“ Doktor kejam. Doktor keji. Doktor tak faham keadaan saya dan suami saya”

What did I do to get myself in this kind of trouble?

I just asked the patient to be admitted to the labor room because of her high risk pregnancy…after consulting the respective department’s MO and considering the previous specialist's orders. Furthermore, she defaulted on the previous appointment with the specialist to determine mode of delivery and plans. The husband was there and even uttered…

“Mana boleh masuk hari ini! Esok saya kena jumpa Datok XXX”

Which I responded with

“Encik tak perlu ikut pun tak apa. Saya akan sediakan ambulans untuk hantar. Kalau pakar di sana suruh balik, kami bawa balik”

I thought to myself; this is KAMI SEDIA MEMBANTU at its best! How can I BANTU anymore?

The reasons I had to send her are:

I guess I am KEJAM TERAMAT SANGAT for wanting the best for the mother and baby. Unlike the husband, I truly care. I don’t really care about the husband, or patient but I care about her other child. What will the 3 year old child do without his mother? Will the father take care of the child lovingly? I kind of doubt it as shown by him prioritizing Datok XXX rather than his wife.

Maternal mortality is scary. I have been fortunate not to encounter any deaths so far. But I have heard of my colleague's experiences in Maternal Mortality Reviews. Even if a mother decides to NOT come for checkups and attempts to deliver at home and dies, the whole team in charge of that area will be held responsible. How I wish that the patient and husband can just sign a form and be held FULLY RESPONSIBLE for anything that happens to the patient’s and baby’s health. 

That wish is never meant to be fulfilled as it can be counter-productive. At first glance, maternal mortality inquiries are just a blame game that the higher management plays but its main reason is to find out the cause and find solutions to rectify the problems such as by increasing public awareness on maternal health issues. The public also need to be aware of the facilities available to cater for child and maternal health such as Klinik Kesihatan Ibu Dan Anak and Klinik Desa. I firmly believe that Malaysia’s maternal and child health system is one of the best in the world. I still take my wife and children for follow ups and expect the same treatment as any normal citizen (I don’t cut queues and demand like some people who claim to know some Datoks).

By now, my name would be famous all around the kampong. Dr MOfrust doktor yang keji!....could I care any less? Hopefully there will be less patients to see next week…..aahhh best nye! Can goyang kaki in clinic!