Ciggie

I walked into the oncall room and found Kamil a cardiology registrar stood at a corner staring out the windows. Something burning in his left hand.

"So u smoke?" Asking the obvious.

"Nope, I'm just using my becotide inhaler, asthmatic since 10" He laughed and took another puff. The tip of menthol-flavoured Dunhill burned slowly. Bit of ash on the floor.

"Here light this up" he nod me a ciggie

"Tempting, but I quit since 5th form, it gives me cataract" trying to think something witty for a comeback.

"okay catch you later.. I'm late for an angiogram" He threw the half burning ciggie out the window.


Nasib baik no one shouted adoi from below.

We do live in an ironic world.

Anger

How do we deal with angry patient?

"Eh Doc!... Why took you guys so long to see us ah! You know how long I tunggu kat depan tu... anak I cry kat rumah.. and I have to pick my hubby kat tempat keje dia.. if like this besok pon tak abis!!" the 40 year old auntie grinded her teeth while showing her canine side to me.

I studied her face and posture. She looked as If she's gonna chew me slowly taking her time. Well she's a bit hairy too... could easily has a werewolf gene inside her.

Thank God it's not full moon.

Here is where I pulled out my multiple choice answer response template:

A) Well.. hang on there, I get you the doctor. I'm the new nurse here.

B) Shut up or I'm gonna rip that mouth of yours using this syringe.

C) Hmm (long pause) have a seat, how can I help you mizz?

D) Oh God.. please - please I beg you don't hurt me.

I gave her my best-actor performance smile, pull out a chair and have her seated. Without acknowledging her 'madness', I proceeded to the 5 min-consultation.

Gave her the priscription, and off she went.

Do not in any circumstances provoke the anger. Playing fire vs fire would not help in this case. Just chill, act cool and do your job.

I find that in most cases, these anger-outburst moment are not circumstantial. The feeling has already built up inside that person way back before they walk into the clinic. It could have been death in the family, fighting with spouse, didn't get laid for a month - you name it...

... the long-waiting hour to see the doctor, is rather the last straw that break the donkey.

With that I'm not implying that auntie is a donkey.

(Well.. hey but a werewolf sure! Heheh!)

Raya!

Raya came and went in a smooth ride. No bump, no glitch in the matrix. Got a few days off and went back to kampung. What a nice way of spending one's holiday. 3 in 1 stuff - I love it.

1. 
   
   Get away from hospital


2. 
   
   Road trip


3. 
   
   Meet the parents (my own parents)

The idiom goes that during holiday season, the hospitals in KL would be almost empty. Lotta people want to be discharge home (even they insist on AOR - 'against medical advice' ~~ Okay I admit I forgot why the abbreviation doesn't match).

On the other hand, the hospitals in kampung area - say Kota Bharu would be full. Coz the children who balik kampung would find that their papa & mama's foot ulcer, diabetes are not controlled and took them to hospital.

Ha ha luckily I'm working in KL.

Cuka

"Doc tolong sign ubat ni" Juita nurse yang tembam sapa aku yang tengah dok tengok sorang patient.

"Eh sapa pulak yg order nyer?" Aku terkezutt.

"Dr Yasin.. dia nak cepat tadi.. die tak sempat nak tulis and sign kat drug chart" Juita bagi alasan yg kukuh lagi solid.

"Eh mana bleyyy... maneleeehh bahayeer, bukan patient I tu. I tak familiar ngan kes tu.. nanti ape-ape side effects nanti.. I yg kene.. sbb my signature kat situ" Aku buat muka seposen.

"Page Dr Yasin key...mintak dia sign sendiri. Byee" Langkah kakiku sayup-sayup ke arah pintu.

Juita tarik muka. Muka masam macam cuka.

Merdekaa!

Merdeka was such a nice day to relax and unwind at home. But instead I was oncall coz someone really had to stay and guard the fort while the other foot soldiers were playing hollahoop with their kids at home.

Come what come may. We were ready.
Err.. btw, so you know.. our hospital was running low on ventilator and ICU bed.