OF EMERGENCY ROOMS

It was September 2005. I was working abroad at that time. In a first world country. Haven't been back to Malaysia for 9 years. Had this pain in my stomach on and off for 2 months. Worried? Nope. Not a bit. Didn't bother me. Until one night. The pain really struck me. Felt my belly bloated and full of angin. Pop up some diarrhoea medicine, thinking that it must be something I ate. No relief there. Getting worse by the minute. Went to the bathroom. Nothing. Really, really getting worse by the minute. Its 8.00 pm. Not in condition to drive. Called a taxi. `Haul ass man, get me to the emergency room'.

I REALLY CAN'T BELIEVED IT! The Emergency Room was closed. Closed at 8.00 pm sharp and on time. Shaking my head thinking, what kind of hospital is this? Pressed my stomach, walked real slowly to the hospital's duty attendant. "Sir, can you please tell me why the Emergency Room is closed?" The attendant replied "Sorry man, we have budget cuts, thats why its closed. Not just this one though. Every hospital in town closed exactly at 8.00 pm. To save administrative funds" I just blinked my eyes for a full minute, trying to digest this unexpected information. (No, I was not crying, okay). Doesn't make any sense at all. What am I to do now? Seeing my pathetic face, the attendant offered me an advice. "Looks like you have to tough it out tonight man". "TOUGH IT OUT? TOUGH IT OUT? I'M IN SERIOUS PAIN! HOW THE HELL YOU EXPECT ME TO TOUGH IT OUT!" I yelled at the attendant's face. Ummm... well, not exactly. First I was in pain. Secondly, the attendant is a tough, gym going, bald, black man. Yelling in his face? Not a good idea. So I went to the drugstore, bought some painkiller and tough it out through the night. It was not a good night.

The next morning I called all over town, checking wether there's an Emergency Room opened. I was in luck! The local university's hospital Emergency Room opened at 10.00 am. Rushed there immediately, struggled with extreme difficulty and was admitted right away. The doctor came, announced that he had a good news and bad news. Hmm okay. Bad news first. "I had to put my finger in your anus" Damm!. Okay, what's the good news? He smiled."I have small fingers" Damm! I felt so violated. And still in pain.

The doctor then proceed giving me a morphine drip to stop the pain and I was sure I said something like " Aaaaaaah...... so this is what it feels like" before slipping away from the world.

Woke up, did an ultrasound, signed some papers, and was taken to the operation room. 2 hours and my stones breeding gall bladder was taken out.

I remembered thinking, I really want to go back home. I want to live in the land where Emergency Rooms are open 24/7 and where the duty attendant is a young, sweet smiling, female.

I felt homesick.