[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART THREE


On Sunday 29th August 1971, I had a Goanese laundryman admitted to my hospital. The next day I had a European Pantry man, admitted with a fractured leg.

The Goan laundryman was discharged on Tuesday 31st August 1971, not much wrong with him. Many crew swung the lead to get a few days off. That is why we hospitalised crew because if they were swinging the lead, we soon found them out. On the same day a European waiter (Winger) was admitted drunk. He was put in my ‘Lock Up’ cabin. Within my Crew & Isolation Hospital was a ‘Lock Up’ cabin where were put drunk or violent crew or passengers or stowaways.

Wednesday 1st September 1971 saw a Goanese crew member who worked in the galley was admitted with Gastroenteritis. Yes, we had it in those days, both viral and bacterial gastroenteritis, so norovirus aboard cruise ships today was just as rife in my era. The only difference was that we did not call it norovirus, although the viral type was basically the same thing, same group, but we did not make a song and dance about it, and not plagued by the media. We found the source, usually crew as initial carriers, isolated passengers or crew in my Crew & Isolation Hospital, and got rid of it until the next outbreak. We found it better to isolate crew or passengers in my hospital rather than their own cabins, where they could go walk about. There was not the paranoia there is today over this very common bug which is as common as a cold or flu.

The waiter had sobered up, and discharged. He was logged that day by the captain.


Thursday 2nd September was crew drill. I assembled my stretcher party. We had the usual full drill taking my party to a mock accident or fire, then to the lifeboats. I also had to assemble my stretcher party for real, not an accident, but another death. We used my Neil Robertson stretcher kept in my hospital to move the body to my hospital deck for post mortem at 1430 that day with the burial at 2200 that evening. This was the second death of the voyage. We had to move quickly because we were in Cape Town the next day, and the South Africans would not let us into port with a body on board. Also that day, a PRS (Public Room Steward was admitted to my crew hospital.


On Friday 3rd September we arrived at Cape Town, but had to wait outside the port for port health to come aboard because we had the Fijian girl in my isolation section with Chickenpox. We had to inform the Cape Town authorities of Chickenpox on board port health were satisfied we had the girl isolated allowing us to proceed into port, so it was my job to phone the bridge to inform the captain. I felt as proud a peacock. My mind going back ten years when I failed to join the merchant navy seeing Canberra from afar in Southampton water from the Red Funnel ferry.
Now, the captain on the bridge of Canberra was waiting for a phone call from ME to proceed into port!

Our Surgeon was South African, and was friendly with Dr Christian Barnard famous for the first heart transplant. We were invited up to his hospital, and then for drinks in the Surgeons cabin with Dr Barnard. I also did a bit of quick shopping for myself, and a couple of nursing sisters.

I must make a quick mention of Cape Town. I had been there before on Northern Star. Cape Town had become second favourite port in the world. The first was Hong Kong, which I will come to later on, but Cape Town was my second favourite due entirely to the views, the crystal clear blue skies on sunny days, and of course Table Mountain seen from below, and above. The trip up the mountain on the cable car is a must, although fit people can take a path, being several I am told. Possibly the most hair-raising cable car ride in the world, something like 3,500ft sheer drop. But the views from the top is out of this world, looking down at the clear blue waters of Camps Bay, the entire vista utterly stunning. So if you ever get the chance to cruise to Cape Town, please do so. There are also other things to do like drive around to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserves where the scenery on the way is equally stunning where you may stumble onto a beach full of penguins.

We left Cape Town that evening for Durban. The next day I bed bathed a male patient in the passenger hospital. As male nurse, I usually dealt with male passengers. It was also Saturday, so Captains rounds again, and a visit to the crew bar.

We arrived at Durban on Sunday 5th September. I stayed on board looking after male patient in the D Deck hospital was well as my own. We left Durban at 1830, but a new male patient had been admitted so I had to bath him.

The next day the Pantry man was discharged, able to hobble around going back to his own cabin. The Goanese galley man was also discharged meaning my crew section was empty but busy now in the passenger hospital as well as cabin visits. On Wednesday 8th September we were very busy doing the European crew Typhoid and Cholera jabs. Clocks were put forward every night for a week as we crossed the Indian Ocean until we reached Fremantle.