in the ward after surgery applied tika to me and gave me her blessings – 'Son, may you always be loving to everyone, never be arrogant.' I still remember that moment.

In what situation do doctors find the most happiness? Patients are in pain when they come to the hospital. As an emergency physician, it is our duty to relieve the patient of pain as quickly as possible. When patients who arrive in critical condition recover, a smile appears on their faces, and they say, 'Thank you, Doctor,' there is no greater happiness or success for us than that.