Memorable Old Years/New Years
Many of us will remember entering the New Year either partying, drinking champagne or a choice wine and or eating cook-up or some other specially prepared dish. Some of us remember going to a church service or a midnight mass praying for a better year or singing praises to our God.
Either way, church or party, we put on our best clothes to while away the night and welcome a New Year.
Relishing the moment
For doctors Gavrielle Cave, Alex D’Aguiar and many others in the medical or nursing profession breaking the New Year’s tending to patients is an inescapable yet satisfying service. Doctors spending special holidays at a hospital with colleagues, other staff members and even patients has become a norm with everyone being part of the extended family.
Dr Cave recalled that she broke the 2023 New Year’s Day event free, but the hours that followed were filled with life-saving activities.
“Going into midnight, we had no emergency or pending cases in the internal medicine department of the Georgetown Public Hospital [GPH]. It was blissful. We all toasted with a glass of non-alcoholic champagne, took a few pictures, had some nice chocolate and a few good laughs.
It was also raining at midnight and shortly after the toast and wishing each other the best, we went outside to get a feel of the cleansing rain and at the same time we saw it as blessings from above.
It was such a joyous moment in which we actually had some time for ourselves. Shortly after relishing the moment, we were called in to take charge of an emergency and after that it was work until daybreak,” she recalled.
“I enjoyed that Old Year’s/New Year’s night. It was a memory to cherish. The next experience won’t be the same.
I would have loved to be around family but we know in those moments we have to be there for the patients who need us. Sometimes we spend more time here at the hospital than at home, we end up seeing each other as family members.”
New Year’s Day baby
For Dr D’Aguiar, three of the past four years he spent on the residence programme at the GPH, he worked through Old Year’s night into New Year’s morning helping mothers to bring their babies into the world.
“It’s a profound and joyous experience. The year 2021 was especially memorable. We had two expecting mothers and two teams awaiting the birth of the first baby for 2021. Obviously all babies and mothers are special but awaiting the delivery of the birth of the first New Year’s Day baby is especially special for the team delivering him or her. Even though there is already a camaraderie among all staff, there is just that special bonding awaiting the birth of this New Year’s Day baby. We were all excited in keeping with the spirit of the season. It was like a race. Both teams were checking in on both mothers-to-be. When our baby was born, which happened to be the first, it was a wonderful experience. We were so happy and delighted, because it was a smooth delivery with no issues.”
Dr D’Aguiar is now working with high risk obstetrics and gynaecology patients in 13 health centres on the East Coast Demerara from Better Hope to Mahaica.
Church-hopping
For administrator Anjie Sukhai of Grove, some holidays and weekends may not be the best because of dealing with a stressful situation in the home. The mother of one, Sukhai grew up in a Hindu household and converted to Catholicism 30 years ago.