Bureaucracy can sometimes be very frustrating. I visited the Salboni hospital one day to know about the general health concerns of the people with an added emphasis on pregnant mothers. I wanted to speak to the Block Medical Officer (BMO) but he was not in office and I was told to speak to the nurse-in-charge. Much to my chagrin she told me that she was new in this hospital and couldn’t help me. Having said as much she went back to bickering with a fellow nurse about the assignment of duty.

I had wandered aimlessly around the hospital which wore a deserted look looking for someone to speak to, someone who would be of some help to me. The beds were near full owing to the outbreak of dengue. Finally, I went back to the office to ask for the BMO’s number. I was given a landline number as they didn’t have the permission to share his personal number.

Weeks passed after that and I got busy. I again dropped by the hospital as I was nearby due to some other work. Again the BMO was missing as ‘he had to go to the court for some work’. So today I tried calling up on the landline number. For four hours the line was busy. Finally, I gave up around noon. People in positions of power and responsibility should be easily accessible but here everything works in reverse. They remain as elusive as the will-o-wisp.