Hospital Duty

Contrary to common belief that a medical student has tons of stuff to do, I experienced this summer one thing that I thought would not be possible – boredom.

Even boredom has a cure!

Allan Brunio, our classmate had been doing volunteer work in the University Hospital as a cure to his boredom during the semestral break. This summer he asked us classmates if we would like to join him in his “service” and 16 of us agreed to go. We will be going on a two-hour hospital duty for two weeks rotating among the Pediatrics, Surgery, Medicine and Emergency Room departments.

If there was one common feeling between the 15 new volunteers, it would be uncertainty. First, we didn’t know what we were supposed to do there except maybe help the Junior Interns. Second, we received some negative responses from doctors who believed we were in no business YET to be in the hospital. And finally, we were pretty sure we didn’t have ample knowledge to carry into the hospital premises having graduated ONLY in our first year of Medical School.

Today marked the first day of this hospital duty and the feeling is still uncertain. Although it was made clear that we were here to learn from the Junior Interns, the Post Graduate Interns and the Resident Doctors, I was still very uncertain about our presence during the next two weeks.

You can never say for sure you can survive the daily scent of body fluids and xonrox as you enter into the hospital. Or stand in attention in a room of 40 patients with only 3 of you entertaining them (the ones in abundance are the student nurses reposrting to their CIs). You cannot presume to comprehend in a 35 degree room temperature ventilated by 3 ceiling fans.

In the Pedia ward, I was introduced to the “Oven” a plywood table with a roof so that the light can be attached. This served as an incubator to a 7 month old premature infant attached to a “bag” (a respirator that needed to be manually pumped – as in you hold it and pump it with your hands).

Down the hall are those kids suffering from infectious diseases. Bed 1 was for Pneumonia, Bed 2 was for Dengue, Bed 3 was for Pneumonia again and soon you’ll realize that the even bed numbers were for Dengue while the odd ones were for Pneumonia (there is no particular arrangement in the hospital, they just take the vacant beds).

To your right, we have a patient with Hydrocephalus with complications. To you left we have a patient suffering from Mitral Valve Prolapse also with complications Glomerulonephritis. The “With Complications” parts are those rarely seen in the textbook but always seen here.

In this place where the patient and the caregiver share the same bed in the service wards, you can easily see mothers suffering. Just gazing at and 8 year-old who was hit by a speeding L300 (Caticlan-Iloilo) who now cannot speak and move freely her arms and left leg.

Monitoring of Blood Pressure, Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rate and Temperature also allows you to monitor the cracks in the family and in the society as you are bombarded with stories of loss and hardship.

There are many sources of anxiety, yet there are many sources of hope, sources of excitement listening to heart and lungs sounds. In this hospital, we just have to learn to look where we intend to go, and stick to the gaze that best helps us get there.

May 8, 2007