2005_05_01_archive

Cardiac Catheterization ..... for my Boss

When sit together, we talk in different subjects, may be the current

situation has the biggest portion of our talks, specially the

situation of hospitals in Mosul, and the level of health services

provided to the population in those days.

We have plenty of problems, as shortage of medicine , of medical

appliances, instruments and the most important of all, the shortage of

medical evolution.

We try to compensate these difficulties in giving more care to the

patients, if we don't able to give them cure, at least give them some

sympathy and attention...... It works some time!!.

Today we had a staff meeting at the hospital where I work. The

director, told us his story of visiting the Medical City in Baghdad

for check up. He has had an attack of myocardial infarction three

years ago, but he still found him self capable of giving more, so he

continued in his position and worked hard. He have to go to Baghdad

every now and then to check his heart. During the last two years, the

road to Baghdad was very dangerous, so he postpone his visit as

possible, but lately his treating physician insist on him to do

cardiac angiography, which only available in Baghdad. He went there on

Wednesday. He describe the situation in the most equipped and best

hospital in Iraq. He said:

"We arrived Baghdad about 12:30 pm, there is plenty of time till

the end of the day, we went directly to the Medical City as I have

an appointment for Cardiac Angiography on Thursday. At the entrance

there were a checkpoint searching every body, "which I think it was

necessary to avoid security problems" the n take the elevator to

the eleventh floor where the ward for cardiac catheterizatin

located. I present my self as Dr. N.A., the y check the list, OK

your name is on the list, go home now and come after 6:00 pm. You

have nothing to do here, why lose your time. Is there any sort of

preparation or investigation necessary before the Catheterizatin ?.

Dr NA asked. Not at all!!, the man (probably a male nurse)

answered.

I went to the Hotel take a light dinner. Exactly at 6:00 pm, I went

to the ward again. This time there were no body at the reception

desk. Started looking for some body, I found the nurse on charge

watching the Television in a side room. I presented my self, as

having an appointment for Cardiac Catheterization tomorrow morning.

She point to a room "your bed is in this room" she said. "are there

any medication I have to take tonight?" I asked. "As you like,

that's up to you!!" she answered. I know very well what to do,

(this is the third time I have to do Catheterization.)

Next morning, a nurse came and checked the names, a resident

doctor, passed quickly and checked the names again. But no body did

any sort of examination, no ECG, no even a blood pressure check

before such an important procedure!!.

4 hours after the catheterization, they told me :"you can go home

now".... Is there any medication I have to take?"... The same

answer.."It is up to you"

This happened in the best hospital in Iraq, with a physician and a

director of a hospital.

I wonder what will happen with an ordinary simple citizen??

What I have to say is that, this could not be happened in any small