175

175 had been part of my life since 12 years ago....There was once I thought that it had become history...now I am living with it again...

In the hospital, whenever there is a incident that needs the ED doctor - either a patient in ED , or procedures in the ward; 175 would be the answer and solution....

175 is the extension number of the call room. I was introduced to this room the first day I worked in this hospital. I had slept in the room 10 + days per months in the first 2 years. There was period of  6 months when I did 20 night shift per month. It ended when I gone home to served the MOH. When I came back, it was still there with some minor changes - a desk with chair was given.

the room was slightly smaller than the hostel room of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah. There was 2 double decker beds - there were 4 of us when I started to work there. We were all classmates... No TV nor refrigerator initially. 6 months later, one of the senior management staff came to the room and decided to give us a TV( 14") and a small fridge ( I mean small, the smallest - just like what you see in the motel. ). What could a resident grade doctor demand then? after all it would be good enough if there is a good bed to sunk in during the endless night shifts. The cleaner would come in daily to mob the floor with chlorine-added water. The condition become worst when I left. The management started to bring in more locums and no one care about the condition. There were a lots of staffs  - bags, overall coats, jackets, drinks , we don't know who left it and no one bother to dispose them...
When I came back from Malaysia  the 175 was in a greater mess .... but I could live with it as a bed, a TV and a fridge was enough for the stressful night...

175 was still there on my 2nd come back - but this time I had a desk in the attending physician office . But most of the time I would hang around in the 175 as Lem ( my classmate cum colleague. he had made head of ED then) was there and we could chat and watch TV together.

Recently we had a Surgeon reported for duty and the doctor's office is too small to add another table. The deputy hospital had asked politely if I could vacant my desk - I gladly complied as I did not spend much time there. Lem was also being asked to move out from the hostel(It was a building in the same row as my previous old residence) to vacant a room for the surgeon (he hardly sleep there so no harm..). So to compensate both of us - the hospital service manager had offered to refurnish the 175, he had given a lots of his innovation during the requesting session - at least Lem was the Head of Department ....

A thorough cleaning was promised and some  new furnitures. We tried to clean up most of the unwanted staff... and the cleaner came and did a good sweep. But the serviceman told me that no new furniture is being ordered and only the mattress would be replaced. Well - crap shit....all those staff discuss before were not being implemented. I was feeling upset and that night during my call, I had told the night shift nurses about the incident. One of the nurses suggested that we should have a sofa than...

I ended up drawing a design chart that night and passed over to Lem in the morning - he gladly agree with the setting and told me to carryon. The chart was passed over to the service manager and forwarded to the management then.... Few days later, there was a new change in 175 -> the upper decks of the beds were removed and we got a sofa. There was a locker for each of us ....when the rennovation was done the service manager said that we should make a signboard outside the room to warn there other staff  (the ambulance drivers and surgical assistants) to stay away....He said that strong word should be used. But I gave him another suggestion...and he accepted it...

Now the 175 is no more a call room - > it had become the ED physician's Office. Truely, it look like a office now - 2 bed with good matress , a sofa , a desk and internet connection. And also we had a bigger fridge...On call life in the hospital had never be so good before....