Volunteers

(15 jun ’08)

            At least once a week I get a call from a retired man or a housewife with time on her hands, requesting to do social work. I know what they mean is voluntary work.

            Why me? Because I work in a hospital. I try to explain to them that we have enough staff thank you, but sometimes, yes, there’s a shortage of wardboys. Would they help out then? Cleaning bedpans maybe? Mopping vomit? Wiping drool? They think I’m joking. So I ask them what sort of voluntary work would they like to do, and they say, “anything”. My turn to wonder whether they’re joking.

            Most of these callers have altruistic intensions, I haven’t a doubt. But what happens when they’re actually taken on board is that: “my mother-in-law is arriving, won’t be able to come in today” or “I had sudden guests” or “I couldn’t wait that long for a bus so I gave up” or worst of all, when they don’t inform at all, assuming that if they’re not being paid for a job, it need not be done. The fact that they’ve given their word has no value. As a result, over a period of time, we actually have interviews of volunteers and give them a probation before we take them seriously. Even then, there are expectations: “Can’t we meet so and so doctor without an appointment?” “Can we go in without a voucher (that means without paying the fees)?” Out of turn favours are demanded. So the voluntary work is seldom without a motive.

            This morning, I got one such call. I told the caller that my hospital was far away from his home, why not choose something closer? “Like what?” he asked puzzled. I suggested a municipal hospital close by. In spite of the distance and the fact that we didn’t know what the other looked like, I could perceive the surprise on his face. A municipal hospital? Was I out of my mind? A highly educated, respectable, well to do person like him? So I changed tactics. Why a hospital, there were so many avenues he could explore. “Like what?” for the second time. Try the passport office, I said. “Passport office?” he echoed. Yes, I said, there’s such a crowd there and the staff is terribly overworked. Why not help those tired souls in the queue with the documents, checking them out without taking money instead of the touts and agents who fleece them? Even the government would be grateful. Naaa. I could practically hear his scream. What about lending the cops a hand? A week’s training and you could manage the traffic in your neighbourhood. Prevent accidents, prevent injuries, save pedestrians from using hospitals at all, what say? You’re an upright citizen and you could do so much….he slammed the phone down. Next time I’ll suggest the railway station. Maybe that’ll work. Maybe he had something against the Mumbai police.

            Not all volunteers are like that. I’ll take some names: Harsha Deshmukh worked very well for the kidney transplant program. Jyoti Nagda for oncology. Manissha Wadhwa and Uma Jaitley are doing a limited but brilliant job with the children. They are so involved that it’s hard to believe they aren’t a part of several families who have adopted them well after their children have departed/got discharged/grown up.

            A lot of people get overwhelmed by “I must do something for this world before I die” or “I have so much to offer to the underprivileged” or “I need to earn brownie points to get into heaven or to get a better life next time”. India gives you plenty of opportunities. We have poor people, starving people, illiterate people at every corner. Don’t need to search for orphans, strays, deprived, deranged, homeless, dying… they’re all within reach. Plus, there is garbage to be cleared, greenery to be saved, animals to rescue, heritage to preserve…please keep a cutting of this article.  The next time you say or even want to say, “I want to do something, I don’t know what”, do read it.

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