When The Pager Rings...

I couldn't help but agree to my Professor who said this to us one day...

" When I was a student, I longed to have that pager when I work as Doctor. When I first had a hold on the pager, how I wished I wouldn't have it."

On my second day of on-call, I was doing 3rd/4th caller, which means I care for 2 passive wards as well as the whole hospital where medical patient is located. That covers from rhesus room in emergency department till the first class in 8th floor.

The first ring from the pager when I was doing my morning rounds. It was a call from first class ward.

"Hello, Dr. This is ward 8A. We have a patient from medical side. She is currently complaining of..."

"No, no, no, This is 8.30 am. You should call the the peripheral doctor in charge." I said.

"Is that so? OK then."


The second one was about 2.30pm. It was from 2197, rhesus room.

"Dr Goh, please come down to rhesus room now for a arterial blood gas sampling."


I was doing my acute rounds in female ward when the third and fourth pager blares.

"Dr Goh, there is a patient complaining of cough. Can you come over to see him?" This one from first class ward.

"How bad is the cough? I am doing acute rounds now. How bad is the patient?"

"Not very bad. SpO2 is stable"

"Then prescribe her with syrup diphenhydramine 15 mls stat and tds."

The other one from second class ward.

"Dr, there is a patient requires a headblock (needle inserted for drip infusion or intravenous medication). Can you come down please?"

"I am still doing my acute bed rounds. Could that patient waits?"

"Yes."

"Ok then, I will come down when I finish the acute rounds."

When I finish the acute rounds it was already 8.30 pm. So I went to insert the headblock to the patient. It was a male patient.

The fifth pager rings when it was about 12.30 am. Again, it was from the rhesus room asking me to do ABG sampling.

Finally, I get a chance to sleep at 2 am.

Beep! Beep! (2.30 am)

"Hello, HO medical on call speaking. How can I help you?"

"This is from the second class ward. There is a patient complaining of cough and wants to see a doctor."

"What? Only cough? At 2.30 am?"

"Yes Doctor."

It was the same patient that I inserted the headblock just now. When I finished my duty that night, it was already 3 am. Morning is just 2 steps away.