Sunday, June 1, 2008

Doctors, Why Are U So Irritable?

Recently, I noticed that my fellow colleagues and even my girl friend who just completed her housemanship become more and more iiritable after joining medical field. When i look back in my medical life, I suddenly realized that Even I Myself also become easily irritated. May be i can share a few "Reality Problem/Factors" that causing this profession, Doctors, become more and more life taxing and less satisfaction.I was doing night shift alone (10pm to 8am) at Accident and Emergency department(district hospital does not have enough doctor, thus only one Dr per night). At 12am,after settling and admitting one old gentleman who just had an myocardial infarction (Layman: Heart Attack) which took me 2 hours, I looked at my desk, patients' cards are piling up. Let's see what kind of patients do we have:-a 20 y.o girl,c/o (c/o=complaints of) having fever + cough + RN (RN=runny nose) for 2 days-48 y.o man, c/o skin itchiness for 2 weeks-3 months old baby girl c/o crying while breast feeding and unable to sleep, normal temperature (and baby become very comfortable when i saw her)-17 y.o boy c/o diarrhea and abdominal pain-44 y.o man c/o headache and request for MC-22 y.o man c/o toothache (yes, it's toothache, I'm a DOCTOR, not dentist, and my A&E doesn't has any dentist around)- 33 y.o lady with another 2 kids (8 yo and 4yo) c/o fever+RN- and bla...bla...bla...many many more...... which WE medical staffs labeled as GREEN CASE (non-emergency) (Very typical picture of how our public abusing our A&E service, A&E should be only for EMERGENCY!)then my nurse inform me that the headache patient was yelling outside complaining he was wating for 2 hours. Though my nurse explained that there was an emergency patient with heart attack, he still shouting around saying "So u mean my headache is not emergency?If I die because brain cancer, can u responsible for it?" Finally, I saw him and discharge him with some pain killers and the MOST IMPORTANT--->MC.After struggling to finish all non-emergency patients, it's 4am. Then another mother brought in a 1 year old baby boy complaining that baby was having fever from 6pm, though visited a private doctor and was given some medication, but the fever still persist. With exhausted body/spirit, I told the mother that it's a normal course for fever to settle in 3-5 days, no matter what medicine u take, not even "bomoh" medicine. SO very unlucky or stupidly, I've mentioned an improper or so called "unprofessional" word---> "bomoh", the mother start yelling at me, "Don't u think I'm stupid! I come from KL and not like people here who are stupid !(only God knows why people staying here suddenly become stupid) What's your name? I'll complaint to your boss and Health minister for your improper language! I was looking for a private hospital with specialist which doesn't exist here. I'm so stupid to come here and see only ordinary doctor like u." Though I tried to apology, all effort in vain and she left with anger. So, I'll end up receiving complaining letter later and to write another explain letter for it then.After this angry mother left, suddenly I heard that another ambulance coming , apparently there were 3 young guys who had drunken and drive involved in an motor-vehicle-accident and were severely injured. 2 guys had open fractures of upper and lower limbs respectively and the last guys was unconscious with sign of head injury. Resuscitation was carried out immediately. 2 men were transferred to Town General Hospital for emergency operation while the last guy didn't look good. After one hour resuscitating, his blood pressure dropping and CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) was carried out. After another one hour, we failed and he passed away. Now the time was 7.30am.Police came and ask some questions, then request for a post-mortem for this guy to identify his cause of death. ( In Malaysia,All patient who pass away in the motor-vehicle accident require post-mortem to confirm cause of death.) so i quickly change and proceed with post-mortem, open his skull and examine his brain, hmm.....so there was some intracranial bleeding and skull fracture, so cause of death was confirmed= Severe head injury.After finish filling up all the documentation required (burial permit, death certificate and bla, bla, bla.....). Finally, i can leave my hospital. And now it was 9.30am. Rush back to my room took a shower and grasp something into my mouth, i totally collapsed onto my bed. So, that end my story of night duty. But wait! There will be another night duty tonight! So Wish Me Good Luck, ok?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, looks like i'm the first one who leaves a comment.Hehe. Poor gov doctors..no wonder many doctors plan to leave gov soon. I think the public really don't knw how to appreciate FOC/cheap service and they really take things for granted..same happened in pharmacy dept. My heath clinic has ard 400-550 patients per day..and the main reason is seeing dr juz need rm1 only. Imagine only 3 Drs to see ard 500 patients per day?How tiring..Anyway, it's a vy interesting blog, keep up ur good work :-)

Anonymous said...

Wa.... koko.. geng... very detailed explaination. I can understand why you seem very "heartless" d.

But I do know that you have a good heart to save people.

kambade ! :)