It's Ramadan here in Cairo

It's the first day of Ramadan today, so, the seasons' greetings to the Islamic world :-)

Ramadan here in Egypt is unique though, Egyptians are famed around the muslim world for really making the holy month so special, a very enjoyable experience if you can manage to visit Egypt during the month and join in the 24 hours a day celebrations; that's a wapping 720 hour non stop party! Where in the world can you beat that?!

One of my sons arrived last week for a 10 day break, first time for him to see the festivities of Ramadan in Egypt. He found the preparations amazing; people collect money amongst themselves to have all the streets lit with zigzagging lines of colourful lights going across the street from one building to the one opposite and so on. All trees are decorated with a typical Ramadan "Fanous" or large lit Golden lantern made specially for the happy occasion Then there is all those long tables laden with a huge variety of good hot and cold food with a free invitation to sit and eat if you happen to be out when the fasting ends, everyone is welcome, muslim or not!

What my son fund most interesting was the local "messaharati" a man who walks the locality wearing traditional long Jelabia from 2 am for at least two hours drumming on his little "tabla" or drum to wake people up for their "Sehour" or early breakfast before the start of the fast in the early morning. "Mummy, this man would be arrested in London for causing nuisance at this time of the night, purposely trying to wake everyone up!" ..... Ah well, you too would say so if this was your first visit to Cairo during Ramadan :-)

I like "Animal Farm" by George Orwell and find some of his quotes fascinating, like this one:

Squealer consoles the animals, saying, "Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure. On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"

Old Major warns, "Your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead you astray. Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest....we must not come to resemble him...No animal must ever live in a house or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade."

Orwell narrates, "Nobody stole, nobody grumbled over his rations, the quarreling and biting and jealousy which had been normal features of life in the old days had almost disappeared."

As Napoleon was deceiving the neighboring farmers he was also tricking his own animals. The scapegoat was again Snowball. "Whenever anything went wrong it became usual to attribute it to Snowball." In fact many of the claims begin to sound ridiculous to the objective mind. Of course, Squealer's mission is to keep everything subjective in the minds of the animals.

Could Orwell solve the MMC and MTAS enigma and the reasons for their existance had he been alive? I don't think that even ""Napoleon" could have thought these two out! .... To protect and help "the animals" of course!

Exiled doctors not allowed to return!

Deaneries give juniors from naught up to 24 hours to "take it or leave it" posts and because of the farce created by MTAS accepted jobs they do not really want to do or jobs far away from their homes and families just to save their future in medicine. Lots of those doctors are now feeling the effect of their decisions and are not happy with the situation they were forced into by the crazy robot.

Policy makers, you made those doctors who were "lucky" to get a training post feel as if they were done a favour! Not the right feeling for such a high calibre professionals aiming to give their best to their patients! .... Policy makers, it was actually you who were done the favour when doctors accepted these unsuitable jobs to save their careers and serve their patients! The sooner you realise this and hold those who caused this mess to account, the better for you, for patients and for the junior doctors who keep on proving time after time how honourable, professional, resilient and humane they are, not forgetting their highest levels of integrity either.