Today is 1st of June, which is also the Hari Gawai celebration. There will be 2 days off here in Sarawak. Hari Gawai is celebrated on the first of June by the Dayaks or Ibans of Sarawak for a week marking the end of the paddy harvesting season and the beginning of the new planting season. There is singing, dancing and considerable drinking of tuak (rice wine) in the local longhouses. The Ibans working outside their villages will return for the grand celebration. There are plenty of food and certainly not shortage of entertainment and wine in the local way.
Last year, I went to a few nurses' home for those nicely baked cakes and biscuits, also tried out their tuak... but frankly, I don't like the taste! ;) But afterall, I don't drink much alcohol anyway!
It's the best time to be on call during the Gawai celebration, coz the wards are usually extra-ordinarily quiet. Most patients will try to tahan... and not come to hospital, despite being very ill. They will all come after the Gawai. So luckily I am not on call the few days right after Gawai! Haha!
Every year after the Gawai celebration, the Paeds ward will be filled up with acute gastroenteritis cases; the Surgical wards with all the UGIH (after bottles and bottles of tuak); the Medical wards with stroke and hypertensive crisis patients (drinking and eating, but forget to take medications!); Ortho wards full of RTA cases (fracture hands and legs after drink-and-drive); Radiology unit will be packed with all the forms in for URGENT this-and-that, be it X-rays, CT scans, or USS. Every medical staff will be working double hard to cater for the needs of the public after such grand celebration!
1 comment:
the same applies to other festival as well eg Chinese New Year & Hari Raya Aidilfiltri.. Admission rates are very high after the festival :P So it's better to be on call during the festival season rather than after the festival season (provided one is not celebrating the festival :D )
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