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.