Week 8: Thursday

Latest Biorad EQAS and day to day internal QC results are indicating we are on the right path for the FBC automated tests. Earlier, RBC and HCT readings were most probably 20% lower than supposedly result. Adjusting the parameters readings were the right thing to do.

I checked on the brand used to test urine glucose and urine protein in the in patients wards. Discrepancies were found. Negative result obtained in the lab was reported as positive in the word. A positive glucose sample was reported as negative in most wards. All results shall be forwarded to hospital's POCT committee for further action.

Sape performance

Last night, I went to Malam Kebudayaan 1Malaysia in the Stadium. It was an enjoyable night. The smooth sweet sound of sape and the Orang Ulu's dances. It had been awhile since I had the feel good feeling. But the performaces started late. And I went home earlier for a good rest after some five performances.

Week 8 - Wednesday

I put up a Blood Stocks Indicator on the notice board outside the laboratory. We only have 11 screened blood products in the blood bank. With Group O at the very critical level. Last week, we went down to Miri Hospital to get blood supply as we are very short of supply. Today, our senior MLT, a regular blood donor, gave a pint of his blood. His a Group O. Managing a blood bank is no easy task. A lot knowledge needs to be applied. I am still trying to disseminate the newly acquired knowledge to the lab staff.

A senior MLT will be sent to the TB reference lab early September. Another junior lab technician went off today for her Malaria course in Kuching. A lot more new information to be digested when they come back to share their knowledge.

I ran a within run imprecision on the haematology analyser using a Biorad controls. CVs were acceptable and I keyed in the mean and SD for the WBC, RBC, HG, HCT and PLT for the three levels.

I made a drastic move today. I stopped running tests asked by the MA. It's high time to stop the practice. FLP, BUSE, Creat, UA, LFT and many other tests cannot simply be ordered by the MA. I only run and validated CHOL, GLUCOSE and at certain circumstances, BUSE results. I had complain from a MA specialising in managing DM patients. After asking opinions from senior doctor, he is allowed to order BUSE, Creat for diabetic patients.

CHOL, TG, AMYLASE reagents needed to be ordered. HDL calibrator too. Some paper works required by the state suthorities were dealt with swiftly and all needed information was passed to relevant persons.

Baram Regatta is round the corner. It's a 3 yearly affair and it brings life to this very sleepy riverine town.

I rode through the Marudi town last night and took a picture of the town's mascot depicting several natives paddling on a long sampan. I spent my after dinner time at the wharf with the town folks, looking at the paddlers hard at work.

The town is filled with outsiders, selling mostly finger food, clothes and souvenirs. Tents are set up in every corner of Marudi.

I spent a good RM2.50 for a corn cooked on a BBQ set and a RM1 of buntut ayam. Fingers crossed that I still well to go to work tomorrow.

Say a little prayer for you

Good Shepherd's Church : Front view

During the first week, my father and I went for Mass every morning. We also attended Mass on Wednesday's night. These days, I woke up late. I didn't attend Mass as frequent as I used to. But I managed to prepare myself early today.

Church's side view

Father Basil is the attending priest in Good Shepherd's Church. His sermon is short but very meaningful. And the words of God remind me of being humble. And I always realize that everything belongs to God after every difficult and happy days of life.

Left building: Catechist's office                         Right building: Father's house

I am always amazed at His decisions at many phases of my life. Of being able to work in Singapore, of getting married, of being a Daddy, of being a stay at home Dad, of being able to find accomodation in Kuching and Kubang Kerian, of working in Sibu, of working in Marudi, of having many helpful neighbours and collegues..

Week 8

Week 7 was a short working week for me as I flew to Kuching for the Transfusion Medicine Conference in Kota Samarahan.

I had managed to get all the JTMP to run a haematology external QC sample to make sure all of them did the correct way of sample mixing before running the haematology tests. All except one managed to get the platelet count correct. Levey-Jenning charts of the everyday run's QC were thoroughly explained. After checking internal QC and external QC, RBC and hematocrit results were at least 15% lower than the supposedly value. With the help of the biomedical technician, I pulled up the value of RBC and hematocrit of the Nihon Kohden analyser.

I'm happy with my learning pace of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate test and PT/PTT tests. However, technologists' manual way of testing PT and PTT tests are worrisome. I managed to negotiate for a semi automated machine to improve our PT/PTT results.

Blood banking practices in the hospital need to be improved after learning the updates of transfusion procedures and practices. I had requested to have a hands-on workshop to be done next month which will involve all the nurses and PPK of the hospital.

I had started validating the samples' results as I was gettting more confident with the external QC results.

Life in Marudi is getting mundane. I was getting more and more negative feedbacks from many improvement suggestions that I brought forward.

Tapah fish

Food in Marudi is not cheap either. A normal mixed rice costs RM5 and the menu remains more or less the same everyday. I tried to be adventurous by ordering the good riverine fish only to be disappointed by its taste. And its price!