I found an old diary that’s reminded me of many experiences in Burma. Among the notes, I found pointers to three enduring stories not yet retold in these journals.
medevac
Real Life Fantasy
Instalment One
‘Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?’ sang Freddie Mercury back when Queen dominated the music charts.
Imagine the medics explaining to you that a patient’s pulse is dangerously low but no one can diagnose the cause. The next day the patient is much revived and you are pleased he was hospitalised. What do you do on the third day when his pulse drops dramatically for no explicable reason?
There’s a medical history that you don’t yet know. So you make the call, the only call you think should be made. His health is your priority. So you arrange for a medical evacuation to a country with better medical facilities.
He’s a colleague and you are both a long way from home. In this instance it matters that you are his boss. Despite the training and protocols, responsibility and accountability for your office co-workers were just concepts before a crisis. Suddenly your egalitarian approach to office and project management needs a hierarchy to function to preserve a life.
