Hijab

by Guruprasad Kaginele

  Habiba smiled and said something in Sanghaali. Duniya wasn’t around to translate. Offering her apologies, Radhika turned towards Asha.

  Asha said, ‘I’m feeling very happy. And very proud too. I’m fully confident that this operation will be successful. It would be great if this program leads to our community starting to consider our doctors’ advice on what is good for their health.’ She smiled. Her metal braces were visible.

  ‘Ok, then let’s continue with no further formalities. Shall we?’ Radhika asked facing the camera and then there was a commercial break.

  Later the whole series of programs on Sanghaali Culture, their beliefs on Cesarean sections and so on, were replayed on TV.

  A half hour later, the cameras inside the operating room were switched on. Radhika was prepping Asha and O’Reilly prepped Habiba. Both the patients were given spinal anesthesia that immobilized them only from the waist downwards. They were still able to speak even while the surgery was in progress. A sterile sheet was hanging across their torso between the surgeon and the anesthesiologist who was standing by Asha’s head monitoring her. While the camera focused on Asha and Habiba’s faces, its wide angle lens included Radhika in the frame. Asha gestured that everything was fine holding both her thumbs up. She was in it for the ride and made no attempt to conceal it.

  Only Radhika’s forehead could be seen on the screen. Beads of sweat on it stood out as if to convey the tension of the drama and its importance to her.

  The TV girl continued her commentary. ‘Dr Miller and Dr Wilson from this hospital have already given spinal anesthesia to Asha and Habiba.’ She addressed Dr Wilson, ‘Doctor, is everything going as planned?’

  Dr Wilson raised his thumbs again indicating that everything was.

  ‘Now Dr Radhika will be making an incision on the skin. O’Reilly is already a step ahead. Since both the pregnancies are full term, there will not be many organs coming in the way between the skin and the uterus. All doctors agree unanimously that this will be technically an easy surgery. This is Habiba’s seventh baby. How is her surgery different from Asha’s?’

  ‘You should be asking that question to Dr O’Reilly. I’m operating on Asha.’ Radhika answered without looking at the camera, trying to focus on what she was doing. She appeared to be taking enough caution to not flutter the press.

  O’Reilly did not say anything. He looked at Radhika and continued with his surgery. Radhika, somewhat chastised, answered, ‘Technically there is not much difference between the two. Since this is Habiba’s seventh pregnancy and her previous three babies were delivered by Cesarean sections, we did not wait long for a normal delivery to avert unnecessary complications.’

  She was yet to finish when her eyes widened. There was fear in her eyes. She glanced at O’Reilly once and then looked at the camera and attempted to smile. Since she had her mask on, her eyes were the only windows to her emotions. She looked at the anesthesiologist and said, ‘Is her BP ok?’ She was intensely self-conscious about the fact that the camera was beaming the action taking place inside that operating room to millions of people. She tried to smile in an attempt to cover it. Her fake gestures and awkward body language unmistakably conveyed that something had gone wrong. A couple of minutes later she screamed looking at Asha’s belly, ‘Oh my god!’

  Suddenly the lights in the cafeteria went out and it was pitch dark inside. The power supply of the entire hospital was gone and the emergency lights came to life. The emergency Exit signs turned on and the TV screen went blank. The operator announced on the intercom, which was audible to the entire hospital: ‘Code Blue in operating room two…Code Blue in operating room two’. And just a minute or so later came another announcement: ‘Code Red in operating room two…Code Red in operating room two’. The intercom was obviously working.

  Hospitals have designated codes for all emergencies. Code Blue signifies a medical emergency which conveys that a patient’s life is in immediate danger. A button by the patient’s bedside when pressed triggers this Code Blue announcement from the hospital operator. Medical personnel in the hospital rush to the patient’s bedside whenever this code is called. And Code Red is called when there is an operational failure in the hospital like fire or even if smoke is detected somewhere.

  Now with the power outage in the entire hospital, it seemed that there was a short circuit and noticing smoke coming out of the operating room, someone had called Code Red. It felt a little excessive, but then at this time, it was clearly an appropriate response. I was also a bit puzzled about why the emergency power generators were not on.

  Why this Code Blue though? Everything was going on well and the broadcast progressed until Radhika exclaimed ‘Oh my god’. Then there were these perplexing Code Blue and Code Red calls successively. And the TV broadcast had completely stopped.

  Srikantha started running towards the operating room.

  I ran after him and glanced sideways to see if the TV was on. I couldn’t see anything.

  There was a big bustling crowd upstairs near the operating room. The Sanghaali community was present in full strength. Since these hospital hallways do not have any windows, only the battery-operated wall-mounted emergency lights glow regardless of day or night. Security outside the operating room was tight, and it had turned into a virtual fortress. People were trying to see what was happening inside using their phone flashlights. Srikantha and I had to struggle a lot to get inside even with our identity badges!

  When we went inside, Radhika told us, ‘Everything is alright. Code Blue was a false alarm. I noticed some bleeding. It was minor though. Not sure who pressed the Code Blue button; probably some nurse out of fear. There is nothing to be afraid of. Everything is under control. Why the Code Red? There is electricity in the operating room.’ Fear was writ large on her face. She was repeating herself.

  It appeared that the situation was under control. Was Radhika aware that the entire hospital did not have power and she was operating under the emergency light? How could she not be? The luminous lights of the TV crew that were hitherto shining were no longer there. Had none of these things come to her attention?

  In the events that had unfolded, did Code Red lead to Code Blue or was Code Blue the culprit that led to Code Red? Whether there was an electric outage that led to a botch-up, resulting in Asha’s bleeding or did Asha’s bleeding make someone preemptively cut off the power supply to prevent the mishap going live on national television? Who is this someone? How is it possible that when an expert doctor like Radhika was performing a routine surgery, there was excessive bleeding? Even if there was, how could Radhika, being in the middle of the surgery, cut off electricity? Hadn’t everyone seen her exclaim loudly on television?

  Or had someone with a vested interest determined not to let these C-sections go live? Did someone mess up the transformer distributing the power to the hospital, without getting into the complex calculus of these Code Blue and Code Red alarm systems? I checked if Kuki or Mohammad Mohammad was around.

  There was no constraint to thoughts floating in one’s mind—untrammeled, and apocalyptic! If there was, in fact, a vested interest for someone to stop this live broadcast, would they stop here? What if something else were to happen? Does Amoka have the resources to provide the security we need? Where is Rick Jackson now? Does the hospital need to be evacuated? What do we tell everyone? Where can we evacuate them to?

  Suddenly the lights came back in a flash! The moment the lights came on, the cameras started rolling without a moment’s delay. I could not see the live telecast this time as I was inside the operating room.

  Radhika said, ‘Please everyone, the Code Blue and Code Red have been cancelled. Other than the operating room personnel, everyone else please vacate the area.’ Possibly due to the ongoing chaos inside, the cameramen were a little frazzled. The cameras that were supposed to be focused on Asha and Habiba had every sundry medical staff and unrelated people in the frame. It was possible that these pictures were also being transmitted live.


  I looked at Asha’s face once. I thought that she looked somewhat pale. I could see Habiba’s face also in the camera monitor next to me. I noticed intense fear on her face. Looking at Asha’s pale face, I suspected that the bleeding may not have been as minor as Radhika made it out to be. Blood drenched surgical towels and heaps of blood red gauze pieces could be seen when I stood next to Radhika. ‘Have you made any arrangements for extra blood, in case it is needed?’

  Radhika was surprised to hear my voice. She could not immediately recognize me under the surgical mask that I wore. She appeared a little shaken at first and then said, ‘No, Guru. Everything is under control. Please leave me alone.’ She tried to shield her eyes away from me.

  ‘Radhika, I’m not here as the hospital’s chief of staff. Please let me help you.’

  I went to Saanvi and made my displeasure clear saying, ‘Please stop this broadcast. Remember that you are showing this to the whole world. Use some discretion.’

  ‘Guru, nothing is under my control now. This is a sponsored program. There are no full stops until someone gives a clear statement that there is something going on in this room that we should not telecast. Till then the camera will keep rolling. We have been given only a two-hour slot on TV. Do you think McDonald’s and Pepsi would sponsor this slot to broadcast the same clichéd discussions, expert analysis and armchair debates? Let’s show the world how you doctors navigate your way around these many hassles in doing what you do. Didn’t Radhika say just a little while ago that there were no issues? Trust me. Everything that has happened so far is for everyone’s good. We will get an amazing rating, way more than expected. I’m afraid that is how the cookie crumbles, my friend.’

  I couldn’t hold it any longer. ‘What does it take for you to stop the broadcast? Do I need to give a statement to the public on what’s happening here? I’ll do it. I am still the chief. Please zoom the camera here.’

  Radhika immediately came in front of me, facing the camera, ‘We just finished operating. Asha has delivered a baby boy and Habiba has delivered a girl. Due to unforeseen reasons, there were some interruptions in our broadcast. Everything has been addressed now. The mothers and babies are doing well. We had no problems with the Cesarean sections.’ After Radhika’s statement, the camera was zoomed on Asha and Radhika. Asha smiled weakly.

  Radhika continued, ‘I will have them moved to the recovery room. After about half an hour, they will be ready for your questions.’ Then Saanvi switched the camera off.

  Saanvi was in such a murderous rage that it seemed quite likely she was ready to kill someone right then. Radhika was in the recovery room with Asha and Habiba. I was the unlucky one left with Saanvi.

  ‘Guru, what kind of a hospital is this? How can there be a power outage at such a time? When the entire hospital is shrouded in darkness, what can we shoot? We were fully prepared for such emergencies and had brought our own generator. The hospital apparently does not allow outside generators and when we tried to explain why we needed it, your Rick Jackson, that self-righteous moron, brushed it aside by chiding us, “Do power outages ever happen in America?” And not just that, he rather pompously assured us that if there is any power cut, all the outlets in the operating room are powered by the hospital’s generator and we didn’t have to worry. Only the emergency lights in the operating room were working and even when we were ready to shoot with those lights, this damn Code Blue happens. If these many people barge into the operating room, where do we take our camera? How do we shoot? Who called this Code Blue anyway?’

  It was apparent that for Saanvi, her program was the be-all and end-all. Nothing else was important to her. My patience had reached its limit and I could not hold myself back any longer. ‘Shut up Saanvi!’ I said. ‘Your only concern is that you did not get your shoot done. Do you even know what Code Blue is? I do not know who called it. I also have no idea what happened. Please be quiet till I go inside and find out. You have got the footage that you needed. It has also been broadcast live. If you want, go ahead, edit and broadcast it again. Now I will go and have a word with Radhika.’ Having said what I had to say, I went inside.

  Radhika was sitting with Asha inside. She got up and came to the break room the moment she saw me.

  I looked at her and said, ‘What do you have to say about all these things?’

  ‘Guru, didn’t I tell you? It was a false alarm. I don’t gain anything by hiding things from you. The moment my scalpel touched the uterus, blood gushed out. It was true I was nervous and on top of it I didn’t know how many cameras were zoomed on me. Fortunately, there was this curtain between my hand and the camera. The nurse next to me reacted quickly and gave me the cautery to stop the bleeding. It was at this moment that the power went off. The electric cautery did not work. You are aware how our generators work, right? Whether there is power or not, the electric gadgets within the operating room should work. There is no margin for errors there. But other than the overhead lights, nothing worked. Finally, I had to look for the bleeding vessel and suture it manually. It may all seem minor now, but at the time it was a paralyzing moment. I almost had a brain freeze and did not know what to do. But I swear to god that I did not call for Code Blue. Nurse Hillary told me that it was the Anesthetist who did so. You can go ahead and ask him if you would like.’ She went inside saying that she had some work to do and that Asha and Habiba needed to give press statements.

  About two hours later, both Habiba and Asha Scott came before the camera. It appeared that Asha’s pale lips were generously painted. Both thanked Radhika and O’Reilly. They held their babies to the camera and kissed them. They invited me to the group photo. When I refused, Srikantha nudged me to say, ‘Why do you always prefer to get entangled in only the painful stuff? For a change, be a part of the joyous carnival.’ I went ahead and posed for the picture.

  I reviewed Asha Scott’s chart before closing out for the day. Since there was a Code Blue called, as the chief I had the legal authority to go over the chart without anyone’s permission. Everything in there was exactly like what Radhika had told me except for one. Asha was transfused with two units of blood. I looked at the time when that was done, and it overlapped with the time when Radhika was with me in the break room. The puzzling fact was that Radhika herself had ordered the transfusion. Did she forget to mention it to me? Or was it when she went back to check on Asha after talking to me that it was discovered she was low on hemoglobin and then decided to transfuse?

  I decided to have a chat with the anesthesiologist the next day. Jack Powell and I went home for the day, but only after ensuring that Asha and Habiba had safely retired to their rooms and their rooms were well-guarded.

  That night, NBC beamed a thirty-minute special under the title, ‘Live Cesarean section—A Success’. Radhika was on the panel answering viewers’ questions. Jack Powell and Amoka’s mayor were on it too. The Chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s African Studies was also in the discussion via satellite. Once again, the same clichéd topics related to Sanghaala’s internal and external strife, America’s role in it, Sanghaali immigration to America were discussed for the first ten minutes. They spoke about how a routine procedure like the Cesarean section could present so many problems to such a community and how initiatives like the one Radhika had taken are relevant to solving such issues and they congratulated Radhika. On the same panel was a Bangalorean woman, Mangala Nagarkar, from Ohio University who had done a PhD on Sanghaali Cesarean sections. This was the same woman whose thesis Radhika had tried to borrow with no success. And now she had come all the way from Ohio to participate in the panel discussion! ‘I wish Dr Radhika’s initiative opens the eyes of many Sanghaali women. In the present situation, where Cesarean sections have been rejected by the whole community and there is fear and uncertainty that those who have got them done could lose their lives, it is commendable that Dr Radhika has done this operation on two Sanghaali women under the full gaze of the world. I offer my congratulations to her. I’ve work
ed with these Sanghaali women. There are several forces that control them. Despite all the hurdles and the challenges that they had faced, Asha and Habiba have come forward to get this surgery done. I congratulate them too.’

  Radhika added, ‘My thanks to everyone who has helped and lent their cooperation to our program. It is my wish that this program dispels all the wrong beliefs among the Sanghaali women about the Cesarean sections.’ She didn’t seem to have much enthusiasm to add anything else.

  Fox News and Al-Jazeera broadcast another program under the title ‘A Song of Fire and Blood—Code Blue and Red’. In its report they showed a video clip taken from the other side of the operating room, behind Radhika’s back. It was clear that someone had shot it on a mobile phone standing behind Radhika. This was only a fifty second clip, and in it we could see the blood-soaked gauze pieces and the blood red towel, the ones that I had seen before. And not just that, I could see my back in the video which meant that this video was taken after we had responded to the Code Blue. The incision on Asha’s belly and other parts of her body was blurred.

  This video clipping left no doubts in my mind that it was not Saanvi alone who was doing the filming in the operating room. The fifty second video clip was played repeatedly with a ticker below proclaiming, ‘Is the Cesarean section a safe surgery?’

  The voiceover in the TV channel took a hard line: ‘Until now the Sanghaalis have their own reasons for opposing the Cesarean section, which is accepted as a routine procedure by many of us. Now when we viewed this surgery being performed, it frankly looked quite scary to many of us also. If you see here, the camera is showing us pictures of the operating field. We can only see blood-soaked towels and bloodied gauze pieces. Does a routine Cesarean section always cause such bleeding? Why was the Code Red called while the surgery was in progress? Isn’t Code Red, a protocol for emergencies such as fire and smoke? Until now, no representative from the hospital has clarified as to who called for the Code Red. Dr Guru, the hospital’s chief of staff has stated that Code Blue was called by the anesthesiologist with the assurance that there will be an enquiry about it. What do our medical experts say?’