Dear Readers,
Perhaps you read about my first stint at Missan General Hospital last month. It was a substitutional duty for which I was sent to Missan to work for a week. The first experience had been quite enjoyable. I put up pictures of a green Missan that time. Also, it was an opportunity to meet new doctors, new nurses and new helpers. I had extolled the virtues of this hospital at that time. However, first impressions aren't always correct, as I will tell you now about my second arrival at the same place last Monday.
On Sunday, my hospital director informed my colleague Dr. Yasser that he was to go to Missan (it was his turn, as I had already gone there last month). Dr. Yasser simply refused to go, and when told that the Muderiya (the Health Ministry's Ta'if office) would take action against him, he stuck to his guns and said that even if he was told to exit, he would not go to Missan. His reasons were that he wasn't well, of late, and also because his annual vacation would soon be coming up.
The director then asked me to go as there was no pediatrician to take charge at Missan. If my readers remember, the pediatrician who was working there had died a few months before, and the vacancy has not yet been filled. I was reluctant because, after all, I had just come back after a week of roaming around, and also, because I was home-sick. However, I could not refuse. The paper made out for me by the director stated that I was being sent for 4 days. However, that was not a doable thing, since the orders had come from Ta'if and they were explicit. I had to go for a week.
Anyways, so I was taken to Missan as before. The Al Muwayh vehicle took me to Ta'if and from there, a car from Missan would take me to my destination. As it turned out, due to delays from both the drivers, I actually reached Missan at half past three in the afternoon. My lodging was once again in the male ward in the last room, and once again, the room had no TV and no internet. However, the adage that forewarned is forearmed proved correct for me. This time, I had brought my STC connect with me, and thank God, it worked ... and is still working ... just fine in my room.
The last five days have been more or less the same as before. I have had more work, though, because the current period of school vacations means more people are in Missan than during the school days. There are at least three to five calls each evening and into the night. Today, as I write this, I have had to go to the ER four times, and have admitted three children already with gastroenteritis.
Being a Friday, today there was no OPD (the out-patient department), but the previous four days when there was an OPD, I had more work than what I had last month. Due to the month of Ramadan, the duty hours are split between mornings and night. I worked from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 9.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. In between, I am free.
The other bombshell that was dropped on me was that the Muderiya wanted me to stay for ONE MORE WEEK. I tried to wriggle out of this, saying that I did not have the requisite stocks of clothes or medicines. However, the final verdict from the doctor who is in charge of these appointments (he is Dr. Zahrani, and he works in Muderiya at Ta'if) - was that there was no choice for me but to stay on.
So, here I am, feeling really down, as I have to stay on for eight more days in Missan. To add to my woes, my friend Dr. Bala from India, is also not here as he has been sent elsewhere for substitutional duty. The last time had been easy because of his company.
Anyway, life goes on. I got my clothes laundered in the hospital laundry yesterday, so I am good for the next four or five days. About the medicines, I may have to use whatever is available here .... till I go back to Al Muwayh, hopefully at the end of next week.
Thank you for reading. Won't you please comment on my posts? Thank you.
Perhaps you read about my first stint at Missan General Hospital last month. It was a substitutional duty for which I was sent to Missan to work for a week. The first experience had been quite enjoyable. I put up pictures of a green Missan that time. Also, it was an opportunity to meet new doctors, new nurses and new helpers. I had extolled the virtues of this hospital at that time. However, first impressions aren't always correct, as I will tell you now about my second arrival at the same place last Monday.
On Sunday, my hospital director informed my colleague Dr. Yasser that he was to go to Missan (it was his turn, as I had already gone there last month). Dr. Yasser simply refused to go, and when told that the Muderiya (the Health Ministry's Ta'if office) would take action against him, he stuck to his guns and said that even if he was told to exit, he would not go to Missan. His reasons were that he wasn't well, of late, and also because his annual vacation would soon be coming up.
The director then asked me to go as there was no pediatrician to take charge at Missan. If my readers remember, the pediatrician who was working there had died a few months before, and the vacancy has not yet been filled. I was reluctant because, after all, I had just come back after a week of roaming around, and also, because I was home-sick. However, I could not refuse. The paper made out for me by the director stated that I was being sent for 4 days. However, that was not a doable thing, since the orders had come from Ta'if and they were explicit. I had to go for a week.
Anyways, so I was taken to Missan as before. The Al Muwayh vehicle took me to Ta'if and from there, a car from Missan would take me to my destination. As it turned out, due to delays from both the drivers, I actually reached Missan at half past three in the afternoon. My lodging was once again in the male ward in the last room, and once again, the room had no TV and no internet. However, the adage that forewarned is forearmed proved correct for me. This time, I had brought my STC connect with me, and thank God, it worked ... and is still working ... just fine in my room.
The last five days have been more or less the same as before. I have had more work, though, because the current period of school vacations means more people are in Missan than during the school days. There are at least three to five calls each evening and into the night. Today, as I write this, I have had to go to the ER four times, and have admitted three children already with gastroenteritis.
Being a Friday, today there was no OPD (the out-patient department), but the previous four days when there was an OPD, I had more work than what I had last month. Due to the month of Ramadan, the duty hours are split between mornings and night. I worked from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 9.30 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. In between, I am free.
The other bombshell that was dropped on me was that the Muderiya wanted me to stay for ONE MORE WEEK. I tried to wriggle out of this, saying that I did not have the requisite stocks of clothes or medicines. However, the final verdict from the doctor who is in charge of these appointments (he is Dr. Zahrani, and he works in Muderiya at Ta'if) - was that there was no choice for me but to stay on.
So, here I am, feeling really down, as I have to stay on for eight more days in Missan. To add to my woes, my friend Dr. Bala from India, is also not here as he has been sent elsewhere for substitutional duty. The last time had been easy because of his company.
Anyway, life goes on. I got my clothes laundered in the hospital laundry yesterday, so I am good for the next four or five days. About the medicines, I may have to use whatever is available here .... till I go back to Al Muwayh, hopefully at the end of next week.
Thank you for reading. Won't you please comment on my posts? Thank you.
1 comment:
Four days will just fly and will soon become past memory. Imagine it could be four weeks instead (touch wood). Now, aren't you lucky? :D
The glass is half full, actually. :-)
Keep well.
Fingers crossed! :-)
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