Nursing isn’t a piece of cake

This year I was so happy to see all the Nursing staff across the hospitals in Bhutan celebrated the “International Nurses Day” and unlike previous years I learned that there was an allocation of small budget for the celebration, which indeed was a great thing for the Nurses and the other staffs as well. I felt this long before but as always anything good takes time to happen. But in Damphu, I think I will not be wrong to claim that we initiated this activities way ahead with the cooperation from the likeminded people. We used to hunt for the best Nurses among ourselves and appreciate them with a small token, but I missed this year due to some unavoidable reasons.

As a nurse I used to feel like celebrating when a very ill clients recovers and get discharged from hospital, and it is worth celebrating when a neonate are preterm babies wean out of the incubators. It is quite a horrific and gruesome experience for all those associated with the tiny clients, doctors, attending nurses and their parents and relatives going through the ordeal to save the life. To the nurses getting an IV access is an achievement, to the doctors not getting night call is an achievement and for the parents to see the babies holding on to life itself is an achievement.

Each time sick babies get admitted I used to put a bet to the colleagues, “The moment this baby gets better I will buy you all Kit Kat chocolates”. It gives such a night mare to attend to the very sick babies with all those medications, fragile veins, worrisome parents and overly concerned relatives and friends. We would be juggling between completing a tasks and reassuring the worried relatives, besides fighting our own biological needs such as hunger, thirst and a full bladder……………

Getting a day-off during the mid-weeks means your kids would have gone to school and other members to their works, so you will be alone in the house, isolated and disconnected. All these years of experiencing a very unique lifestyle and going through a number of occupational related hazards, I was forced to think out of box on entertainments to de-stress and recognize those who are ready to put up extra hard work to save a life. Comparing to the other supporting staff, nurses sometimes get chance to be away from routine work when one is nominated to attend program related workshops and seminars, otherwise life is just pinned down to ward. But not all of the nurses are lucky enough to get outings, some are just stuck like a stamp on an envelope, their names never get nominated, not they make an effort to look for opportunities. Considering all these lapses we wanted to celebrate and recognize someone who is genuinely helpful and ready to walk extra-mile when required.

 

The 1st Nurses Day cake, 2013

 Prayer session

Token of appreciation to the senior nurses, Sis. Sujata and Sis. Tal Maya by Dasho Dzongdha Ngawang Pem

                                                                                    
Community Health Assessment

Laziness: The cause of suffering

People say, “Desire is the cause of suffering” but I have a problem with this saying. My profession takes me around to see places and people; as and where they are. With farm roads and electricity penetrating to every village, most people now live a decent and healthy life. People rear hybrid cows, grows vegetables not only for self consumption but for sale in the markets. Many villagers own Maruti Van, Boleros etc. to ferry them for business and during emergencies. So the life seems relatively easy for the farmers than I had seen as a child, and particularly for those who are hard working, it is like, “Every street is paved with gold”.

But sadly, I could see some groups of people who are failing to move with the change. The wind of change is yet to brush their common sense. Thus, they remain as the definition of poor. I go for annual household survey and I have been doing this for the past five years, in and around these same villages. Nothing can make an impact on these people. Our health education is like pouring water to a bottomless pot and each year I see them in the same condition. They are normal human being, have land to cultivate and located in the same geographical are like other people; but the only difference is that they are too lazy to work.  At first meeting, one would feel pity but ask few questions to the neighbors and visit few times, you heart will start to boil with irritations.

                  

 

It may look quite scary but it is a home to a family of five. Inside the house was an innocent child sleeping under the mosquito net. One day they came to my unit with only the pieces of torn health card. I had to issue new card. They are not poor because they own few acres of good arable land, an orange orchard and running water supply. I am taken by surprise to see their land fallow, they do not even grow vegetable for self consumption when rest of the villagers take it to sell in the market. Let God alone save these souls……

      

This belongs to another couple. I think at one point of time the toilet would have been better than their house. The ruin of the toilet only indicates that our government has done so much for us. I am in no way trying to be judgmental about their poor living condition but I am so disappointed that they are not willing to use their resources and adopt change for their own betterment. One time I even conducted a delivery of their baby child in the middle of the jungle.

 

 

                

 

Nothing is left undone by the government and the community. I adopted two of their children. The local government officials and the community built them a new home and now I feel that these people waiting for us to build them a toilet also. I sent the father for treatment, bought him medications, only to learn later that he actually did not complete the course. We pass by their house every month and find them taking sun bath. They don’t seem to bother about anything in the world and looks so self-contended, proving us to be foolish worrying about them. We are the ones so stupid worrying about their children’s education, their health………