response and responsibility

real teamwork is simply too overrated

I wrote this blog entry in an extremely solemn mood, in total disappointment with how another mother and baby were mistreated in the first world operation theater surrounded by 3^rd world mentality medical personnels.

1030pm. I was called upon that the mother planned for emergency C-Section had the sudden urge to push. I rushed to that mother and I saw the mother pushing madly with the baby’s head crowning on the perineum. The maternity staff nurse and me attended to the delivery. The baby popped up, covered with thick meconium stained liquor. As we called for help to call the Paed MO. No one answered. Everyone left us alone, as if, this is purely our O&G work, not theirs. Someone just passed me a few sterile scissors and left.

In summary, simple plain - calculative.

In reality,

“who care a damn if the baby die of meconium aspiration syndrome or the mother die of bleeding due to PPH, the O&G team should handle it, or they will be held responsible to it. She’s our patient only if she’s going for C-Section”

That, of course, was not said out loud. But that pretty much sums up their body language. Basically goes missing faster than the Great Houdini. I was thinking probably or perhaps the Great Houdini is their disciple.

I brought the baby to the warmer. She was moving vigorously, and crying well. Cord stained with meconium (oh god!). Unable to do much of direct suction, just proceed with oral nasal suction (moderate meconium stained – oh god!), warm and stimulate and rush to NICU for better observation and Pediatrics MO evaluation.

As the maternity staff nurse busy contacting Labor Room for the transport box for baby to NICU, I evaluated the mother and asked for help to take vital signs, give Pitocin and hand me a suture to stitch the oozing perineal tear. No one is around. Even if there is someone there, she pretended that she did not hear what I said, expecting her colleagues to come to help me. I can’t even assess the perineum properly. It was truly bad lighting at the observation bay and no one willing to bring in any extra lights. I took of my sterile gloves and timed the mother pulse – not tachycardic (thank god!)

It was hopeless to do anything for the mother in the OT. I called the Labor room for a trolley, applied a pad for temporary direct pressure on the perineum. The perineal tear was sutured well in the Labor Room, under good lighting.

I met the Sister (Head of Staff Nurses in a specific ward or department) on call incidentally and I told her about the appalling incident.

“It’s always happening. What can we do?”

Her reply truly irked me.

To them:

The patient is someone else.

The patient is someone else’s wife.

The baby is someone else’s baby.

I do my job. You do yours.

The patient is just another case. A job. A burden.

Dr. J (fr Unit Kualiti) once said,

“Life is always like that. Only when they lie in their death bed, only then, they realize people would have done more for them, if only they had done more for others when they can.”

I would not want my younger generation (yep, I’m old liao) to inherit such an horrendous tradition, but scolding them or explaining to them is like talking to pigs.

You know what they say about pigs.

Don’t fight with them.

They just wants you to get to their level – all dirty and smelly, without response or responsibility.