Work at the hospital

I find it hard to believe it is already Thursday. I start work early with a ward round and then it is clinic work +/- on call at casualty. I am on call alternate days. The days and nights sort of blur into each other and I am having trouble processing the day before I find myself in the middle of the next one. Life is very different here. So many hard things. I am grateful for my collegues - my fellow locum and his greater emergency experience and a great medical student who is keen to commit his life to remote work.

I spent one of my afternoons in A and E sewing up a beautiful young indigenous woman who had been assaulted by her partner with a broken bottle and then dragged along the ground. Her hand was torn open and you could see her extensor tendons and she was covered with lacerations. With phone assistance from one of the plastic surgeons I managed to get all the bits together and admitted her. It took me a few hours. Sadly, she is not wanting to obtain a restraining order and has since been discharged. This is apparently normal here.

I love the local clinics where you drive to an indigenous clinic and see anyone who walks in. The nurses here work very hard and are amazing. Patients wait for ages but never complain and just go away and come back the next day if we have to leave. The children are totally gorgeous and I would happily come back to do these clinics several times a year. Could happily give A and E a miss though! It is all so underresourced compared to the city.

I found this morning very hard. We have this cheeky little boy from a remote community on the ward for "fattening". He is 19 months and 8.5kg and these children are admitted for intensive feeding for 3 weeks or so. He is eating well but I had to put a nasogastric tube down while one of the nurses and my collegue pinned him down. It was heartbreaking. I really hope he does well.

The only radiology available is xray and if you want it reported you have to ring Townsville or Cairns where they can get the xray up on the screen. I seem to ring them all the time! Everyone is very helpful.

I have Sunday off so hope to see a bit more of Weipa! I am still doing a run each morning but I have to go with a torch so do not really get to see that much! The highlight of the hospital is the super coffee machine which makes the only good coffee in town - Michael is jealous ...It makes a rang of goodies including lattees cappacinos and chocolate latte. I am having a daily chocolate latte fix.

Michael's birthday was fun - usual pressies inthe morning and then I worked all day. Went to the bowling club pm where there is a playground for the kids. The food was great and we all enjoyed ourselves. Had birthday cake at home. Yum.