At the Outpatient, the staff nurse
asked about my problem and about my Hb level which I did not
remember. She advised me to remember it so that the doctor knows
about it. Goes to show how unprepared I was mentally at the time. She
asked if I can speak Malay to the doctor which was the first
indication of a language problem to some.
When I told the Malay lady doctor that
I had abdominal pain on the right side, she referred me to Emergency
in case it was appendicitis. The distance was only a hundred metres
or so, I chose to walk instead of being sent by ambulance! So much
for an emergency case.
At the emergency, among other things I
had blood pressure taken and ECG done. Not being an ex-government
servant, I was asked to pay Rm200 deposit before admission into Ward
2 (Second Class).
I had my blood tested over a year ago
but I could not remember my blood type which posed a problem when
asked later. My mistake was not bringing my Gribbles card which shows
my blood type (B+). But then again, it would be inconceivable to
expect the doctor to rely on that information instead of their own
blood tests. The only advantage I can think of is when ordering blood
for transfusion and as a double-check that I am given the right blood
type when their own tests are known.
In the ward, all the doctors speak good
English. Many of my friends, who are retired government servants,
preferred to seek private medical treatment (despite its known high
charges) because they can well afford it and believe timely treatment
is more important. In some cases, where the treatment is unavailable
at government hospitals, private hospital charges can be claimed from
the government. But for less urgent cases, I do not think why GH
should not be considered. The pace is general slower and some people
might actually like it! Like BG GH, the Second Class ward used to be
the only First Class ward in Perak, where royalty were treated. The
ambience, to quote my KL relatives, is almost like a Balinese resort!
A retired civil servant admitted that sometimes, he extended his stay
because he quite liked the food provided!
In terms of charges, the total bill
came to Rm1225, and after government subsidy of Rm920, I had to pay
only Rm305. The cashier seems sympathetic when telling me the
charges, asking why so many tests? I think if the treatment was in a
private hospital it could have been around Rm1,000 a day.
Though there is a general perception
that we cannot get the right treatment early, I was lucky to have Dr
M Ihsan who arranged for a visiting surgeon to take a look at my
condition, and scope was arranged the very next day! Before that, I
was told I can have an ultra sound test only in 2 to 3 months' time
at the Ipoh GH, which reinforced the general perception. Now, a CT
scan appointment at Ipoh GH had been fixed, within 3 weeks!
Besides my immediate complaint of pain
in the abdomen, the doctors are trying to find out the cause of my
drastic weight loss and low Hb.
The pain had caused me sleepless nights
because any change in sleeping position was painful. After 10 days or
so, I am glad it is gone. Hopefully, whatever caused it would not be
shown as a problem when CT scanned.
On a lighter note, when told my wife
used to be a dietitian, Dr Ihsan said BG GH does not have one at the
moment. Why not join us and teach some of our staff? With today's IT,
almost anything could be Google-ed and everybody seems to know
everything about medical treatment and medicine, much to the
annoyance of doctors because invariably, it turns out a little
knowledge can be dangerous. Similarly, when it comes to diets, it is
even worse! More people know generally what can or cannot be eaten
for certain medical conditions. But a dietitian's role includes
working out in detail, the calories and nutrient composition of
different foods before recommending specific diets for different
patients. Just imagine the danger of simply rotating different menus
for a week. To show how a hospital kitchen without a dietitian can
make mistakes, I asked for hot milk instead of tea or coffee. After
being given hot milk twice, the third and subsequent time, I was
given hot sweetened condensed milk instead! Just imagine if I
happened to be diabetic! I can bet that just like coffee shops, what
is supposed to be condensed milk is likely to be condensed creamer.
In the men's toilets, the most obvious
maintenance neglect must be the washing liquid containers: one
missing and the other's lid cannot be closed properly – held by
some tissue paper! I was classified as '2-star' in terms likelihood
in falling and my first visit to the toilet was by wheelchair, pushed
by an attendant. But I managed to do without that. Occasionally, with
drip on or undergoing blood transfusion, I was allowed to use the
Women's toilet. I noticed a better designed and working liquid
container. Besides, in the men's toilets, every plastic seat cover
had been well scratched by shoes of people squatting on them. Wonder
who is in charge of general maintenance.
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