I’m the Head Porter in this hospital. What do I do? Well, I run the place.
Porters do more than just push food trolleys around the hospital. We transport patients by wheelchair or stretcher from the wards to Radiology or Physiotherapy and back again. We remove dead bodies to the mortuary, we lift and carry heavy equipment and furniture, and we dispose of all waste. Each hospital bed produces 4.5 kilos of waste every day. We collect it each day and take it away for recycling.
We deliver the post all over the hospital and bring letters to patients- that’s a very important thing. As we move around the place, we take files, samples, and specimens from here to there and back again. Last year I walked 1, 800 kilometers!
To do all these things a porter must be fit, be able to think clearly in an emergency, and be polite and friendly. Next time you are waiting for a porter to answer your call, please be patient. He will be with you as soon as he can.