Not only would they have the chance for a regular pre-natal checkup and vaccination, they could also boast that their child was born on a hospital delivery table and not on the "banig" (straw mat) on the floor.
One particular patient - the wife of a ranking officer at the Polloc pier complex, took advantage of our services. She came for regular monthly checkups and I was confident that she would have a normal delivery when the expected time came.
One day, about noon time a car came to a screeching halt in front of the hospital while it honk repeatedly. The door opened and out stepped this lady who was calling out urgently to us. She didn't wait for us to assist her, but briskly walked to the entrance while holding up her dress above the hips and shouting that she was just about to give birth. It was good that there were no other patients present, because the sight of her walking with her exposed bottom was kinda hilarious.
On examination it was noted that only her bag-of-water had ruptured and she was not yet ready to give birth. In due time she was fully dilated and with an episiotomy done, a healthy baby was delivered.
During deliveries my two kids - JP and Kukie, would be beside the baby as the midwife did the neonatal care. In this particular case, due to the urgency of the postpartum repairs and maternal care I wasn't aware of my surroundings. With a bright lamp behind me, I got to the task of repairing the cut in the perineum with the blood still dripping when someone tugged at my shirt and a small voice asked, "why is the pekpek so bloody papa?" It was 3-year old JP who was standing beside me apparently engrossed in what I was doing.
I have answered a lot of demanding questions by my teachers and instructors in medical school, but this one was the most difficult to answer.
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