The work here has settled into a routine now ... getting to know the staff, the patients and the running of the hospital ... and even some of the local politics (although I am happy to be a casual observer and let those who know the local environment deal with local issues). Being on-call does not feel like 24 hours on-call, the workload is eminiently manageable and meals (prepared at "home") are usually had at approximately the time one would expect the meal to be needed.
Each day I plan an early morning round, a mid afternoon round, see the acute care outpatients as they arrive. Nothing that has presented in the now two weeks I have been here has been not requiring medical attention. It is definitely a culture shift from city surburban general practice where much of what we do is less than inspirational (eg. certificates for yesterday's gastro/URTI/headache).
The lack of strong mobile phone signal in Babinda is of nuisance value, but I am getting to know where in town the signal is best.
I do have this weekend off (Sat, Sun) ... even though a roster was not able to be supplied in advance, the DON here has had her finger on the pulse and providing me with cover for time off as we go - works out well. Saturday is planned to take the Skyrail (just north of Cairns) up to Kuranda, spend a few hours there and then take the Kuranda train to Freshwater station and back via bus to the start-point at Skyrail. Sunday I have not planned for yet ... might check out a few places in Cairns itself, and I must go see Babinda Boulders.
I think it has rained most days since I have been here, but the last two have been a little heavier than most. One of the nurses here this morning said "I wish we had better rain" and after some discussion of what "better rain" is ... sounds like that's wet season flooding she was after. I guess that will happen in March.
Finally, a special *wave* to the media monitors.
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