Thursday, November 20

WISHES OF A PATIENT

I know that as patients, we should be thankful for the services rendered to us at the government hospital, but heck, we're paying them through our income-tax etc.

My wishes ( and agreed by many patients)
1. Nurses, especially the young unmarried ones who had never spent a day as a sick patient in the hospital, to be more sympathetic and act with more concern. Oh, there've been times when one presses the alarm bell and nobody turns up, even after the third bell. And the drip was already dry... or that we've landed ourselves on the floor.

2. It's deemed as darurat but I was like "Huh, only this?" when the nurse handed me a surgical cap to cover my hair. Oh, can't anyone invent a cap for Muslimah, that covers the neck and hair and is still hygenic for the operating theatre?

3. I like children but not when they run all over the wards, talking loudly and turning things over during visiting hours. I loath parents who can't discipline their offspring and can't scold them or apologise to other patients for their children's misbehaviour. Children under 10 should be kept away from the wards unless they know how to behave themselves properly. 'Proud' people produce badly-behaved children.

4. There should be better coordination between departments at the hospital. Imagine the specialist declaring that you are fit to be discharged at 10 am, but medical officer only arrived at 4.30pm to declare you fit to leave and to write a report, the discharge letter arriving at 4.50pm, and you might end up having to return the next day for the medication as the pharmacy closes at 5pm. What a hassle.

My advice to those who are going for their hospital stay at the gov. hospital:
1. Get a caretaker/female relative to look after you at night, especially if you're very weak or just had surgery. Never rely on the nurses to look after you. You'll be disappointed. You might wake up the next morning on a blood-soaked bed! (I paid RM50 for a private nurse who took good care of me from 8.30pm until 6.30am for 2 nights. Thanks, Suria)

2. Don't expect the nurses to do sponging for you or to change your soiled clothes. They're no longer required to do that, unlike the loud-mouthed and busy nurses of the old days. They expect you to be independent. And yes, they can be too busy to help you get down the bed and to the toilet. Walk to the toilet and elsewhere at your own risk.

3. Do know your rights as a patient. And then ask for your rights politely.It's stupid to make enemies with the nurses. Some psychology and good communication skills help you get what you need. Mind your P's and Q's.

4. Be kind and friendly with the other patients. You'd never know when you'll need their help. (I've even got advices about food for pantang, alternative medicine and an invitation to one of their homes," Kak Aliya, call saya kalau mai SP. InsyaAllah, saya masak.. hehehe, thanks Iza."

Alhamdulillah I've learnt a lot by staying at the hospital for 5 days.
And yes, I paid Rm15 for those 5 days. (Rm3 per day for the air-conditioned 2nd class ward :P)

4 comments:

  1. those are valid requests and good ones but let me just say realistically that that's hospital life! (it shouldn't be like that, but that's the way it is...sad isn't it).

    sure the taxpayer should get good service but all the taxes aren't used to pay the doctors, nurses, techies adequately in proportion to their workload so one mustn't expect miracles (or regretably..courtesy!) from tired, miserable, bullied healthcare workers.

    even in melbourne (so-called developed country nih), when i was in the postnatal ward i tekan loceng to ask for more painkillers...the nurse came..after 3 hours kot!

    even as a doctor-to-be i also lament the ABSENCE of proper tutup-aurat attire to enter the operation theatre. all the scrubs are short sleeved and sometimes nurse akan marah kalau masuk OT pakai tudung. exciyuuuz me, i think my tudung is more hygienic than anyone's flowing hair!

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  2. I was warded in a government hospital for thirty days long long time ago. I wrote about it in my blog. I had no complains, maybe because I was warded in the first class.

    Why second class cik gu?

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  3. Ummu Layth,
    Alhamdulillah, the conditions at gov.hospitals are much better now compared to the past when my mother was a nurse. I haven't seen a tired, miserable, or bullied healthcare worker during my 5-days there, hahaha. But agree with you about general attitude towards the proper aurat-covering attire. Luckily I had my sweater on to cover my exposed arms and the long screen to cover my bed from public view when my tudung was out of my reach!

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  4. Salam Maarof,
    Really? Sorry I haven't read about your hospital experiences yet, maybe later. I do find that the treatment received by patients in certain established hospitals (eg HUKM cheras) are much better than those given by workers at other hospitals.
    Why 2nd class? Coz they don't have 1st class wards in the O&G department. And there only 8 beds available for 2nd class wards.

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