A Day in my Mission Doctor Life

6:00 AM    
Wake up

6:30 AM    
Out of bed (I am not a morning person)
Breakfast is homemade bread with various toppings and tea.

7:00 AM     
Hospital Meeting

9:00 AM    
Rounds on the Female Ward
These rounds usually include 5-10 women.
Today, at least 3 of them speak no English and no Pidgin, however, with the help of a nurse translator, we make due. 
                    
Rounds on Pediatrics Ward
There are usually 3-8 children on the Pediatric Ward. 
Today, we have two on oxygen, a three week old and an eight month old.  And, a 12-year-old patient with cellulitis, reactive arthritis, and typhoid fever.  The last patient is only 9 weeks old, having severe apnea episodes. 
       
Rounds on Neonates
This is the fun time where you get to play with cute babies.
Currently, we have four newborns; all of them have been or are currently being treated for neonatal sepsis.  One is a premature baby, the others were all born at term.

1:00 PM  
Time for Lunch
I usually go home, reheat leftovers and browse Facebook.

2:00 PM  
Rounds on the Surgical Patients
We currently have 10 or more surgical patients that we are consulting on for diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease mostly.  Also, we have 2 patients who have just been diagnosed with HIV, so we are getting labs in preparation for starting HAART (highly-active antiretroviral therapy).

5:00 PM   
Saturday Evening Mass at the Hospital Chapel

6:00 PM   
I visited Mission Doctors, Brent Burket and Jennifer Thoene.
This was my last day on call, so I signed out to Brent who will be taking over for me.
Jennifer fed me dinner.

7:00 PM  
Back to the hospital, to check on a sick baby.

8:00 PM  
Home to rest.

12:30 AM  
Called in for an emergency cesarean section.
Thank God, baby is okay

3:00 AM   
Ride the high of a healthy baby back home to bed.

5:30 AM  
Called in for the morning fasting blood sugar of a diabetic woman.
Blood sugar is higher than 300, insulin ordered.