Looking around!

I notice this Magpie Robin on the roof of our cottage in most morning,  looking around and planning its flight path. It resides in the nutmeg tree. I have yet to notice it with its mate! 

As I watch these postures several times, I believe it is its nature to sense the space round it before it can begin its day. 

I have been aware of the changing circumstance in which I work. Many things have changed in the department and in the institution where I work. Some of them are attributable to the Corona pandemic. There are others on account of the changes which come along with the growth of the institution and the department. The institution is trying to find its identity in health care leadership in the suburb of a city, which is the health care capital of the state. So it has adopted a strategy to capture the gaps that exist in health care domains in other tertiary care facilities in the city. It has other competing institutions which have attracted patients who were regulars in this institution.

As a department, I find that the struggles of firming up its roles has been too many. With eight years of its history, it is still in a state of defining its role. I feel awful about the tentativeness with which the department is moving on! 

It is a difficult exercise for a department engaged in offering service to developmentally challenged children to become financially viable. It can happen only when many services re clubbed together. It is one specialty which cannot flourish with a 'minimalistic' approach. It is through diversification of services at the tertiary care level for children such as short term residential care,  a sleep monitoring facility, a mini electrophysiological lab, Video EEG service, an orthotic and prosthetic service, training programme for professionals,  link with schools in the neighbourhood, this specialty can prosper and become economically viable. This needs initial investment and patience to wait and watch.  

Looking back, I feel we have remained at the cross road for too long, although this expansion strategy was under discussion for five ears. We ended up pursuing a patchy approach and not an integrated approach. That has perpetuated status-quo, which is a deterrent for progress and to evolve a new momentum. 

We learn from our history. 

Now that only on-line services were possible for the last four months since the pandemic has restrained us, we have gone back to where we were six years ago. I am not sure whether recovery would be in the horizon. 

A new strategy might be needed!

So I return to the Magpie Robin! It finds its flight path after due appraisal. 

I wonder whether it is a time to entrust the efforts to a new leadership and allow the department to find its path! 

I find the urge to pursue that direction and stay available if needed. 

I find an opportunity in offering on-line consultation in developmental neurology more widely.  There are some openings for it!

So a time of transition is beckoning me! 

The Magpie Robin does not stay looking around except for a short time, to prepare itself  to move on!

So it is the time to move on and allow others to design another strategy!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)