More Things Wrought By Prayer – Dr Promilla Butani’s Pediatric Journey
Summer of 1972 – I, a house surgeon in the pediatric ward of Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, on a twenty four hour duty. It was the night before our emergency day – So the ward was relatively quiet – as most beds had been vacant in anticipation of the heavy rush of admission, the next day. There was just one acutely sick child in the ward with broncho pneumonia who was battling for life. He suddenly took a turn for the worse and died despite all resuscitative efforts. One heavy emergency days – there was no time to think about the dead leave aside console the family or mourn or grieve. Death was common place occurring and turnover was so quick that before one could even think there was another sick infant there. The night was different – every one was upset in the ward but there was no time to ponder over his death because the child’s anguished father turned hysterical, became abusive and was on the verge of assaulting my physically. I was saved from being m