Tuesday, January 14, 2014

SH*TTY HOSPITAL SCENARIO


In more literate days in Australasia you often  saw  variations of  a   frightening  message  on  dunny doors : It  is no use standing  on  the  toilet  seat - crabs  here  can  jump more  than 40 feet . In a similar  crude  vein, the great  Australian ballad  Clancy of the  Overflow  came  to  mind when confronted  by   a  repulsive  sight when  about  to sit on  a seat  at  the taxi rank  and  bus  stop  shelter opposite  the  main entrance of  the  Townsville  General Hospital There , sticking out like  an  infected   thumb in the footpath , was   the  above  large  metal  cover clearly marked  SEWER , with   a grotty overflow   pattern . It  looked  as if  there had  been a bowel  obstruction resulting in a shower of excreta , maybe  even an  ejaculation  like  the  Pohutu  Geyser at  Rotorua.

Adding to  this unhealthy  scene  were  numerous   discarded  sticky  round  pieces  applied  to patients for tests  to see if  their hearts are   working  , some  fag  ends  , old newspapers  jammed  into the  seat ,  probably  Golden Staph  and  mutating   ebola.  Not  a good  look outside  a   major  hospital  . Much is  said   about  the  need   to combat  the spread of  germs inside hospitals, but  you see, hear and  experience things  which  clearly indicate   there  is  room  for  improvement. In  Queensland   recently  there  have been  deaths from diseases  caught  in hospitals.  In  the  past,  Little Darwin has  reported on  the unhealthy  hospital setup in Darwin , which  includes asbestos  in public  waiting areas .  A  patient   recently  told  how , after  nearly a week in hospital,  a  jolly nurse   had   told  him   he  could probably  go home in  the  arvo and " escape the hospital germs. " It seems   just  waiting  for  a  bus outside  the Townsville Hospital  could  lead to  a  bad   case of  athlete’s  foot  if  you are  wearing   thongs  or  sandals. Should  this writer  have  cause to visit  hospital  in the future , he  intends to   wear  gumboots   or   propel  himself   on  circus  stilts.