World Emergency Medicine Day 2025: Here’s what actually happens behind those sliding doors in emergency ward

World Emergency Medicine Day 2025: Patients aren’t treated by arrival time, but by urgency (Image: Canva)

World Emergency Medicine Day 2025: May 27th is World Emergency Medicine Day. It is a day to show gratitude to the people who keep showing up under pressure. They work in the shadows of urgency, not for glory, but to give others a second chance.

Remember that classic line from the movie Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. when Munna cheekily questions the Dean about paperwork during a medical emergency: “Woh emergency mein form bharna zaroori hai kya, sir?”

We laughed then, but there’s truth tucked in that punchline. Because when a life hangs by a thread, the last thing anyone’s thinking about is paperwork. Behind those emergency doors is a world where seconds count, and human instinct often beats protocol.

When someone is rushed into emergency, it feels like chaos. But inside, a system is in motion. “Every shift feels like stepping onto a battlefield,” says Dr Neha Sharma, Attending Consultant, Emergency Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Manesar. “Not against an enemy, but against time and critical illness. In seconds, lives are assessed, decisions are made, and interventions begin. There's no rehearsal. Just reflex, training, and teamwork,” she says.

Dr Sharma recalls a patient gasping for air once in the Emergency ward when she was on duty. “We intubated, stabilised him, and moved him to ICU within minutes.” But there was no celebration. “We asked each other, could we have done more?” Emergency doctors carry this weight constantly. “Perfection is expected, even when the conditions aren’t,” she says.

Dr Sharma gives an insight into what really happens when you rush into emergency:

• Triage decides priority, not panic: Patients aren’t treated by arrival time, but by urgency. “Triage may seem harsh, but it saves lives,” says Dr Sharma.

• Every second counts: Vitals, scans, and critical decisions happen fast. “We act in seconds, there’s no room for hesitation,” she says.

• The team absorbs your fear: Families often panic. However, the  ER team stays focused, calm, and fast. “We take your fear and keep moving,” shares Dr. Sharma.

• It takes more than medicine: “Quiet stretches, shared laughter, deep breaths, these aren’t breaks; they’re survival tactics,” she says. Emotional recovery starts mid-shift.

• Doctors leave their lives at the door: “We set aside our own stress, kids, bills, grief, to fully show up for our patients,” she adds. That’s the silent sacrifice.