I never liked hospitals ever since uhhhhh, when I was pretty young but pleasantly, the medical attachment at Gleneagles Hospital was enjoyable, although it was much too short. I didn't know until I stepped into the lobby that it was a private hospital and
woah, it looked more like a hotel than a hospital, with Delifrance dominating the entrance. Initially it was just talks and talks and talks. Interesting as they were, the theatre was just frrrrreezing and I couldn't really concentrate. Pharmacist studies and physiology seemed fascinating, although that would mean countless memory work and dealing with FON patients and their family members. :P At first, when the nurses threw all sorts of infomation about the medical field and terms to us, it seemed so sophisticated and there was just this sense of awe.
Dermatology, skin treatment.
Nephrology, kidney treatment.
Oncology, the study of cancer. Now I am certainly more knowledgable about the medical field. The attachments to wards were definitely an eye opener. We got to see equipment and stuff that normal visitors do not get to see. The CT scan, magnetic scanning, X-ray, endoscopy, radiology, chemotherapy treatment, dialysis, physiotherapy, maternity wards, ICU, NICU(Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit) and
the mortuary. Sister Junita took us to see the Deluxe, Executive and Suite rooms which cost about $5000
a night. These rooms have a sofa bed, potted plants, a balcony, television and
space. Even my room is not that spacious. We also get to see patients being given chemotherapy in the cancer centre. Ahhhhhh. The needle poking into the artificial valve gives me the creeps. Brrrrr. A few patients were waiting for radiation treatment/chemo when we arrived. I guess I was quite surprised to see them looking rather normal, some a bit thin. I mean, being cancer patients and all. I kinda expected more frail-looking people. Several old folks were undergoing dialysis. It looked even more fearsome in reality than on those charity shows on television. You can't actually see the osmosis going on in the blood but the patients have on this expression of undefined agony and some could barely keep their eyes open. The maternity ward was nice! We heard this doctor saying
"Push" behind closed doors and then a woman's cries and the baby's wails. Ohhhhhh! All of us standing outside just squealed. And standing outside the nursery cooing over the newborns. Awwwwww. SO CUTE!! The ICU was sorta solemn. In there, even footsteps sound like gunshots and you just expect the nurses on duty to shout
"Code Blue" at any moment. The patients were hooked on to numerous tubes and beeping machines and you can't help but feel so terrible for them. The NICU was for prematured babies. Nothing much, except we saw this nurse feeding a baby through a tube in his nose. Last but certainly not the least,
the mortuary. All those grisly murder novels have planted a pretty gory image of the mortuary in my head and while on that pathway to the mortuary, rather morbid thoughts were running around in my head. My heart was palpitating when Sister Junita was opening the door to the mortuary. Luckily, the mortuary didn't look anything like the picture I had in my head. It was pretty small as compared to the ones on other hospitals, for the fact that Gleneagles was private and many couldn't afford it and that bodies were usually taken away almost immediately and there was no need to put them in the fridge. There was only 3 fridges in there and only one occupied by a dead foetus. Sad huh? The foetus was dead inside the mother's womb. And no, we didn't get to see the dead foetus. And Clara was pointing with wide eyes at a freezer labelled "Body Parts Only. For cremation". Shudders. I just hurried out of the mortuary after seeing that. Learnt a bit of CPR. :P Both on adults and infants.
The attachment is unforgettable. :D A lot of insights and knowledge. Maybe I will go into the medical field afterall.
