So I am back in the air conditioned internet cafe once more at $10 for 30min, worth that just for coolness.
Yesterday was a mixed day...
A&E - saw lots of patients in the morning using my English/Pidgin mishmash and managing them accordingly. A few back pains, quite a lot of gynae problems and also trauma in past still causing problems. It is amazing how long some people stay at home before seeing doctor, some several years with quite bad problems. Unfortunately as good as my English history taking is and my vast 'communication skills' teaching in med school it just is impossible here and basically history is:
List of problems (cough etc), Look for response either verbal or non verbal (raise of eyebrows=yes), then 'Long? Day, week, month' which occasionally gets reply 'long time' (not the most helpful when need to present case to doc) and then examination in the chair as the examination couch is too high for some to get on (and no adjustable head control for different positions, just flat).
When it comes to presenting to a doctor you just have to hope they haven't just decided to leave as they work on, as patients refer to it, 'Solomon time'... basically go home or 'pick up children' for half a day if they want to and the staff and patients just accept it. So unlike Britain.
Afternoon - saw fractured hand X-ray (I spotted it) and it needed traction, fixing straight and plastering. Fracture clinic had no doctors. So Dr said he would. We got everything ready and told him, so sign. We reminded him 3 times and he said last time he was just finishing last few (of morning cases we saw) 1 hour 30min after initially ready. Then after 2 hours of waiting we looked again, and he had GONE HOME! The patient wasn't even surprised! I was shocked.
Onto the evening after a chaotic and frustrating day...
We (Rhod, Jana and I) went to Point Cruz Yacht Club, which we heard was good. $30 entry and $20 off food, it is the BEST PLACE TO EAT so far. I had Panfried fish and chips... perfectly cooked.
We sat on a table by the sandy beach with palm trees around. It was a whole new world.
A lovely several hour relax from Honiara and iffy water supply of Kiwi house, which was much needed.
We were treated to best sunset ever with a new colour/shade of red and also a lightning storm all over!!!
The weather cooled and it was perfect.
Off to hotel pool now for swim.
Yesterday was a mixed day...
A&E - saw lots of patients in the morning using my English/Pidgin mishmash and managing them accordingly. A few back pains, quite a lot of gynae problems and also trauma in past still causing problems. It is amazing how long some people stay at home before seeing doctor, some several years with quite bad problems. Unfortunately as good as my English history taking is and my vast 'communication skills' teaching in med school it just is impossible here and basically history is:
List of problems (cough etc), Look for response either verbal or non verbal (raise of eyebrows=yes), then 'Long? Day, week, month' which occasionally gets reply 'long time' (not the most helpful when need to present case to doc) and then examination in the chair as the examination couch is too high for some to get on (and no adjustable head control for different positions, just flat).
When it comes to presenting to a doctor you just have to hope they haven't just decided to leave as they work on, as patients refer to it, 'Solomon time'... basically go home or 'pick up children' for half a day if they want to and the staff and patients just accept it. So unlike Britain.
Afternoon - saw fractured hand X-ray (I spotted it) and it needed traction, fixing straight and plastering. Fracture clinic had no doctors. So Dr said he would. We got everything ready and told him, so sign. We reminded him 3 times and he said last time he was just finishing last few (of morning cases we saw) 1 hour 30min after initially ready. Then after 2 hours of waiting we looked again, and he had GONE HOME! The patient wasn't even surprised! I was shocked.
Onto the evening after a chaotic and frustrating day...
We (Rhod, Jana and I) went to Point Cruz Yacht Club, which we heard was good. $30 entry and $20 off food, it is the BEST PLACE TO EAT so far. I had Panfried fish and chips... perfectly cooked.
We sat on a table by the sandy beach with palm trees around. It was a whole new world.
A lovely several hour relax from Honiara and iffy water supply of Kiwi house, which was much needed.
We were treated to best sunset ever with a new colour/shade of red and also a lightning storm all over!!!
The weather cooled and it was perfect.
Off to hotel pool now for swim.
Oh and children keep calling us Whiteman!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd oddly we don't feel that is racist.