I feel like Dr. Blackham is a nice man and a smart and capable doctor in most regards, but office conditions and hygiene practices are pretty shocking. His office is dingy and dumpy, and his medical instruments just sit out on the dirty tables collecting dust and germs and who knows what (he doesn't even set his tools on a clean paper towel, everything's just out on the little wooden tables or jammed in a coffee mug). His speculum sits in a tub of water on the ground. His floors look grimy (I can only hope they're merely stained, not actually dirty). There are crusty bottles of iodine sitting about, and almost-empty tubes of KY jelly just sitting there on the table. Even the box of rubber gloves is dirty (how does the BOX get dirty??). His water cooler and drinking cups are about two feet from the toilet, inside the bathroom (GROSS). There is no garbage can receptacle by the bathroom door, so you have to touch the bathroom handle with your hand, not a paper towel (because you have nowhere to throw the paper towel). Everything just looks and seems filthy, with all tools stored improperly. His own hygiene practices are really bad, too. I've noticed he opens and closes the (visibly dirty) garbage can with his hand (instead of with the foot pedal) to throw something away, and then doesn't wash his hands. He also doesn't wash his hands before standard office visits, which involve him touching and palpating your entire belly.
I'm not a big fan of the cloth dressing gowns or the cloth pillowcases on the exam table, either, not with the rampant bedbug infestation that's going around everywhere. I hope he washes and dries everything on HOT.
Anyway, he seems like a capable doctor, except in matters of hygiene. I would really, really like to see him clean things up around his office, and start some healthier habits and practices, and at LEAST wash his hands thoroughly before every visit, even if you're not having a full pelvic exam. His office needs to have a heavy-duty cleaning and bleaching and scouring session.
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