Chau Doc, Vietnam - Joyce Phillips, anesthesiologist: Today is our third operating day in Chau Doc. Now that some of the logistical questions have been answered and we have two successful days under our belt, the team is beginning to gel. I am already aware that my time spent with this group of people in this amazing environment is limited and I must try to appreciate each moment.
We rise early each day, partly because we are still adjusting to the time change and partly due to the laughter coming from the tennis courts behind the hotel. We understand that the courts are used from 4 am on. We rise early also in anticipation of the day ahead. After breakfast in the hotel lobby I head out on foot to the hospital. The streets are bustling with men, women and children traveling by bicycle or motorcycle to school or work. It is amazing what can be carried on a two wheeled object. We have seen long pipes, panes of glass and trays of hot food. The hospital is located across from the river. When we arrive there are already patients in the lobby. We make quick rounds to assess yesterday’s patients. Fortunately all are making progress. One small child recovering from a cleft lip repair has had some fever and breathing problems and will be kept another day. Overall, I am thankful that so far things have gone smoothly.
At the end of another OR day we are one day closer to home. Having the opportunity to work in an environment that is so strikingly different and being to able to share human values such as love of children and access to health care for those in need makes one feel that the world is smaller than one might think.
We rise early each day, partly because we are still adjusting to the time change and partly due to the laughter coming from the tennis courts behind the hotel. We understand that the courts are used from 4 am on. We rise early also in anticipation of the day ahead. After breakfast in the hotel lobby I head out on foot to the hospital. The streets are bustling with men, women and children traveling by bicycle or motorcycle to school or work. It is amazing what can be carried on a two wheeled object. We have seen long pipes, panes of glass and trays of hot food. The hospital is located across from the river. When we arrive there are already patients in the lobby. We make quick rounds to assess yesterday’s patients. Fortunately all are making progress. One small child recovering from a cleft lip repair has had some fever and breathing problems and will be kept another day. Overall, I am thankful that so far things have gone smoothly.
At the end of another OR day we are one day closer to home. Having the opportunity to work in an environment that is so strikingly different and being to able to share human values such as love of children and access to health care for those in need makes one feel that the world is smaller than one might think.
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