A few weeks back, I read a Facebook post about how a houseman (HO) talked a patient out of depression. I can't verify the authenticity of the post but it is inspirational. The whole post is rather long and in Bahasa Malaysia. Click on the link to read the post (but please don't click on MyMetro).
I tried translating it into English but it doesn't sound as nice. It doesn't do justice to the original author. If you can understand Bahasa Malaysia, do read the whole post.
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Letter from a senior |
This was the letter to the editor on 12th June 2014 about a senior citizen being given a runaround at Serdang Hospital. Initially I wanted to just let the PR people at Serdang Hospital deal with it but there wasn't any response on 13th June. So I came out with my own reply in today's The Star (14th June 2014). My original title was Sharing the resposibility.
Referring to the letter by Shah D. from Puchong entitled Senior given runaround at hospital, it
is most unfortunate that he had to endure this. Fortunately for him, Serdang
Hospital has an integrated computerized patient database otherwise the
experience is worse. I do agree that some policies and systems in the hospital
are not patient friendly. However please bear in mind that the system is in
place to manage thousands of patients visiting the hospital daily.
Specialist clinics in hospitals are not meant for walk in
patients. Specialist hospitals like Serdang Hospital are referral centers. If a
patient is stable and the medications are available at local clinics, patient’s
care will be transferred to be managed at a local health clinic (Klinik
Kesihatan). Even in the current state, appointments for the first visit can
take up to 3 months due to the patient load. Who doesn’t want to be seen at the
specialist clinic for a mere RM 5 per visit? Even with the low fee, there are
some well to do government officers who create a big fuss when being charged
RM5.
It wouldn’t be fair to put the blame on the hospital. Two
years of defaulting treatment is a long time. You just can’t decide to come to
the hospital and be seen straight away. That wouldn’t be fair to the other
patients who waited three months for their appointments, stick to their
appointments and follow the doctor’s advice on health management. I am sure
there might be some reasons for defaulting the appointments. But what can be
more important than your health? If the medical staff are prepared to help with
the limited resources, why not help
yourself?
I do agree that more can be done to make hospitals patient friendly, especially towards to the senior citizens (regardless pensioner or not) and the disabled. But health care is a shared responsibility. You can't bertepuk sebelah tangan.
While others are fast asleep with their loved ones at home, cuddling each other lovingly or hanging out with friends after a late night movie, people called 'doctors' are stuck in the hospital hard at work trying to save lives. Life is a bit more difficult for doctors in remote, understaffed and under equipped district hospitals. No specialists around to ask for help and a lot of times when trying to refer to a tertiary hospital some cocky MO will sound:
"Aiyya, that one also want to send ah? So stupid cannot manage there?"
The sad part is, while you are busy saving lives and giving everything you have, no one is there when its your life that needs to be saved.
It was a sad day when news broke out about a medical officer who died after completing his on call. No one knew exactly what happened as he was alone at the time. He was only found after others went out to look for him. Maybe he was overly exhausted or may have had some underlying medical condition. The patients that survived that night at Hospital Alor Gajah might have been saved by this particular doctor.
Despite the somber mood of the Malaysian medical fraternity after hearing the sad news, some rubbish journalist published something uncalled for in the mainstream media. I am not sure if it was in their print copy though (I do not enjoy reading both of these newspaper anyways), but it was on their online portal. NST.com.my most probably noted the intense anger at the journalist and deleted the link (link unavailable since 12th June 1215am) but myMetro remains a nonsense newspaper.
"Naked doctor found dead in toilet" was the HEADLINE.
Is it so significant to highlight that the doctor was found naked in the toilet? Is anyone supposed to be fully dressed in the toilet?
Post call. 24 hours work. Tired. Need a shower. Need food.....those are the things most doctors think about after completing a hectic post call.
MyMetro was unnecessarily detailed as ever
"Seorang doktor lelaki atas panggilan yang sedang bertugas ditemui mati TANPA SEURAT BENANG dalam keadaan TERTIARAP di dalam tandas di Hospital Alor Gajah hari ini"
Why highlight the TANPA SEURAT BENANG and TERTIRAP? Haven't you got enough readers to attract?
Why stoop so low? Where is the respect that the doctor deserve?
Some may find this trivial but you just have give the doctor some respect. Give the family room to grieve. No need to highlight the fact that he was naked.
I fully support Dr Jim Loi's, President of Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia, protest on the NST article.
Please show some RESPECT.
"Aiyya, that one also want to send ah? So stupid cannot manage there?"
The sad part is, while you are busy saving lives and giving everything you have, no one is there when its your life that needs to be saved.
It was a sad day when news broke out about a medical officer who died after completing his on call. No one knew exactly what happened as he was alone at the time. He was only found after others went out to look for him. Maybe he was overly exhausted or may have had some underlying medical condition. The patients that survived that night at Hospital Alor Gajah might have been saved by this particular doctor.
Despite the somber mood of the Malaysian medical fraternity after hearing the sad news, some rubbish journalist published something uncalled for in the mainstream media. I am not sure if it was in their print copy though (I do not enjoy reading both of these newspaper anyways), but it was on their online portal. NST.com.my most probably noted the intense anger at the journalist and deleted the link (link unavailable since 12th June 1215am) but myMetro remains a nonsense newspaper.
"Naked doctor found dead in toilet" was the HEADLINE.
Is it so significant to highlight that the doctor was found naked in the toilet? Is anyone supposed to be fully dressed in the toilet?
Post call. 24 hours work. Tired. Need a shower. Need food.....those are the things most doctors think about after completing a hectic post call.
MyMetro was unnecessarily detailed as ever
"Seorang doktor lelaki atas panggilan yang sedang bertugas ditemui mati TANPA SEURAT BENANG dalam keadaan TERTIARAP di dalam tandas di Hospital Alor Gajah hari ini"
Why highlight the TANPA SEURAT BENANG and TERTIRAP? Haven't you got enough readers to attract?
Why stoop so low? Where is the respect that the doctor deserve?
Some may find this trivial but you just have give the doctor some respect. Give the family room to grieve. No need to highlight the fact that he was naked.
I fully support Dr Jim Loi's, President of Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia, protest on the NST article.
Please show some RESPECT.
Sigh.....another day, another potential heart attack as I explore Facebook. Another fake public service announcement by some unknown, non medical source. Compared to my previous post on the relationship between not bathing for the first 3 days of menses and postpartum mortality, this THING about first response to stroke is BLOODY PREPOSTEROUS!!