A memorable patient: Bridging medicine

doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7341.823

BMJ 2002;324:823 ( 6 April )

Filler

A memorable patient

Bridging medicine

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the early 1990s, as a registrar at J J Hospitals in Mumbai (Bombay), I had the experience of a lifetime. J J Hospitalswas situated in a Muslim area of the city, and most of its catchmentpopulation were Muslim community whereas most of the doctors wereHindu. With trust between patients and doctors paramount, thedifferent religious beliefs had never vitiated the congenial atmosphereat thehospital.

Then, on 6 December 1992, some Hindu radicals demolished the Babari mosque at Ayodhya, igniting widespread riots. Fundamentalistsin both communities set on each other $---$ destroying shops, burningvehicles, and attacking individuals of the opposite faith. Hundredswere killed and thousands injured. The normally busy, vibrantcity of Bombay, an epitome of religious harmony, was transformedinto a virtual war zone, with seething hatred and distrust. Facedwith the stupendous task of managing the countless casualtiespouring in, every resident was workingrelentlessly.