Third Week in Candoni
The third week in Candoni is a mixture of frivolity and toxicity. I have come to discover that the Monday and Tuesday groups of night duty are relatively benign compared to those other groups. Last Tuesday, we had our municipal Christmas party which already started late in the afternoon. It was a big event and the Health Department was in charge of the parlor games. With my enthusiastic midwives and energetic RSI at the helm of the games, the party was hilarious. The food was overflowing especially in my side of the table. The mayor joined our table because not only was it well lit but it was never running out of food. My midwives are the best cooks. Of course, we presented our own surprise number. A hurriedly-prepared Nativity Scene Musical with a Papaya Dance as our finale. During the middle of dinner, someone ran towards me and said, "Doc, may natiruhan. Ara subung sa rescue" (Doc, someone's been shot. They are at the Rescue Center now). I dropped my spoonful of bakareta and ran towards the Rescue center which is actually a few meters away from the plaza. My nurses were trying to catch up.
I arrived at the Center and saw a bleeding but conscious patient, seated and smiling. He was bleeding from his head and upon examination, there was a deep laceration on top of his head. He later told me that his assailant tried to shoot him on the head but he was able to duck just in time. The bullet only scratched a part of his head. Good thing that he was able to duck, or else his brain would be invested with hot metal. I sutured the laceration and referred them to KDH for Skull X-rays.
Last Wednesday, I visited another barangay: Barangay Banga. Their health center is newly renovated. I was introduced to their barangay captain who was obviously supportive of the health agenda of their barangay. Banga is one of those far-flung areas of Candoni but it is certainly not that very outback.
Last Thursday was toxic day. During the night duty, I was called to attend to a stroke patient, a known hypertensive and diabetic patient with possible renal damage secondary to her diabetes. She came at the emergency room seizing. After inserting IVF, we imemdiately referred her to KDH for admission.
A few minutes later, my cellphone rang again. Another patient was brought in at the emergency room. This time, it was a 12-year-old girl, who was brought in unresponsive and with fixed, dilated pupils. When I arrived at the ER, I immediately performed CPR while asking the folks what happened at home. They were quite hesitant to answer at first but later they told me that she was previously diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, poorly complied to her medications and instead resorted to consulting with a "surhano" or witch doctor. The patient had been complaining of cough for a month. They tried consulting with their midwife and was told to visit the Main Center for consultation but they did not comply again and instead went back to their surhano.
After a few doses of epinephrine, I pronounced the girl dead. She was already dead long before she was brought to the ER. I wanted to scold the parents but I wasn't feeling well since that afternoon. I was having this headaches and backpains that I just wanted to sleep them off.
Friday afternoon yesterday was the Christmas Party of the Barangay health Workers. I have more than 90 BHWs in Candoni. I went home in Bacolod at around past 3 pm excited to spend my long weekend with my family.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
I arrived at the Center and saw a bleeding but conscious patient, seated and smiling. He was bleeding from his head and upon examination, there was a deep laceration on top of his head. He later told me that his assailant tried to shoot him on the head but he was able to duck just in time. The bullet only scratched a part of his head. Good thing that he was able to duck, or else his brain would be invested with hot metal. I sutured the laceration and referred them to KDH for Skull X-rays.
Last Wednesday, I visited another barangay: Barangay Banga. Their health center is newly renovated. I was introduced to their barangay captain who was obviously supportive of the health agenda of their barangay. Banga is one of those far-flung areas of Candoni but it is certainly not that very outback.
Last Thursday was toxic day. During the night duty, I was called to attend to a stroke patient, a known hypertensive and diabetic patient with possible renal damage secondary to her diabetes. She came at the emergency room seizing. After inserting IVF, we imemdiately referred her to KDH for admission.
A few minutes later, my cellphone rang again. Another patient was brought in at the emergency room. This time, it was a 12-year-old girl, who was brought in unresponsive and with fixed, dilated pupils. When I arrived at the ER, I immediately performed CPR while asking the folks what happened at home. They were quite hesitant to answer at first but later they told me that she was previously diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, poorly complied to her medications and instead resorted to consulting with a "surhano" or witch doctor. The patient had been complaining of cough for a month. They tried consulting with their midwife and was told to visit the Main Center for consultation but they did not comply again and instead went back to their surhano.
After a few doses of epinephrine, I pronounced the girl dead. She was already dead long before she was brought to the ER. I wanted to scold the parents but I wasn't feeling well since that afternoon. I was having this headaches and backpains that I just wanted to sleep them off.
Friday afternoon yesterday was the Christmas Party of the Barangay health Workers. I have more than 90 BHWs in Candoni. I went home in Bacolod at around past 3 pm excited to spend my long weekend with my family.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
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