All in a day`s work...

I had a bad day at work yesterday. Not because the boss lashed out her anger at me, or being called stupid in front of patients, or making a mistake that made me feel bad and unworthy. None of the above.

It is the patient itself, the one I am supposed to serve, to treat, to help, to satisfy …. Without question, without bias, without prejudice…

Dealing with people, is not an easy task. Dealing with SICK people is much worse. It is much much easier, to operate machines, to deal with softwares. Just ask those working with the public… the clerk at the JPJ counter, the receptionist at the hotel lobby, the waiter in the restaurant. All those attitudes they have to put up with. And with the motto of Client Is Always Right does not make it any easier. There have been so many comments pertaining the public services by government personnel. But i`m only going to talk about the health services as that is my territory.

I have been serving the public for the past 7 years. Within that period, I have worked in few places, in different environment… The district hospital, the outpatient department, the emergency unit etc.… Almost in all situations, the staffs are almost always overworked. Be it the nurses, or the doctors, or the attendants, or the ambulance drivers. A ward which should be manned by 4 doctors, always end up with 3… or worse still 2. The outpatient department which should be run by 5 doctors, never had more than 3. I have seen 50 patients within 1 ½ hours. At the end of the day, it was the patient asking me if I was ok instead.

The public expect us to smile always, be chirpy, to make zero-mistakes, to know everything within the system, to be alert and on our feet all the time (as sitting down for a couple of minutes would reflect laziness). We are expected to be polite always ( even if the public lash out abusive words to us). We are not allowed to show our emotions, of anger, of frustrations. We are not allowed to be sick or tired or hungry. We are truly public *servant* in every sense of the word.

My outpatient clinic is what I shall say, a zoo. We deal with people from all walks of life. From the arrogant Tan Sris, the demanding Datins, the i-know-everything-after surfing the internet-so-I want- this medication- or else (sometimes being too educated is not much of help), the Ah Soh who couldn`t understand a word apart from Hokkien, the kid who just refused to sit still with parents who couldn`t care less, etc. etc.

So everytime, we have to deal with different personalities, different cultures and education, understand their backgrounds, try to make them understand what is going on in simplest way possible. It is not an easy task if you have to see 30 – 40 patients per day, and that excludes the relatives. A specialist clinic takes longer than the ordinary outpatient clinic. The disease is more complex, more tests to do, and consultations to be made. Waiting hour of 3 – 4 hours just for consultation is common, longer if tests are to be done.

Why do we have so many patients? Can`t we control the number? I mean we do give out appointments right?? Well, the clinic is overcrowded because of those who come without appointments, some who think their problem is an `Emergency` and demand to be seen.

Me: Kenapa dengan mata pakcik?
Patient 1: Selalu gatal dan berair.
Me: Tarikh ni kenapa pakcik tak datang? (2 months ago)
Patient 1: Pakcik terlupa la…
Me: Hmmppphhh… (ketap bibir)

Me: What seems to be the problem??
Patient 2: Sometimes my eyes become red, got tearssss, then blurr blurr like that…
Me: (the eye was white) Looks ok to me. Have you been putting the eye-drops?
Patient 2: Sometimes I put…. Sometimes I don`t put…
Me: Auntie… that`s why it becomes red… (Aarrgghhh)

Me: Uncle… you already have an appointment next month… so whats wrong now?
Patient 3: I cannot see. My eyes are blurr…
Me: That`s because you have cataract.You already have a date for an operation.
Patient 3: Can I get an earlier date?
Me: Uncle… can you still walk around without help?
Patient 3: Yes
Me: Can you still watch tv?
Patient 3: Can..
Me: Then NO, stick to this date….
Patient 3: Alaaa yee sang, do me a favour la, one only. Please squeeze me somewhere..
Me: NNEEEXXTTTTTTT!!!!!!

And yesterday, I had a handful of patients, some with complicated cases that needed extra test and consultations from the specialists. Been running up and down. And on a busy and tiring day like that, I had a patient who was demanding, rude, impatient. I`ve examined him, did some tests, even did him a favour by ordering refraction. On a usual day, refraction can only be done by appointment and that is 3 months down the line. He shouted at my nurse, opened my door when I was with another patient… Dokter, lagi lama mahu tunggu ka?? His face looked as if he wanted to swallow me alive. It was waaayyy past the lunch hour. I was too hungry to even bother. I finished examining him and sent him off.

A thank you… would have been nice.