Tag Archives: jasin hospital

Team Jasin

Posted in All in a days work by

Zebulon Gant:

“When you understand the language, sir, everything falls into place”

Mr Husband: pahal kitak onkol lagi ujung minggu tok? kenak buli? bukankah MO ktk main ramee?

Minci: Menar.. tapi everyone still have to do max 2 weekend calls.. So I chose to do this weekend.

Alhamdulilah we are growing in numbers.. approaching near 16 functioning clinical MOs at the moment. Almost half are non Muslims which means that we can go RAYA!!! while the number seems like a luxury, I also pray that both old and new generation of MOs can work together and share their experience and expertise. No truancy. No eksen & idung tinggi.

Team Jasin.

Yes, I hope for a Team Jasin yang digeruni dihormati dan disegani by our respective colleagues in KK and also in the general hospital setting. Tok.. sidak di KK pun blh nganok kita.. apa celopppp..

Cases that make you say ‘huh?’

Posted in All in a days work by

“Life it too short to deal with crazy people.”  

    Karen E. Quinones Miller

The longer I stayed in the Emergency Department (ED), the more I find myself thinking of how important it is for everybody to

  1. Have common sense
  2. Grasp some form of medical & health knowledge in order to understand on which circumstances do they have to come to hospital for help. One does not need to know in depth as to how a medical doctor should, just enough to recognise the red flags to a certain condition.
  3. Not misuse the ED for medical check up services and medicine top up just because you couldnt be bothered to wait in line and the polyclinic and yet refuse to throw a dime for a private consult. Boleh blah…

Having being oncall from 8AM to 8AM in an ED setting (despite being in a district hospital) is super tiring and when you’re presented with ridiculous cases, it just gets on your nerves. I had my fair share of cases too.

  1. Case 1 : Young man slept on his hand. Woke up. Hand felt numb. Went straight to ED. By the time he was seen, the numbness (obviously) disappeared. When asked why he had to come to ED for a straightforward problem (yalah.. ko tido atas tgn dirikpun.. mestilah ada kebas mula2.. kakya ko releklah dolok nak nunggunya ilang) he couldnt answer why. Pfft.
  2. Case 2 : Mother came to ED bringing her 7 year old sick child for every new complaint. Fever with cough came – fine, its ok, appropriate. Fever + cough + runny nose = came again. Fever + cough + runny nose + itchy  nose = came again. Fever + cough + runny nose + itchy nose + vomit purge after swallowing tablet meds x 1 episode = came again. I suggested admission, mother refuse. Just wanted an IVD for her child. LIke hellloooooo.. why would you subject your child to being pricked again and again for drip. Pffft.
  3. Case 3 : Itchy neck wanting Medical Certificate. Working as a clerk.
  4. Case 4 : Lose prescription script. Came to ED hoping for us to remember the meds she had as a patient in the hospital 2 months ago. I dont even take care of the wards. This is not a computerised hospital. And it doesnt help that the patient first dont know why they’re on treatment and secondly giving descriptions of ‘pil putih bulat2’. Pffft.
  5. Case 5 : Patient who complaint of so much pain and ailments but when we suggest for blood investigation and possible admission if it really is that bad.. refuses any form of intervention. All he/she wants is yup.. an MC.

Hmph. kepak nyawa. ntah apa jak kes esok di ED.

The Diving Midwife

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“I am in no mood to be deceived any longer by the crafty devil and false character whose greatest pleasure is to take advantage of everyone”
Camille Claudel

Or as how its correctly put in Bahasa Melayu , ‘Bidan Terjun’.

I wonder if its written on my face literally, the phrase ‘Bidan Terjun Available’ for some people seem to think that its okay to

  • change my shift to the least favourable time on the last minute
  • ask me to cover the clinic on the last minute
  • ask me to cover the wards on the last minute
  • be on call on the dot on the last minute

Thank God as of now I havent been told to like give a presentation on the last minute. Id totally axe the person.

Perhaps I should tattoo my forehead with ‘Not Single Anymore. I Now have commitments!’. Mind you, I am not asking for a lee-way or special treatment. Im not asking for less calls per month. Im not asking to be on the morning shift at all times. Im just asking for some form of consideration. Time to prepare. To plan on;

  • who will babysit my child whilst Im gone for the sudden night shift or oncall
  • when and how I am to carry my other Wifely and Motherly errands
  • personal study time
  • my own sleep time so I could still function as a human being
  • preparing meals (though now is less significant as beloved MIL prepares em all.. he he)
  • what to wear the next day!!

For I totally understand that being a doctor and a mother/wife at the same time is demanding and needs proper time management. As of now, Im hoping that if I become good in one aspect of my life, Id become better in the other. I wish the latter would rest on the responsibilities as a wife/mother.

A weekday call in ED

Posted in All in a days work by

“A doctor who cannot take a good history and a patient who cannot give one are in danger of giving and receiving bad treatment”

A weekday call in the Emergency Department (ED) means that Im the sole gatekeeper of the hospital together with my armies of Medical Assistants (MA) and Nurses. So it is very important to have a good team : Team Minci Activated!

Here, my call would start at 4PM. And end the next day at 4PM too.

My colleagues from the morning shift would handover their cases (if any) so I may continue to see to their management and ensure that the patient is either;

  • Admitted to the wards
  • Discharged with another memo to come back to ED for a review of their symptoms or repeat a particular investigation
  • Discharged with a referral to the nearest polyclinic
  • Referred to the tertiary centre (GH Malacca)

Things are usually at a calm and steady pace between this hour and 9pm. To this short moments of sanity, I owe my gratitude to the polyclinic next door for their extended hours service till 9Pm. Its after 9PM when the chaos begins.

Illness and maladies that walk through the door may include;

  • a simple straightforward flu, fever, cough
  • asthmatics requiring nebs
  • change of dressings
  • pain of all sorts : eye, back, stomach, leg and the top most important : CHEST PAIN
  • trauma/assault cases
  • very old people with electrolyte imbalances
  • sick kids
  • malingerers

YUp. Malingerers. The best friend of hypochondriacs. Whose symptoms are exaggerated with an aim for one piece of paper. The medical certificate. Easily identified as they start narrating their tall stories regarding their illness only to refuse any form of blood taking or investigation (as we see fit) and only wanted a days rest for all the perp to go away. Kenjar! gambong!

So things would take on its toll after 9PM and by 12MN, Id be hoping for no more new cases to come in. I would try to clear all cases as early as possible for I not only want to get some rest ( so I could filter what Ive seen and learnt for the day) but so as my Team Minci for the night could get a few winks of sleep too just in case a major trauma walks in.

On a so called good day, my ED (mind you, this is district) would be quiet by 3 AM, frequented mostly by asthmatics in the early hours of the morning. On a bad day, Id still be up till 8AM!!

And last night was a good night. Heh.

World of Thermos

Posted in All in a days work, Everyday Life by

“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau

A colleague of mine will be leaving the grounds of Jasin soon to further her studies for a specialty in Family Medicine. And like any farewell, a gift is a must! I was designated by the group to get her a gift. If it was for me, I am contented with anything cute or a book.  Her close friend started listing the things she might like..

Bodyshop things.. Arianni…

At the same time, I was brainstorming for something more everlasting.

First, I thought of an external hard disc. However, with a budget of less than MYR100.. I doubt could find a hard drive of such value in the current market.

Then, I browsed through the camera shop and my attention got hooked onto one of those digital frames. Hmmm.. Would she like it? How can she use it for further benefit? And of course, price was an issue.

Another phone call came through during the window shopping session from her bestfriend. Again.

Get her a thermos! Those pretty ones like Starbucks! She likes having coffee while seeing her patients..

So a thermos it is. I went to the best place (the only place) I know that has a selection of thermos.. Parkson. And boy it was a lovely an interesting world. They come in so many colours and design. I was even itching to get one. And I of course got to see those Gourmet range which was super awesome and classy.

Thermos: Threadless Tshirt range

I finally settled with a set of thermos flask and food container in green. There was no discount and it cost us about MYR88.80. But it was super cute!!