Obeid Hospital (5)
“Haaaaam.”
Choi Ki-seok, who was yawning, stood at the window and looked at the dawning sky.
After completing surgery at the Red Cross Hospital, I returned to duty.
Considering the viciousness of Fanta’s title, I thought more patients would flock to the hospital, but such an unfortunate incident did not occur.
Even the Fanta title seemed to have a conscience.
Ki-Seok Choi was lost in thought as he watched the sunrise.
It’s nice to get treatment at Obeid Hospital, but couldn’t we do something more meaningful than that?
Is there any way to further address the fundamental problem here?
Just like Father Lee Tae-sik created a band and spread hope to people.
As the day got brighter, his agony deepened.
While thinking about this and that, he felt thirsty and left the treatment room.
Abna was dozing like a chicken in a small room-like space next to the clinic.
It took almost 7 hours to treat the gunshot wound patient.
It took 2 hours for the first response at Obeid Hospital, 2 hours for the round trip to the Red Cross Hospital, and 3 hours for the bonding surgery at the Red Cross Hospital.
Considering the harsh schedule, it was quite exhausting.
‘Thank you Abna.’
Choi Ki-seok quietly looked at her and then moved to the dormitory on the third floor.
When I opened the door with the key and went inside, Jeong Seol-hwa was also sleeping so deeply that I didn’t even notice that she was being carried on her back.
“It’s a snowflake. wake up.”
“….”
“Sleeping girl. wake up.”
“Hmm. “The treatment time is still far away.”
Jeong Seol-hwa twisted her body as if she didn’t want to get up.
“There is a meeting this morning. “You have to wake up an hour early.”
“…okay.”
Jeong Seol-hwa stood up and stared at Choi Ki-seok with a pouting expression. He found that sight so adorable that he lightly kissed her forehead.
“Kissing is nice… but I’m still tired.”
“Of course I’m tired. “Is joint surgery a common surgery?”
Choi Ki-seok chuckled and went behind her back and massaged her shoulders.
“But honey, you’re on duty and you look fine?”
“I’m the star tonight. It’s not me… I’m naturally physically strong.”
“I can’t explain it by saying I have good physical strength. You even had a heart transplant. “Perhaps…”
Jeong Seol-hwa narrowed her eyes and turned her head to stare at him.
I was nervous because I thought I would ask a sharp question, but I relaxed after hearing what she said next.
“By any chance… you’re not eating good food without me knowing, right?”
“There is something to eat, though. “That’s… our honey’s love?”
The two were busy joking and giggling with each other.
Although I was hit by a patient and was troubled by a poor environment, I was happy that there was someone by my side with whom I could share my feelings.
If you are alone, you may be pushed into an extreme situation and fall backwards, but if you are together, it is a different story.
Even if the two of you try to fall, each other’s backs will provide solid support.
After some time, Choi Ki-seok and Jeong Seol-hwa, who had finished getting ready for work, headed to the conference room on the first floor.
“It’s a snowflake. “Do you want to go in first?”
“why?”
“I have something to say to Nareka.”
When he found Nareka organizing quarantine tools, he sent Jeong Seol-hwa to the conference room first and approached him.
“Good morning Nareka.”
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Choi. Aren’t you tired? “I had surgery yesterday and was on duty.”
“In Korea, where I lived, when you become a resident, you are required to be on duty for 100 days. “It’s okay at this level.”
At his words, Nareka stared at him, indicating that something was strange.
“Is there something on my face?”
“no. “I think Dr. Choi is a really great person.”
“In what way?”
“Dr. Choi is a triple board thoracic surgeon. However, from what I have observed so far, I think it is no different from a resident except for the skill aspect. “I’m always busy for the sake of my patients.”
“Of course.”
Choi Ki-seok continued speaking with a smile.
“I didn’t win the triple board just for the fame. “I came here to take care of more patients.”
“….”
“Now that my skills are better than before, I guess I have more to do for my patients, right? “If you look at the intensity of work, honestly, it’s harder now than when I was a resident.”
“That’s too bad. “Someone like Dr. Choi only completes a three-month short-term mission and then returns.”
“By the way, Nareka also manages logistics, right?”
When I changed the subject, Nareka nodded.
“I have a favor to ask you. “Can I get a camera that can make longer videos?”
“Not an aid kit, but a camera?”
“yes. “I have a place to write.”
Choi Ki-seok explained the purpose of the camera, and Nareka listened silently.
“I already have something to go to the capital today, so let’s try to find the best one possible.”
“thank you. “For doing me a personal favor.”
“It’s a personal request, but the intention is for the people here. I hope Dr. Choi’s project blooms.”
After finishing the conversation, Choi Ki-seok entered the conference room with Nareka.
Originally, it was a meeting attended only by doctors, but since Nareka was the center of business outside the hospital, he attended every meeting.
In the conference room where he and Jeong Seol-hwa were welcomed, six doctors, including hospital director Neymar, were having a conversation.
“You had a hard time yesterday.”
Neymar found Choi Ki-seok and waved his hand.
“Emergency surgery is something that always happens in thoracic surgery.”
“I don’t know how reassuring I feel because I have Dr. Choi. Please continue to take good care of me.”
“Please take care of me.”
As he sat down next to Jeong Seol-hwa, Neymar started crying.
“Enough chit-chat, let’s begin NSF’s weekly meeting. “I have more to talk about today than other times.”
“….”
“The first is the issue of safety at our Obeid Hospital.”
According to him, a few days ago, a madman was gathering armed forces about three hours away from the hospital.
The leader’s name is Aldi.
Aldi claimed to be immortal and was taunting people by saying that anyone can live a happy life if they believe in themselves.
“Do people believe that?”
Choi Ki-seok, who was listening to the story, clicked his tongue.
“It’s like a drowning person grasping for straws. “His argument will be very sweet to people who are exposed to poverty and disease.”
“No matter what…”
“In the world, unbelievable things often happen. In the United States, fanatics who believed in the existence of astronauts committed mass suicide, and other unreasonable things are happening all over the world.”
Neymar smiled bitterly and continued.
“Anyway, there is nothing good about running into Aldi and the others. “For the time being, we will stop providing medical treatment to the west side of the hospital.”
Choi Ki-seok couldn’t help but feel sad at his words.
Near the west, there is Badu, a doctor who recently went on a medical tour.
It bothered me that I wouldn’t be able to see Badu for a while.
“The second is related to Nareka.”
Neymar’s eyes turned to Nareka.
“It is said that relief organizations’ vehicles carrying emergency supplies are frequently attacked these days. Four days ago, the Red Cross was attacked once, and members of the NSF Eastern Branch were reportedly massacred by rebels. If you encounter rebels, do not resist and hand over all your goods. “There is nothing more precious than your life.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
In Sudan, discord between countries and regions has not yet been resolved.
Although transporting relief supplies is a good thing, rebels often mistake it for the government bringing in weapons.
There were even groups who attacked for goods.
“The last one is good news. NSF has promised to expand our branch’s therapeutic feeding center and outdoor hospitalization unit. An inspection team will arrive on site as early as next week. Then the situation will be better than now, so let’s all work hard until then.”
“yes!”
The weekly meeting ended with the doctors’ answers.
* * *
As the sun was setting that day.
Choi Ki-seok was examining the last patient.
The person who entered the treatment room was a mother and son, and the child in the woman’s arms was the patient. The child was a 6-month-old infant (up to 2 years after birth) and did not yet have a name.
Crash.
Choi Ki-seok wrote the child’s name on the chart as Baru and examined the child’s condition.
The child was so thin that it was perfectly fitting to say that only his bones remained.
Both cheeks were sunken, and the ribs were exposed so clearly that one could count them with one hand.
Although I didn’t use my Hippocratic eyes, I could intuitively tell that the child was malnourished.
Choi Ki-seok tested the child’s weight and drew blood.
Actually, I could have asked Abna to draw blood, but the child’s blood vessels were too visible to do so.
If finding blood vessels is like hide and seek, this hide and seek was the most difficult hide and seek in the world.
“What happens to the baby now?”
The child’s mother asked with a worried expression.
“I will be hospitalized at a therapeutic feeding center for the time being and receive dietary treatment. “The hospitalization period will be about a month, and you will drink high-protein therapeutic milk about six times a day.”
“Then I…”
“Of course, your mother has to be hospitalized as well. “Since the hospital has a maternal and child health center, mothers will also be able to receive adequate nutrition.”
“thank you.”
The child’s mother repeatedly bowed her head, and Choi Ki-seok unconsciously glanced at her chest.
In fact, it was not only the child who was malnourished.
To a lesser extent, the mother also needed nutritional treatment.
A wish suddenly crossed my mind that all the mothers here were well-nourished enough to breastfeed their children.
“Abna. Please guide patients and their guardians to the therapeutic feeding center.”
“I understand.”
The day’s work ended as the mother and son left the clinic.
Choi Ki-seok got up from his seat, stretched out, and visited the therapeutic feeding center.
The therapeutic feeding center was outdoors, and contrary to its grandiose name, it was a place where tents were set up and stretchers were placed inside them.
There were children lying on the stretchers with no power to move.
The children were busy chasing after him with deer-like eyes, as if they were amazed that he had appeared.
“[email protected]!#$”
While walking around the meal center, a guardian grabbed Choi Ki-seok’s arm. Then he pointed with his index finger at the child in the corner of the tent. It seemed like he meant to look after his child.
Choi Ki-seok hurriedly approached the stretcher and examined the child who appeared to be a newborn.
There didn’t seem to be any problems on the outside, but the child was struggling extremely hard.
‘this!’
As a result of observing through the eyes of Hippocrates, the child’s heart rate is rapidly increasing.
When nutritional therapy is started, blood volume and heart rate increase, but sometimes this response appears excessive.
Like this kid right now.
“Please give me some water there.”
When Choi Ki-seok pointed to a water bottle far away, the child’s mother nodded and ran towards it.
Meanwhile, Choi Ki-seok massaged the child’s carotid artery.
Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
After receiving a water bottle from the child’s mother, he carefully sprinkled water on the child’s face and continued massaging the carotid artery.
After about ten minutes of treatment, the child’s face regained peace.
A bitter look appeared on his face as he left the tent while receiving a thank you from the child’s mother.
A child whose body is so weak that he cannot handle milk.
This was a type of patient I had never imagined before.
