IN-SIGHT: The Man with a Stick

by Dr Isha Chaudhari - Consultant at Dr Shroff's Charity Eye Hospital

"A few days back I was walking on the road outside the hospital, a road I seldom take on foot. Manoeuvring a car through the double-parked roads, with pedestrians who couldn’t care less for their lives, I hardly ever notice the people, just their bodies I avoid hitting or touching. When on foot, I was the pedestrian saving myself from the maniacs on two-wheelers and cars wider than the road itself. I was just about to reach the hospital gate, when I saw a man with a stick, walking almost in the middle of the road, his stick tapping the road with each tick of the watch and a bike missing him by a hair’s breadth. Even at a distance I could see him unperturbed. I instantly understood that he is a patient from our hospital, going back home after a visit. I couldn’t help being disturbed by the fact, that he was alone. Taking a bus… alone, crossing a road… alone, waiting in long registration queues… alone, finding the right room in the maze of a hospital… alone and lastly, not having a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on after hearing some bad news. A pinch of extra waiting here or there goes without saying. All of it… alone.

My mind was just spiralling into thoughts about what all can go wrong from him being alone, when I reached closer to him. Two men walking in front of me ran into him before I could. He gently touched the shoulder of one then and asked where the bus stop was. They not just guided him but also gave him a walking time estimate. This man with the stick then crossed me with a confident stride. His assured pace allayed my anxiety a tad. I watch him walk away for a few seconds, and only when I lost him behind a building could I turn my gaze back to where I was heading. I walked back thinking, if I am doing enough?

We work tirelessly to make the lives of people without sight better. I genuinely feel that what we do makes a difference. We can’t touch the lives of everyone, but for sure we are contributing and maybe much more than most people. But is it enough?

This was one man, who dared to make this trip alone, but what about the others? Sitting in the OPD room, sometimes, we very casually call for visits every few days, or prescribe drops without realizing that they may not be carrying that kind of money with them. We are considerate and passionate, but maybe not a one hundred percent, but maybe not each second of the day, but I guess, that’s understandable. We are human too. But is 99% enough?

Apart from the helplessness I felt in that moment, I also felt a little shame. I am not sure why. Maybe because deep down, I think I am not doing enough to help someone like that man with the stick. I am not sure what effort or what change can make me feel like I have done enough, but till I do feel satisfied, I will not let this man with the stick leave my thoughts."