Life in CDC

This is where I'm currently posted to. Yes, I'm working in the infectious disease department of TTSH! What's this scary wulu place? Scared? Oh no, are you infectious too? Wanna run away from getting too near me? What? How come you are posted there?


Let me share with you some precious insights and encounters that I had come across during my time at CDC. Firstly, do you know that the CDC buiding is a pre-war hospital? I was initially quite surprised when I saw TB patients lined up in 2 long rows across a long hall ( just as it is during the pre-war times, minus the cows - our beloved name for computers on the move :) Yah, and the whole place just looks so much like missionary hospitals. Never have I thought this kind of hospital setting still exist in S'pore! But I just love this place. Its so beautiful, so natural. Its so kampongish! Gosh, you can hear the birds chirping, the insects singing, see the morning sunrays falling down on the entire place and feel the kiss of God warming up the place every morning :)
















Beautiful right?

Typical day working in ID... There's clinics in either morning or afternoon every Wed and Fri. Then for the rest of the day is back in the wards :)

This is K clinic. Came here just today to see some patients in the morning :)

Then its back to my lovely ward in the afternoon! This is my attitude every day before I step into the ward:

I can't wait to go see my patients!!!

You know, I have such interesting patients :) Many of them have colourful characters and some are well, challenging. But, they are so lovable :) The more challenging, the more I am drawn to think of ways to help them. In the process, they become more and more lovable in my eyes :)

Ward 91 (aka 71)

This is my ward! Surprised? Heh... Yup, its actually an open concept container ward. The patients are all housed in single, aircon room. Each room has an attached bathroom with heater in it! And some patients pay C class rates for that le.... The ward is shaped in a rectangular shape with trees growing in the middle of the ward. So open concept right? I feel so at home here :) Really love the nature feel as I work! Here, we house both ID and derm cases.

I care for patients who have HIV, TB, malaria, dengue, rubella, measles, chicken pox, MRSA, VRE, CMV infections, dermatomyositis, generalised exofoliating dermatitis (GED), psoriasis, PCP, bullous pemphigoid etc etc... More than their physical condition, I nurse and see patients with really colourful backgrounds such as gang leaders, ex-inmates, MSM, CSW, personality disorders and many other PSY and social issues.

Learning to manage them is not an easy task. First of all, I have to learn to stop, think, then act for every patient. In CDC, you really got to know your patients inside out. I need to know the medical conditions of my patients. Not only that, I need to know the transmission process for every disease that my patients have at the back of my fingertips. This is to ensure that I'll take the necessary precautions before entering my patient's room. I also need to know about my patient's background and character as certain conditions render me to be extra extra sensitive towards both the patient and their family members. Alot of communication skills are needed when I step in to attend to them. Morever, lots of counseling techniques are used to assess and minister to them. This is very different from the general ward settings of which I spend most my training time in. Down here, it is not a choice on whether you want to look into the psychosocial, emotional needs of the patient. You have to. Because these patients are truly a unique group of people that renders specialised care from a specially trained ID team. From doctors and nurses, down to PCAs, cleaners... Every single one is highly trained on how to deal with this group of patients. Even the patients themselves testify to me the difference between receiving treatment in the main hospital buildings vs here in CDC.

Although the pace here is slower compared to my previous SGH posting, there's still so much to do and learn. I enjoy the time I have with my patients. Times when I'm not in my patient's room, I spend the time learning more about their conditions by reading up on their cases. I'll also start to think of reasons as to why they behave in certain manners and learn from other team members on how to get about communicating to them in certain ways so that they will comply to medical advice.

Here, I also get the time to do what I love most. To not only learn about my patient's medical condition, but also to learn about the medical conditions through the eyes of my patient. I get the chance to sit down to talk to them and hear about their pain and sufferings. I learn... so much more about a condition/disease. More than just textbook knowledge, more than just exams, but truly truly through the eyes of my patient... My patient, made in the image of God, dearly loved by Him to whom we call Abba, Father.