August 14, 2024 | 11:50 PM (Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi)
It was close to midnight, and the emergency ward of Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital resembled a chaotic railway platform. Patients and their anxious families crowded every corner, creating a suffocating sea of humanity. The overwhelming pressure on the healthcare system was glaringly evident as four to five junior doctors — only a couple of them women — worked tirelessly to manage the constant influx of patients.
The conditions were far from what one would expect in a reputed healthcare facility. The toilets, essential for both patients and staff, were filthy and utterly unusable. The unbearable stench and the non-functional flushes only added to the misery. Female doctors complained about the lack of basic amenities and safety during night shifts.
A female resident doctor, visibly exhausted, shared her frustrations: “The washrooms are horrible… unusable. The flush doesn’t work. We don’t have a separate duty room, and the bathrooms are so dirty that we avoid using them. There is no separate area for female doctors to rest, and we often feel unsafe.”
Another female resident added, “If you go around the entire hospital campus, you’ll see the unsafe environment we are living in. There are unlit corridors we have to navigate, especially when rushing to the blood bank at odd hours. We’re surrounded by a mob of patients. Anyone can enter at any time. It’s terrifying.”
The male doctors were equally vocal, particularly regarding the long working hours and lack of proper rest facilities. “Kuch nahi hone waala (Nothing will happen). The protests will happen and in two days, the HOD is going to tell everyone that it’s time to get back to work. I just got done with my duty, which was for 24 hours, and we have just one room with one bed for all of us. We take rest in shifts—sometimes sleeping for just an hour,” said a male resident doctor.
Adding to the grim reality, two senior doctors mentioned that we had arrived on a “good night”. It being the eve of India’s Independence Day, there were fewer drunk patients and fewer road accident cases due to heightened security. “On any other night, the crowd is at least three times what you’re seeing now,” said one doctor.
August 15, 2024 | 1:45 AM (Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi)
The scene at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital was not very different. Overcrowded emergency rooms, patients’ families sleeping on the floors, and a constant stream of incoming ambulances painted a picture of relentless pressure. The doctors, both male and female, had just one small room with two beds to rest, and no separate toilet facilities.
A female doctor expressed her concerns about safety and the lack of proper facilities. “I feel comparatively safe in the emergency department, but there’s still a lack of security when we move around the campus at night. There’s just one duty room with two beds, and no separate washroom for female doctors. It’s very inconvenient and unsafe.”
She continued, “At night, when we move between buildings, there’s no security. We have to go alone, and it’s scary. There are guards inside the buildings, but none in the open areas where we feel most vulnerable.”
A male doctor, echoing her concerns, said, “We’re constantly on the edge, not just due to the workload but because of the environment. There’s no place to rest properly, and the crowd never stops. It’s exhausting.”
August 15, 2024 | 2:30 AM (Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, New Delhi)
At Delhi’s oldest hospital, the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, the situation was the worst. The sight of a dead body lying unattended in the middle of the emergency ward for over an hour was both shocking and distressing. The entire hospital was infested with rats and cockroaches, making the working environment not just uncomfortable but downright hazardous.
One male resident doctor, visibly frustrated, described the conditions with resignation. “Whenever there’s a rush, or if patients or their families get violent, the security personnel are the first to run away. We’re left to handle the situation ourselves. The entire hospital is crawling with cockroaches and rats. We don’t sleep at night because of them — they crawl over us if we doze off.”
Female doctors at the hospital voiced similar concerns, particularly about safety and the lack of proper facilities. “Every day there’s some incident or another. Just yesterday, an entire family came and abused me, but there was nothing I could do. The work culture here is toxic, especially in the surgical branches. Sharing a duty room with male doctors is very awkward and uncomfortable,” said a senior female resident doctor.
The lack of security was a recurring theme across all hospitals. A female nurse shared her anxiety about travelling to the hospital at night, given how secluded the area is. “Security is an issue everywhere. My husband has to drop me off whenever I have a night shift. It’s not safe.”
Another female doctor, reflecting on the physical and emotional toll the work takes, said, “We’re used to working 36-hour shifts, sometimes without sleep or even a proper meal. The pressure is immense. Many of us are on the verge of burnout, and some have even quit, unable to cope with the stress. They think it’s better to do something else than be driven to suicide…”
The night shift in Delhi’s government hospitals reveals a stark reality — a healthcare system stretched to its limits, with doctors and nurses bearing the brunt of the inadequacies. The lack of basic facilities, unsafe working conditions, and the sheer physical and emotional toll on the medical staff highlight the urgent need for reform.
