Friday 20 June 2014

Bad habits of Malaysian patients

I am 2 months into ED posting. it's a scary place really. I'm trying really hard to be careful in every diagnosis so i would do justice to my patient and at the same time avoiding any thing tht can jeopardize my career.
Putting the business and hectic aside, i kind of enjoy ED. what annoys me and get in my good mood to be a good doctor are bad habits of malaysian patients and their family. these are wht i have observed so far;

1) Complains about another doctor/healthcare staff
- I have a patient, an "atuk", speaks good english. he refused nurses to insert an IV line for him. so i had to go despite i was busy attending other urgent stuff. he kept complaining how last time there was this doctor who graduated frm ireland, tried >4x but failed to insert a branula for him. luckily, i managed after my first try. he praised me, asked where i graduated frm an be all nice to me.

sir, im not flattered at all. for us doctors, we dont need praises. we need respect. the moment u speak ill of our colleagues or nurses, that's the moment we lose interest in you.

2) Exaggerating illness 
i do understand people wont just seek medical attention if they're perfectly well. But just love to exaggerate. pain score 9/10, but they're saying that so comfortably. happily taking "selfie" on the hosp bed!

hello, we've seen lots of sick people. we knw how they look like. dont exaggerate, say it truthfully as it is, it's not like we're not giving u treatment if u make it less dramatic.

3) Doctor shopping
u've got your diagnosis of T10 compression fracture for your back pain from other other hospital, u've seen the specialist there, got your meds there. and u still come and see me for the same problem??? i sometimes wonder wht are they expecting. top up meds perhaps. if so then go see your doctor, get a letter so u can get a repeat prescription. not to another hosptial ED!!

4) Hard headed
we've seen so so many patients who repeatedly come to ED for unstable angina or DKA or hypertensive crisis because they default their long term treatment and follow up. now tell me, IS THAT FAIR TO US, YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY???

5) Clueless patient and parents
i do understand having a sick child worries every parents. but fever for 1 or 2 day, nothing else, feeding well, come to us at 1am. why ah?

6) MC seeker
self-explanatory.

7) VIP 
at least they think they are. paid RM1 in gov hospital, expected to be attended stat when it's obvious we're overwhelmed with patients who're more ill. a look into on my working schedule: if work pm, i came in at 1pm til 11pm. so i usually had an early lunch and pack dinner. but i rarely get to eat them, and just usually have them at 12am when i get home. some time not a single sip of fluids. not jst me, but it's quite the same for most of us HO especially in ed. it's not coz all or us are not time efficient but it's jst overwhelming. and there u are wanna play vip in here. i'm not buying it, sorry. private hosp might.



sometimes in green zone (clinic rooms), it can get up to 2hrs. i feel sorry for that as well. but lot's of other factors comes in. expect it if you come to ed for minor ailments. in yellow zone for major illness, u are attended to in less than 15mins i would say.

i'm not finding fault in my patients. and it's my job to attend to your illness. but play the patients role right as well. we need to educate our public so that everyone is treated fairly and more efficiently.

8) The expert
sometimes we do see patients who come in and the their first sentence is, "Doktor, sy rase sy kena masuk air la," "Err....kenapa yer?" "Sebab sy pening la, tak lalu makan" Okaaaaay.....


we have varieties of people in the community. some are funny, some are annoying. haha.
Dont get me wrong though, i do see lots of good and kind people as well. Just hope all of us can be pleasant to each other.

happy working!