Three of our senior staff retired in the past two years, during the short time I have been in the Community health department at CMC. An Obstetrician, a community health worker and a staff nurse. I have some observations from these events.
First, a retirement party means, almost always a long term association; in a set-up which has been full and functional for a reasonably long period of time. For CHAD (Community health and development) rural center, the requirements are very well met. CHAD has been around for about 50 years now; a center that provides health care by means of a secondary level hospital as well as community services. So we need doctors (general physicians, obstetricians, pediatricians, and public health personnel), nurses, ANMs (Auxiliary nurse midwives), drivers, social workers, grass root level community health workers and lots of support staff; in all about 180 people.
And trust me, when any one of these people, after two or three decades of work that involves challenging situations; retire, it’s phenomenal. Some people (Or may be most people find speeches boring), but these speeches are not the ones that are pretentious or superficial. These are speeches that have been woven out of memories of hardship, of belonging and the feeling of being one big family. A lot of things that come out show the camaraderie required to work for the community.
Well, there’s humor, there are a few tears and there’s a full tummy (The person retiring, throws the department a lunch/ snacks) and he/she in return is gifted with the traditional fruit-basket, flowers and the shawl draped around the neck; as a mark of respect.
Everyone probably leaves the hall, thinking of the time when they will retire. For me, an infant in our field, old age seems far away (Just like the twenties seemed far away when I was eight!). But one thing is for sure, a retirement/ farewell is warranted, only if you have made a mark and contributed in ways more than one!