Random Events

A lot of things occurred this past few days in relation to my work but I couldn’t scribbled any of these during my spare time in the clinic or even in our accommodation because of one reason: my internet mobile broadband subscription has reached its maximum credit limit! My subscription was temporarily disconnected. In short, I’m offline for the past few days.

I was thinking twice if I would permanently cancel my mobile broadband since my 12-month subscription will end this coming July. This broadband provided me headaches during the course of my subscription because most of the times I exceeded to my mobile data usage limit. It sucks to know I have to pay more than 600 riyals again instead of only 160 riyals for my monthly subscription. Good thanks for the Pacquiao-Bradley Fight, Boston-Miami NBA Western Conference Finals, and Papa Jack of Love Radio because these cost me a lot of data usage for their live streaming. Anyhow, those events or programs were worth to watch and listen to. But, I just can’t get over with my bill yet – yes! until now because once this bill is converted to Peso it costs me 7,000+ pesos, enough to buy an Adidas Adizero shoe! :/


Thanks for the unsecured wifi in the vicinity of our new site (offices) i could get online though the signal is very scant and slow. Pwede na pagtiyagaan! 

On another incident, last weekend I attended my first ever Immediate Life Support (ILS) training here in Hamad International Training Center, the lone department of Hamad General Corporation that provides training to medical practitioners within the state of Qatar. The ILS provider course is in accordance to the standards of European Resuscitation Council and its counterpart of it in the Philippines is the Advanced Cardio-Pulmonary Life Support (ACLS) of American Heart Association (AHA). The primary aim of this ILS course is to train health care personnel in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in simple airway management and safe defibrillation (manual and/or Automatic External Defibrillator – AED), enabling the providers to manage patients in cardiac arrest until arrival of cardiac arrest team and participate as members of that team. So as one of the healthcare providers, it is my duty to equip myself with apt skills and knowledge. The course runs over for one day which consists of lectures and practical stations. Our course manual was given to me upon my application which was several weeks ago before my final schedule. The training started at 8:00 AM and ended at 4:00 PM. So far, the training went very smoothly without hitch, all the candidates were eager to learn and participate, and all the lecturers were skilled as well as humorous. Generally, I enjoyed the training throughout the course.

My ILS Manual, Certificate, and License Card

FYI: For those who want to undergo such training or other courses, drop by at the Hamad International Training Center I: PO Box 3050, Doha, Qatar (near the White Palace Intersection/Signal) or visit their website at http://site.hmc.org.qa/hitc1/index.htm

Also, last Sunday, when I was preparing myself for site duty at 4:00 AM, our time keeper knocked at our room and asked for help if I could check one of the Nepali labors at room 36 in our accommodation. He said, the person was not responding or moving anymore in his bed. So without hesitation, I went to the said room straight away and find the person in right side-lying position (almost in prone position). I tapped his shoulders to wake him up and yes he was right, there was no response. So I grabbed his shoulders and positioned him to lie on his back (at that time I could feel his cold and quite stiff body). I got my mobile phone (with LED light) and checked his both pupils using my phone. Unfortunately, his pupils were already dilated (didn’t react to light anymore). I palpated for his carotid pulse but it was already pulseless. His lips were almost grayish. His body was cold and rigid. His left hand was in closed fist and holding his left chest. His right hand was also in close fist and his elbow was flexed. His appearance was most probably a signs of  struggles from heart attack. So based from his current situation, I never attempted for resuscitation. The guy was already lifeless for 2-3 hours, I guess. So I told his roommates that I felt sorry for them because he was already dead. My fellow nurse entered the room and tried to check again for any signs of life. But he failed to find any. 


Then everyone in the room started to buzz. Commotion arouse. So we went outside of the room because a crowd of labors began to go inside and see for themselves the situation going on. They started calling up our camp manager (campus). Just in few minutes, our campus arrived and checked the person’s body. Right away, he called up the ambulance (999). The ambulance and the Qatari police arrived in few minutes and tried dismissing the people to go outside the room. Then, inquiry and investigation took place. At that time, a large number of labors, consisting of Nepalese and Hindi (Indians) agreed not to go to work (site) anymore. Their longed grievances and sentiments towards the company started to unleash. They find an ally in the presence of the police. I, myself was a witness of unpleasant condition of my company’s labor force. 


But in fairness to my company, we have a much secured vast accommodation, water and electricity are abundant. However, they complained for the food prepared by the mess hall, the dirty toilets, their overcrowded rooms, and their 2-3 yrs old bed. Some of these were truly acceptable but in my own personal experience living with them, some of these are none to be blamed but the labor themselves. The toilet became dirty because most of them spit out anywhere (it makes even worse because of the presence of tobacco they were spitting out – it stains the toilet cubicle walls), they twist the faucet facing up so the water would come like a shower, they took a bath using the sink’s faucet rather than cubicle, sometimes they left the toilet bowl without flashing their feces. So, what made it worst, the campus never implement rules regarding these kinds of poor deeds. I think my two cents here is that both parties have shortcomings from each other. The company failed to provide a new and clean bed, sufficient food supply, or enough rooms for them however its employees should also exhibit proper care to the facilities provided to them like the toilets. Really, every races or nationalities have different manners and behaviors. I myself, I have to adapt and extend my tolerance in pleasing them. Anyways, I felt sad about what happened to the Nepali guy who suffered a heart attack that morning but at the same time happy because of the decision of the labors for work holiday. By the way, I kept on speculating, how this 26-year old guy suffered from heart attack? Hmmm.

Labors readying themselves for work

Another dilemma surfaced this week was that my laptop’s keyboard was now crazy! I don’t know what the real crux because the cursor kept on jumping to another line while I am typing. When I pressed the space bar, the right-click option appears, and so the other key pads. As a matter of fact, I made this post the entire day (I was just lucky because no accidents happened in the site) even my laptop is crazy. And what makes the worst of all these dilemmas? This 1-year old laptop will end its warranty this week and the LG service center where I purchased this one is indefinitely closed until further notice because of the mall’s failure from fire and safety inspections by the Ministry of Civil Defense.

My laptop with crazy keyboard!