Dr Percy Harrold
It will happen on Christmas day, or maybe on Boxing day. “Nurse, I have his discomfort in my chest and I can’t swallow. Can you give me something to fix it?” No, it is not a heart attack, but the product of too rapidly eating a well-prepared roast or turkey, now stuck in the oesophagus.
The festivities are suddenly brought to a halt. While most of us get to be with family and friends, there are heroes who are rostered on to care for us on Christmas Day. Police, paramedics, the hospital emergency staff, the ward nursing teams, all have their part to play on this special day.
The cut foot at the beach, the broken wrist trying the new skateboard, and other medical emergencies will be treated. The midwives and obstetricians on duty will ply their wonderful trade assisting with the arrival of new lives as on any other day. And the thought is not lost on the meaning of the day. That special birth of Jesus, the Son of God, was in an unlikely birthing suite. Yes, there would have been midwives available for this young mother home for the census in Bethlehem. Midwives have always been especially tolerant, skilled yet empathetic individuals. My daughter is one! I have worked beside midwives in around 800 births, many in rural GP settings. For them it is not an onerous situation coaching the arrival of new lives. The excitement always surfaces at that first breath, and the first cry. So, this Christmas, while you and I are celebrating the reason for the Christmas Story, take time to remember those who keep an eye out for our health and safety. And if for you the glove fits, accept our grateful thanks.