How I can tell this is not a Canadian hospital...

Feb 26
Kalinga Eye Hospital

Some interesting facts about leniency at the hospital.

#1. Not ONCE have I been told to wash my hands before dealing with patients, medicine, equipment, or even in surgery. I was reminded once to wash my hands after working with patients – I think this was for my own health benefit.

#2. The other day in post-op a staff member grabbed my attention, urgently pointed at a bottle and then at some patients, said “Medicine. Him.” and held up two fingers. What the hell does that mean? I got flustered and impatiently/angrily asked which patient, what is this medicine, is it oral, how much, and two WHAT? It was some sort of liquid codeine, and the patient needed two capfuls by mouth. Sweet lord. Someone else took care of it in half the time it took me to figure this out.

#3. Everyone shares roles here. The publicity guy often does post-op bandaging, the bus driver screens school-children for visual acuity, the cook hangs around the hospital and is a go-to guy for anything from power outages to photography, and the ‘peon’ (I love that word – what does it mean?) escorts bandaged patients down the stairs and gives them eye drops. Somehow, this really works.