After practising for almost 3 years as a physician, I've learnt that medicine isn't this sure thing that medical school painted it to be. You know, it's not always getting the history, running the labs and getting a diagnosis with a clear management plan. I've been exposed to cases that were interesting yet challenging and choosing managements that eventually led to positive outcomes was a great learning and fulfilling experience. However, I was also faced with the reality that things don’t always go smoothly as I witnessed tragic deaths despite relentless efforts.
There were times when defined treatment plans couldn’t be executed due to patients’ limited funds. And there were times when I was clueless in front of an unknown disease. These cases were equally engaging and educative as I was expected to provide a solution as well. My greatest satisfaction nevertheless, was to see my patients leave the hospital happy.
And now I realise that there are times when you may have to choose between life and death. I'm practically surrounded by the deadly Ebola virus, and everyday when I wake up in the morning I have to ask myself: what would I do if an Ebola patient was admitted on my ward? Would I scram and never come back or would I put on the armor of courage (the protective gear) and care for my patient? I must be honest and say that I'm still struggling with this decision.
Update (Sep 26th):
Word has it (and from a reliable source too) that ebola has been contained in Nigeria. Nigeria is our next door neighbor so to say that this has been quite a scare is an understatement. Does this call for jubilation then? I don't know. And I don't think so. How can one jubilate when hundreds are still dying in Sierra Leone...in the Democratic Rep of Congo...in Liberia...in Guinea. I'm not a skeptic, and I'm not pessimistic either, but what a grim outlook for the motherland. Africa is still bleeding!!!
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| Courtesy of the Huffington Post (Seyllou/AFP/Getty Images) |
I think that it's still too early to let down your guard from a medical stand point. Was everyone who crossed the borders either by land, air or sea accounted for? The scary thing about life is sometimes even if you can bet your life on what you think you will do when something happens, you are usually equally surprised by your courageous choice when eventually faced with the decision
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Woman, I've replied below...
DeleteI agree with you Miz Lauretta; it's always safer to be overly cautious. However, I also trust that the WHO is even more paranoid so for them to declare Nigeria ebola-free, they must have met some fairly stringent requirements.
ReplyDeleteI'm not only extremely impressed by Nigeria's ability to regroup and contain this lethal virus, but I'm hopeful also. For my African people...it shall be well...