The first morning in Tezpur I met my next door neighbor Dr. J who works in the medicine department. She helped me get oriented to the hostel and suggested several activities we could do over the course of the next few weeks together.
I started on surgery with Dr. S. It was so busy – I can’t imagine being the only general surgeon at the hospital. Every day were rounds, surgeries, minor procedures, clinic and rounds again. I also found the OR footwear to be most interesting.
The hospital still has a traditional set-up with a male ward and a female ward in each department and a few private rooms. During morning rounds, the doctor writes a prescription for the family of any supplies or medications needed for the day with the patient’s family then purchases and brings back to the patient’s bedside.
After a few days on surgery, I moved to the radiology department where Dr. P was visiting the hospital for a few weeks. He is planning to come work there full-time starting at the end of the year. When he’s not there, the patients have to go into town for ultrasound exams at a private radiology office. X-rays and CT imaging is obtained at the hospital and read by outside radiologists.
In the evenings, the other residents at the hostel (who all work at the hospital in some capacity) taught me how to play badminton. I’m quite awful at it.