TUBURAN

TUBURAN- some place in the EAST which is at least two hours from the University i STUDIED in and can be reached either from passing the north or the south..

The most irritable thing that people find during our duties in hospitals, and communities are the looooong and never ending requirements!! And the most irritating requirement of all is the LFD (learning feedback diary). Yes, we have heard it all. Duty in psychia ward, "LFD is important to keep your sanity in tact" (paraphrased). Duty in the community, "It is so that you can reflect and keep record of all the experiences here" (still paraphrased). In the OB ward, "It is do that we can remember all the realizations that you have during the duty. Don't we just get tired of keeping our sanity, or reflecting or remembering?? I DON'T.

Not to brag or anything, but i enjoy writing LFD's. I cannot understand why people have a hard time writing down what they have seen, felt or touched from the last 24 hours. I admit, there are times that i get lazy and dont pass LFD's, that is because, i like to commit at least one full hour in writing one LFD. I find it more difficult writing LFD's with a bondpaper and a pen with the additional time pressure. (OK, now i just realized that i dont do well under time pressure) I just think that reflecting on your day deserves even just a little bit of your time. It may keep our sanity in tact, or make us better professionals, i just dont know. Enough of this, today, this is my LFD of my duty in TUBURAN:

" Morbidity Elsewhere"

We were informed that we were going to have duty in Tuburan the night before our duty date. The day before this date, we were pressured by our collecting of certificates from the seminars of different blocks (you all know what i mean). We had a meeting with our CI to clarify on our duty schedules, because most of us were uneasy about the duty in the middle of the week of our seminar. I didnt know what i felt but I was not bothered much by it, because for us, people who lack cases, it was an opportunity to finish our cases, and for those who finished their cases, it was a bother for them.

Upon wake of 5am in the morning to pack my things, i had the idea that we were only to be there for one day, but on my brink of leaving the house, my classmate texted me and reassured me that we were going to have a 16hour duty!? almost flew back to the house and as fast as i can, gathered toiletries, towels and clothes. I was so afraid of being left by the bus that i begged my father to bring me to school. As my father drove the car like it was an airplane, my heart was pounding fast and hard! I thought i was going to have a heart attack! Until reached the school and noticed some of my dutymates still buying FOOD! the bus was still there, but the best part of all, I was not the last one who arrived.

After 2 and a half hour of travel, we arrived in a small hut with three rooms and 3 double decks in each room. It felt comfortable because it reminded me of living in the province. I liked living in the province.

Tuburan District Hospital is a surprisingly clean hospital. Aside from the smell of cat SH*T that smelled, it was well maintained. I was assigned in the ER together with another duty mate. The first 4 hours of duty was OKAY, because it was spent talking ( lots of talking). We had a few patients come, one was a woman with a black eye, which she claimed was done by her husband. In addition, she mentioned that her husband has been doing this to her for the past 3 years! That was just idiotic! It was just now that she came forward to the police and asked for a restraining order. When it ticked 5pm, we had our first ER patient, a 14 year old DOA girl from tabuelan (i think). It was just depressing having a patient die on you. It makes you feel that her death was partly your fault. this may be really bothersome to some people.

My first week in tuburan was spent in the ER. I was not able to touch a chart or a medication ticket. Or roam from room to room establishing rapport to the patients. Or experience the whole service the hospital provides. But I was able to once again gain knowledge about death, this will definitely make me stronger. I was able to give a woman a piece of my mind about her situation. In some small way, I was able to provide service that the hospital required me to. Something as simple as this, is important especially to a remote area such as TUBURAN.