Thirty two-year-old Fasmin Muhammed drops her children to school every morning and then takes a share auto from Delhi’s Mayur Vihar Phase 1 to Prakash Hospital in Noida where she is the nurse superintendent. Her shift starts at nine in the morning when she takes charge of her ward assigned to her for the day.

She starts by arranging patient files and then starts her rounds to check up on patients, keeping an eye out for emergency cases that need immediate attention. Emergencies warrant immediate calls to the doctor. She administers medicines where necessary, considering precautionary measures as prescribed by the doctor.

And so Fasmin’s long day goes on – making sure each patient eats what he or she is supposed to, liaising between patients and their families, providing emotional support to the sick in the hospital. As superintendent, Fasmin also assigns duties to other nurses in the hospitals and is responsible for keeping and updating the lists of medicines stocks. Here is a look at a typical day in the life of Fasmin and her colleagues, the essential but often unseen cogs in a hospital’s machinery. All photos are by Mariyam Majeed.

Nurse superintendent Fasmin, receives an emergency calls at 10 in the morning to admit the patient in the ICU, while ward fixes the bed.
A nurse prepares and cleans her hands before a minor surgery.
A nurse gives post operation treatment to a patient with Staphylococcus aureus infection.
A nurse completes administrative formalities of a patient who has undergone an abdominal hernia operation.
The nurse superintendent and doctors in the doctor duty room reviewing medical records.
Nursing staff take a tea break in the middle of their busy routine.
Nurse Superintendent Fasmin, assign post lunch duties to ward boys in various department of the hospital.
"It is my second visit to the hospital in 15 days," said 72-year-old Ashok Jaiswal who suffers a slip disc.
Between tight schedules, Nurse Suruchi finds time for a light moment.
Male nurse on duty, checks the list of medicines to be taken by patient post lunch.
Tired from a whole day’s work, a ward boy takes time to call home.