Dr Ruby Walker (Amrita Acharia), a busy doctor working in city Britain, struggles to balance her career and personal life. When her long-time boyfriend leaves her, it’s the last straw, she gets on a plane and flies half across the world to work in another hospital in rural India. From one hospital to another, Ruby has a large shock to her change in career and has to adapt learning quickly to new customs and new procedures.
Another medical drama, but one rather different from any I’ve seen before. Forget the white walls and bright lights, this hospital is open pouring in the sunlight and captures a different side of medicine. The staff are overworked having to specialise in every branch of medicine, the hospital is also under resourced leaving some patients without. Nevertheless, the doctors will always go to all extremes to help all those in need in any way they can, even if rather different to treatment in England. Dr Lydia Fonseca (‘New Tricks’ Amanda Redman) is at the heart of this hospital trying to hold it together and designate all of her resources and minimal staff to the patients of this tropical rural India.
As one of ITVs dramas, ‘The Good Karma Hospital’ isn’t one well-known. I’d only recently heard of it as my mum clicked onto its most recent episode in season three. Although after watching this episode, I knew I was hooked into this hospital. It’s a relatively easy watch, although it has the realities of hard issues faced in a hospital particularly one low-funded and in desperate need of resources and money. Dr Walker is a great character to quickly attach to as she struggles to come to grips with the realities and differences from England which gives an easy access point for the audience to also understand along with her.
Having only six episodes in each series, it’s a quick watch for a little escapism. It’s not the best television show I have ever seen, nevertheless, I’m enjoying the drama, little moments of romance and smiles along the way. It’s lovely to capture a different type of medical drama and it doesn’t feel as hectic as many others where attention is always needed. It’s a simple, easy watch; I’m invested into the realistic characters now with all their flaws.
Striking Film Reviews 