It's the 4th day of 2014! Still having a chance to wish everyone "Happy New Year" live from Johor Bahru! After a week, i will be transferred back to Klang Valley, a place I always want to live and a work environment I always wish for, what a good start to 2014! This year also, she is starting her very own counselling center in partnership with her ex-colleague.
Leaving Johor Bahru, leaving primary care, it's time for me to work in hospital again. To cut short, here are the summary of the patients' behaviour in primary care (klinik kesihatan) that I encountered, generally.
1. Walk into the clinic unprepared. Even though patients were referred by another health personnel, they forget to bring the referral letter and also tend to not understand the reasons they coming for. Ended up doctors have to ask the chronology of events therefore continue the care.
2. Coming to government clinic asking for procedures that private sector has already consulted them to do. Yes definitely it is cheaper for Malaysian citizens for procedures to be done in government hospital, but bear in mind this subject to the doctor's judgement whether to do it or not and it consume times for the arrangement of appointment.
3. Walk into the clinic not knowing their previous medical conditions and medications taking. This apply to small group of non-educated and elderly patients, not to blame them but at least they can do some help by providing the packing of the medications or bring relatives or friends who literate.
4. Always forgot to bring OPD cards. This sometimes happen to people in group 3 and irresponsible MC seeking people.
5. MC seeking behaviours. Patients will act all sorts of drama to ask for a MC. Some will travel long distance from Hospital Sultan Ismail area to reach Hospital Sultananh Aminah to see doctor, reason? Because the former doctor didn't agree to give MC, so they throw away the former card and act more vigorously during the second visit.
6. Foreigners getting free medical service in goverment sector. Although they have to pay RM 15, that's inclusive of the consultation and medications for 5 days, so kind hearted our government. It's still ok for foreigners who worked here and they met accidents or illness here, pity them. But what about those people from the developed neighbouring nation asking for free supply of his/her diabetes or hypertension drugs? They said it's very expensive to get from their original country!! What worse is, those foreign workers do not speak Malay or English! I have to act all kind of sounds and move like a monkey to make them understand my questions.
7. Patients that behaving rudely. Especially in the young group of patients, they always quarrel with doctors when they are not given a MC or they are not satisfy with the management given. Oh please Malaysians yang berbudi bahasa (polite), please behave politely and talk to the doctor nicely when you are not happy, doctor will be there to help you. We request for the things we want and there is no need to fight. And please do not back stab people by writing non sense complaints, if you really do not like this particular doctor, go back and talk to him/her.
8. First thing come into the consultation room, asking for referral to other specialty. Please don't think that doctors in primary care do not know how to manage your case, there are always criteria or guidelines to manage every problems and timing to refer. Doctors will never hesitate to refer if it is really indicated to. What more pathetic is, sometimes, after the patients get the referral letter, they don't even turned back and thank the doctor.
9. Never show appreciation to the primary care doctors. We always see in the wards that patient so and so sending a gift or cards to thank the hospital team that treated their illness, but doctors or teams in primary care never received a single card of appreciation. Don't forget, without the primary care doctor referred you to the correct specialists, your illness could hardly be cured.
10. Waiting with no patience. It is already well known that government clinics will be crowded with patients at all time and you have to wait to your turn, so why behaving so impatience? Doctors need time to ask, to examine, to think and to manage every single patient's problems, the management plans do not just pop up immediately the moment the patient sit down.
Despite all the sadness and stress a doctor in primary care bearing, these doctors never write a complaint letter to complain his/her patient's attitude. They continue to work to serve every patients, so that every patient gets the best treatment and the best of health. Yes, because KAMI SEDIA MEMBANTU (we are ready to help).
This is not a letter or what to complain about the patients, it's just my personal experience with the patients that i think need to be improved. Hopefully the patients will be more understanding. What if this doctor is your child and he/she has to face with such patients everyday? How would you feel then? Everyone should be treated with dignity, right? Any patient will think in the shoes of a doctor then?
yes, please smile, no matter who you are. I believe smile is contagious.
