As a consultant, I’ve worked in hospitals across the country for years. Every once in a while, I see a physician with a pager. For all the high-tech equipment to use, one thing seems pretty archaic: pagers. Yet, 85 % of hospitals still use pagers.
There are significant reasons hospital staff still use one-way pagers to get in touch. For one important reason is that hospitals can be dead zones for cell service. In some areas, where the walls are built to keep X-rays from penetrating, heavy-duty designs make it hard for a cell phone signal to penetrate exterior walls.
A few days ago, I was sipping coffee in the cafeteria and overheard a physician complaining that the pager’s battery drains too quick.
A person at the adjacent table leaned in and said, “Excuse me, sir.“
“Yes?” he queried.
“Do you need your pager at night? Meaning, are you always on call?“
“No,” he responded.
“Well, you might get better battery life if you place the battery in the freezer. This might slow the discharge rate.“
“Oh great. Thanks for the tip.”
Visiting Information Technology for a wiring diagram, I saw a pager laying on the table. The pager’s casing was cracked, and the screen had broken.
Pointing to the pager, “Dropped pager, huh?”
“Nah,” said the technician. “Some doctor put his pager in the freezer believing it would extend battery life.”
Buddhism emphasizes the importance of service on the Eightfold Path. By serving others, one cultivates compassion and washes away past sins. Particular emphasis is placed upon service to parents, teachers, learned persons, fellow monks when they are sick or need of help, assistance to animals, friends, servants, ascetics, and others.
Fortunately, doctors, while specifically listed still make the list. In the course of assisting the physician, I found ‘humility‘ still exits. Anthony de Mellow highlighted the message.
To a visitor who described himself as a seeker after Truth the Master said, “If what you seek is Truth, there is one thing you must have above all else.“
“I know. An overwhelming passion for it.”
“No. An unremitting readiness to admit you may be wrong.“