Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Déjà vu

i was in a "flash-back" situation today.

this young lady was due to have a caesarean section at a private maternity home yesterday in another state. unfortunately, the anaesthetic was unsucessfully administered & the surgery had to be cancelled. she was subsequently referred to this medical centre for further management.

as i spoke to her, the memories of those early days came flooding back - when, as a trainee specialist, i used to go around doing locums at various GP clinics & maternity homes. it was hard work but the tax-free income lucrative - one session done on a day-off would cover a whole month's room rental, & then some.

the obstetrician assistant at that maternity home must have been a junior trainee, like i was many years ago. the arrangement was a win-win situation - the obstetrician pays below-market rate for the assistant, who would be more than happy to supplement the income from the day job.

except when something unexpected like this happens.

anyway, for today, we are just glad to help in the safe delivery of a healthy bouncing boy!

7 comments:

SOO [¥] said...

an assistant obstetrician administering anaesthetics for epidural? don't need a proper anaesthetician for that that?

when i had my epidural last time and signed on that dotted line in the midst of 2 minutes contractions for the past 5 hours, i knew at the back of my mind that i could possibly die or paralysed from the shot. thank god the anaesthetician was elderly and experienced, not some fresh faced "assistant"!!

iml said...

Scary. First the dreamy nurse now the incompetent medical staff. What next.

SOO [¥] said...

oops, not *anaesthetics for epidural*, i meant anaesthetics for Cesarean birth!

doc said...

Soo,

some private maternity homes engage MO trainees from GH to provide anaesthetic services.

of course, you get a trained specialist if you are in a private hospital.

doc said...

Iml,

hopefully not fake hospitals with fake doctors!!

SOO [¥] said...

NO WAY, MO trainees from GH providing anaesthetic sounds like a nightmare!! Now i know why the GP whom i went to for my first pregnancy test warned me not to deliver in those "shop house maternity clinics".

doc said...

Soo,

the nightmare was true because i was one of them!! nowadays, specialists are allowed to do locums at maternity homes.

still, it is safer to deliver in GH than private maternity homes. if there arise a major problem, the latter would not have the required medical support & equipment.