It must have been around midnight and I was feeling very drowsy after several bouts of vomiting and my abdominal colic was becoming uncontrollable. I was still vomiting inside the car, which was taking me to RIMS. "What did I take?" I tried to ponder when I heard my wife saying "Oh! He just had some hawaichar ametpa." (Chutney made from fermented soybeans). That gave me another shock of my life. "Pesticide poisoning and I am a doctor and I am going to RIMS, my own institute and at this hour and in this condition," I was very perturbed.

As the car neared the Uripok Maharani Bridge, my embarrassment turned into apprehension. I was apprehensive because a pharmacy boy could easily mistook me for a lady in labour pain and run after the car and stop it to flash his big smile and say "Madam, I am from the New Kangleipak pharmacy and please take the medicines from us. You can pay later on." I was also apprehensive of who would attend to me and whether they would give me the right drug at the right time. Wherever you may happen to be, if you happen to be a doctor you suffer from these symptoms.

Suddenly the car stopped and I saw the big neon sign "EMERGENCY" and as soon as the car's door opened two or three boys in hospital uniform attended to me and tried to shift me to a trolley. "I can walk! I can walk!" I shouted and protested but to no heed. I was wheeled inside in non-squeaking trolley fast inside the casualty. A young doctor in apron with a brand new Littman stethoscope around his neck immediately attended to me, "Sir, name, age… what happened and yes, yes and tell me more about it." He quickly examined me and signaled to a lady near a bunch of telephones, " Ma'am, a case of pesticide poisoning post hawaichar consumption and kindly page the Medicine Register." "And boys lets get the ABG done and Dr. Sanga please calculate the fluid requirement and sister Chanu the rest of the treatment kindly refer to the treatment chart." I was still wondering what had happened to RIMS when I overheard the lady's voice over the phone " Dr. KM Singh, case of pesticide poisoning call for you in Casualty, I repeat…"

I tossed about on the bed to see for Tada Tomcha the ward boy in casualty who used to go from one ward to another in the dark corridors with the call register in hand in search of the Medicine doctor. I thought if he would see me he would recognize me and may do it fast. Till now I didn't dare tell anyone that I was a doctor who passed out from RIMS. But as I turned and looked around I could see 10-15 patients and only one or two patient parties. This scene with no drunken horde of patient party around each patient was uncanny and uncomfortable. Now and then I heard the PA system coming to life, " Anabagee maming Choabi Devi mee yaobiradi Dr ga unabiyu."(Patients name Chaobi Devi, party requesred to meet Dr.). What was happening to RIMS! Again two nurses came along with Dr. Sanga and took my blood sample and the doctor wrote something on my treatment chart attached at the rear end of my bed. "Sister, R/L ani, D/S ama Asida pabiro ateidi." I could make out that he was a PG from Mizoram and I was glad that he wrote down his orders because I didn't want to suffer from a lingual catastrophe. In about another 5 minutes time Dr. KM Singh appeared with his team. " Good evening, I am Dr. KM Singh and our Medicine team will take care of you." I smiled and turned around to see for the patient party who accompanied me, "Where are you all, who will run and buy the medicines Dr. is going to write!" Dr. KM Singh smiled and told softly that I should not worry and the Central Pharmacy will take care of that and I could pay later on.

The computer terminal near the cabin where I was lying suddenly came into life and gave a printout. One PG student took it and declared, " ABG result all within normal limits." After examining me the team's head finally said, " He seems to be stable and he can go home after the drip. Let me see the pupil." Saying this Dr KM Singh took torchlight and flashed it into my right eye. "Oh! Its too bright, too bright!" I shouted and got up. I found myself sweating on my bed at home and all the lights in my room on. It was 2.00 am and the load shedding was over. It was indeed a nightmare but a good one indeed for my RIMS.