Category Archives: All in a days work

as a medical officer

Her name is Saraswathy

Posted in All in a days work by

“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names”
Chinese Proverbs quotes

And by calling people as how they were baptised.

I make it a rule upon myself to learn the names of the staff  and my own colleagues I work with by heart. I feel it is very fundamental in creating a harmonious environment which in turn would stimulate motivation and enthusiasm in giving the best output ever. Furthermore, it is more polite to address one by name rather than just a ‘Kak’ or “Bang’ eventhough they’re just a staff nurse or a medical assistant.

Despite my best ruling, I tend to forget two groups of people in the unit. While they come from a private organization, I still see them day in, day out as we both perform our duties to the patients. That would be the Cleaners and The Security Guards. Our contacts would be a mere Hi or Selamat Pagi.Occasionally, they would shyly come up to me requesting a prescription for Paracetamol or cough syrups to which I would happily oblige.

One fine day, after a cup of coffee to start the day.. I was approached by a young female security guard.

“Tigers die and leave their skins; people die and leave their names”
Japanese Proverb quotes

I have had written a few prescriptions for her in the past for what I regard as trivial illnesses and had thought that she would want a repeat of that. Instead, it turned into a brief moment of awe.

[translated version]

She : Dr, I was meaning to ask you something about organ donation

ME : Yes, how can I help you

She : I registered myself as a donor a year back to give all my organs away. however, I had a change of heart recently.. and was wondering if instead giving away all of my organs.. can I choose which to give away?

As mentioned, I was struck with awe. Here, in front of me was a young female security guard from a not priviledged background who has a very big heart. Who had the conscience to donate something back to the living once shes dead. Nevermind the fear of the thought of giving away all of her organs, the act of signing up as a donor in the first place was something to be applauded on.

Thus, I was inspired.

And I learnt her name. Her name is Saraswathy.

Reshuffling

Posted in All in a days work by

Life  is like dancing. If we have a big floor, many people will dance. Some will get  angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.
Miguel  Angel Ruiz

Reshuffling of staffs has been taking place at the workplace. A few selected people have been reassigned to new units and job descriptions. while some have been taking the news in great strides hoping to make a positive impact in a new environment, some sink to the depths of near depression as they try to waddle through the demands of new responsibilities.

Either way, life must go on.

Oncall : Almost a train wreck

Posted in All in a days work by

I work as hard as I can,

For as long as I can,

And the best that I can,

EVERYTIME

The severity of oncall should not be measured by the quantity of patients that we see. Instead, it should be reflected in how it makes us feel the day after.

I just completed my Public Holiday call. Which entitles me to claim a meagre MYR220 from the ministry for the amount of labour and feelings I put in for more than 24 hours. To be honest, even the nurses were surprised at how little we actually earn through our oncalls. They were under the impression that we were paid by the hour. Uhuk. how wrong they were.

There was a total of just over a hundred patients in the morning shift alone. Even the asthma bay was full. Thank god for no resus cases the whole day until…

as how people put it..

train wreck

Yes. The day after the call was a mess. Two resus cases came through the door. Both were unsaveable. A young girl with severe head injury after a self-motorbike accident and a gentleman in his mid-40s who died of a heart attack.

Urgh.. kepiuh nyawa.

This little fish tries to explain but in vain …

Posted in All in a days work by

“I consider conversations with people to be mind exercises, but I don’t want to pull a muscle, so I stretch a lot. That’s why I’m constantly either rolling my eyes or yawning.”

Jarod Kintz

 

Ahhh.. if only, oh if only I could do that to my patients relatives. Its so frustrating when you make an effort to explain progress and plans of treatment to the relatives or one relative, only to have another dozen behind that one person asking to re-explain the situation again.

And when I asked why the need for such exercise.. they’ll say, the earlier person did not understood in the first place.

In my opinion, the earlier person is just being lazy, or perhaps to be blunt.. an idiot and a coward rolled in one. Kindly take responsibility of the knowledge that have been bestowed onto you.

image

 

You’re not fit to be a specialist until you WOW me!

Posted in All in a days work by

An Emergency Department (ED) specialist came to our little district hospital for a visit today. I was WOWed. Im not often WOWed regardless if the person in question is a specialist with a sub. But today I was.

Just as much I was WOWed when I first met my HOD during my anaesthetic attachment as a houseman. These ladies deserve the grade theyre in. And they both have all my respect as I know it aint easy to get to where they are today.