“[TITLE]”

By

Ellen Gangadeen
FADE IN:
SCENE 1 – THE HOSPITAL ROOM
The consultant speaks to a patient while the two other
members of her team stand in. The conversation has been
going on before the audience can see.
PATIENT
I just don’t understand how this could
happen to me of all people. I mean, I
never even really do anything.
CONSULTANT
Well, you were lucky that this is
treatable and we were able to diagnose it.
Some women don’t even have any symptoms
and end up never knowing.
PATIENT
I’m just glad that it’s not AIDS or
something. At least I can be treated and
no one will ever have to know about this.
Thank God for that. I learnt my lesson.
CONSULTANT
Yes, it’s not the end of the world. You
can have a completely normal life and no
one will ever find out unless you choose
to tell them. But your secret is safe
here.
SCENE 2
Consultant is now alone with the two House Officers. They
discuss a presentation for Grand Rounds the next day.

CONSULTANT
Hey, I want you to add this case to our
presentation for Grand Rounds tomorrow.
HOUSE OFFICER 1
yea, yea sure. I could carry it home and
work on it.

2
 CONSULTANT
Have you lost your mind? That is a patient’s file. I would
prefer that not leave the hospital. We must be very careful
with such confidential information. Do it before you leave.
(Consultant leaves)
HOUSE OFFICER 1
Boy, I rel hungry. Lewwe go eat nah. I
ain’t eat nothing for the day. (picks up
file)
HOUSE OFFICER 2
Me too. You carrying that? (points to
file).
HOUSE OFFICER 1
Yea, we can work on it while we eating. It
wudnt leave the compound. It safe.
HOUSE OFFICER 2
Ok, ok. What’s that case anyway?

HOUSE OFFICER 1
(opens file) oh, this is the chlamydia patient. (name).
(pauses). I find she look familiar tho. But I don’t know.

Continues walking to rooftop

SCENE 3 - ROOFTOP
The two doctors sit while eating and chat.
HOUSE OFFICER 2
I rel not feeling to do this right now.
You know how tired I is. I cud just go
home and sleep.
HOUSE OFFICER 1
Me too. (consultant) aint easy. I feel I
wud work on this later tonight. (takes out

3
 phone to take a picture of the file)
HOUSE OFFICER 2
Send me that on whatsapp.
HOUSE OFFICER 1
Yea, yea
HOUSE OFFICER 2
(waits a while) But I aint get it yet!
HOUSE OFFICER 1
Well wait nah, you know how mt hope wifi
is already. (goes to check phone.) Oh
shit! I send it to the wrong person. Why
everybody is name dey chirren Sean. I have
about 3 on my phone. Lemme call this man
and explain.
(calls friend)
HOUSE OFFICER 1
Ey, how u going dey? Just delete my last
message. I was supposed to send it to
somebody else. (laughs nervously)
FRIEND
Ooh ho. Yea, daz no scene. Doh beat up.
(hangs up)
HOUSE OFFICER 2
You realize u just send the patient the patient info to a
random person?
HOUSE OFFICER 1
Nah, daz meh boy. Plus he wudnt understand
all them big words. He doin Social
Sciences. That wudnt mean anything to him.
HOUSE OFFICER 2
I hope so

4
SCENE 5 - VIRAL
The friend checks his phone.
FRIEND
(goes to delete pictures) Why people can’t accidently send
me nudes or something. Gosh. Lemme see here. (zooms in on
pic). Doctors cant write for shit. Look at chicken scratch
handwriting……… Wait nah. I know that name. That’s the girl
from class. Hoss, lemme really see what it write here.
(squints to try to see, reads inaudibly)
Chlamydia!! Ent that’s an STD? weyss. Hoss.
(dials another friend)

FRIEND
ey, ent u know (name ) from class?

FRIEND 2
Yea, wham to she?
FRIEND
She have chlamydia
FRIEND 2
But what is that?
FRIEND
That’s an STD
FRIEND 2
oh goud…like AIDS. But she rel quiet and thing. I doh
believe that. Where u hear that?

FRIEND
Doh study that. But I get it from a
reliable source. Watch. (sends pic)

5
Friend 2 posts pictures on whatsapp group. People comment
in disbelief. Pictures go viral on whatsapp and facebook.

SCENE 6
Girl at home in front of computer. Sees a bunch of messages
in her inbox.

PATIENT
But what’s going on here?
(Reads some messages of people calling her names)
How would they know this. I never told anyone.
(Eventually she scrolls thru fb and sees the picture of her
medical notes.)

SCENE 7 – THE CONFRONTATION / BREAKDOWN

The consultant reprimands the two house officers and warns
them that there will be consequences. Meanwhile, the girl
walks through her school while being taunted and called
names.
CONSULTANT
So, congratulations. We are being investigated thanks to
your carelessness. A report has been made against us. You
have ruined a young girl’s life in a way you can never fix.
(Doctors hang their heads in shame and
fear)
(Scene cuts to girl walking through school
being teased

CONSULTANT
As doctors, we have sworn an oath. Our
patients count on the space of trust that

6
 confidentiality provides. When someone
breaches that trust, we are all worse off
for it.
(Girl runs inside of room to hide)
By breaching a patient’s confidentiality,
we have failed as physicians in respecting
patient autonomy. Now we must face the
consequences.
(Girl sinks to ground in a corner)

CLOSING SCENE
As the girl’s crying is heard, the camera zooms in on the
Hippocratic oath on the wall of the hospital between the
two house officers. It settles on the part dealing with
confidentiality.

“ And whatsoever I shall see or hear in the course of my

profession, as well as outside my profession in my intercourse
with men, if it be what should not be published abroad, I will
never divulge, holding such things to be holy secrets.
Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain for
ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if
I transgress it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.”