Abhishek Kumar

In June 2001, a young man was hired as an attendant in the X-ray department at Sahara Hospital. Sahara
was a 300-bed community hospital. The duties of the X-ray attendant consisted chiefly in calling for
patients in their rooms transferring them from the bed to the wheel-chair or stretcher, taking them to
the department, helping them into position in the X-ray rooms, and then returning them to their own
rooms. This occupied the full time of one person. Mrs. Ashima, the Personnel Director, had always found
this one of the most difficult jobs to fill. Because of the amount of lifting involved the attendant had to
bet good physical condition, and at the same time he had to be acceptable to the patients. He had to be
able to find his way around the hospital, to follow directions, to work on his own. Yet the job was a dead
end; the Personnel Director believed that it did not prepare the attendant for any other position.
Turnover on this job was as high as anywhere in the hospital.

The X-ray department was known among hospital personnel as a friendly place. The chief radiologist, Dr.
Suresh and his assistant Kamles were well-liked by their people. The department secretary and five
technicians, all girls, seemed to enjoy one another's company and their work. In the mornings they made
in a tiny room of the department, and they often put up little seasonal decorations around the desk.
CIRCULATION ONL

The young man who was hired as attendant was Abhishek Kumar. When he applied for the work, he said
that he wanted to go to the higher education but for that he had to work for at least a year first in order
to save some money. He considered the hospital as offering him a chance to be in contact with people,
where he could be a service. When Mrs. Ashima, described the job of an X-ray attendant, he accepted it
at once. Mrs. Ashima, felt happy that job was now filled for the next 12 to 18 months. Follow-up cheeks
in the next few weeks indicated that Abhishek Kumar was rapidly learning his way around the hospital,
that he was enjoying the job, and that the department was delighted to have him. After the first month,
OR PRIVATE Mrs. Ashima exchanged greetings with Abhishek from time to time in the corridors or the
cafeteria, but she had no occasion for serious conversation with him. Consequently, Mrs. Ashima, was
surprised in February 2002 when a notice of resignation for Abhishek Kumar was delivered to her desk.
Curious and disappointed, she glanced at her watch; still an hour before he was through-perhaps, she
could catch him for an exit interview. Abhishek Kuma came to her office and talked readily enough. As
explanation for his quitting he simply described a single trip from one of his mornings at work. "What
next?" Abhishek asked the secretary, in the X-ray department. It was 11 O'clock in the

morning and he was almost at his first pause for a breath.

Mrs. Jaishree, West Third; bring her down for another treatment. Then take the man who's in that wing,
you might as well run up to 614 on the same trip and get John. Dr. Bali wants another picture to see how
his back is knitting. He'll go in room C." "Yeah? Give me the requisitions." ONLY
"Who has time to make out requisitions" she laughed. "Check the order book here if you forget."

Abhishek set out for the West Wing. As he stepped off the elevator on the third, the charge nurse looked
up from the desk, "Well glad you finally got here gan to think Mrs. Jaishree never would go down for her
treatment and back again so we could get her fixed up; 322, you know." ULATION

Mrs. Jaishree was a large woman with a Voice to match. She had not enjoyed her morning of waiting,
without breakfast, to go down for another treatment. "What do you mean, am I rendy?" were her first
words. "I've been peady for two hours, young man. If some of your husky people here were sick once in
a while yourselves, you might have a little more sympathy instead of keeping us waiting. Ooooh, careful,
young man. Do you have to be so rough? Watch out. Don't drop me. You've tucked that blanket too tight
around my toes. There; that's better." In the elevator the operator said. "Straighten out that stretcher;
Still three more people coming on here."

"Let's see, now." Abhishek said as he wheeled Mrs. Jaishree into the X-ray department. "Room C." she s
Abhishek manoeuvred the stretcher as close to the X-ray table in Room Cas he couldy it, then lifted Mrs.
Jaishree onto the table and helped her to roll on to her side in the position required for the treatment.
Just then the technician walked in. "Hello, Mr. Abhi....... This isn't the right patient, Abhishek" she said.
FOR PRIVATE

"Mrs. Jaishree she gets a treatment here every other day." He said. Then added, "It's on the order book."

"She doesn't come in here," the technician replied, heading for the desk with Abhishek at her heels.
"Room A," she concluded from the order book. "Move her in there. And when you bring John down, ask
the nurse for his folder. She was supposed to send it with the messenger this morning but there must
have been a slip-up somewhere.