LinYu SG Opposite views. Extract from ST Forum 28/2/06 AM disgusted with the letters 'Wrong to refuse patient at closing hour' and 'Doctor's duty is to save lives, not watch the clock' (ST, Feb 25). Both preached the principles about a doctor's obligations. I wonder if they have missed the point completely in the rebuttal by Mr Lim Boon Hee. The fact is most patients go to a clinic for non-emergency conditions such as flu or common cold. Correct me if I am wrong. There is currently no strain of pathogen causing the influenza or common cold that's acutely present just a few minutes before midnight. Most of the patients would have been experiencing symptoms in the preceding hours and there is no reason for them to be attended to when they decide to turn up at the clinic at closing time. These patients should not blame others for their own procrastination. Closing time does not equate end of registration time. It is meant for the doctor to finish seeing cases that had the courtesy to present themselves in the ten to twenty minutes before closing time. Granted the rare situation where a patient presents himself at the clinic in an emergency, it is the doctor's right to refuse any other patient, subject to his judgment. In the same vein, if he refuses to see a patient who then collapses, it's his responsibility to bear. There's no need for the 'man in the street' to take the high ground and preach to a doctor his professional obligations. It is typical that patients here use rhetoric to justify their lack of consideration. In essence, it just seems wrong for the doctor to do anything that displeases the patient. Perhaps Singaporeans have their perception of reality tainted by medical dramas from Hollywood or Caldecott Hill which depict photogenic doctors going out on a limb to uphold the patients' interests. Let's keep it real and bear in mind that doctors are not individuals with super-human capabilities but are human beings who need a well-deserved rest at the end of a long day in the clinic. Tan Shian Ming
charlize SG I don't know about you but what will happen to patient confidentiality issues when your medical records are sent overseas for diagnosis?
Devil1976 SG And just how often are we're gonna be having any 'budget surplus' when ALL our money is SWALLOW UP in a 'well-deserving' manner by them...? Whenever we have elections..? Hmm... MAYBE we should just hold ELECTIONS every month... Then SINGAPOREANS could be RICH...?
Devil1976 SG I agree that doctors are not super humans... I've seen HONEST DOCTORS working the LIVING SH|T out of their LIVES... Only to be COMPLAINED and MORE TAXED by POLITIC ORDERS... Even the 'greedy' ones... Who wish to EARN MORE $... Let the DOCTORS ALONE, but of the OTHER PROFESSIONS... WHO don't wish to EARN MORE $...? Especially when doctors are PERCEIVED as RICH INDIVIDUALS by the people surrounding them... Can you IMAGINE that PRESSURE...? For THOSE DOCTORS who just have THEIR OWN INTEREST at MAX and SACRIFICES ALL OTHERS, INCLUDING THEIR 'SELECTED' PATIENTS.... F*CK YOU..... ULTIMATELY, I FEEL that as MENTIONED.. TOO MANY things are set IN MOTION because of the way our GAHMENT WORKS.... It's ONLY NATURAL for CHILDREN to LOOK UPON their PARENTS... IMAGINE a KID growing up in a family of THIEVES.. Mentions of ANY 'UPRIGHTS' would only be served a SLAP in the FACE by his / her PARENTS... WHAT CHOICES do you think a WEAK CHILD would have...? NONETHELESS... KEEP UP WITH THE WORK PEOPLE... ONE DAY YOU'LL FIND SH|T DROPPING FROM THE SKY RIGHT ON YOUR HEAD... AND IN CASE YOU'RE JUST THINKING OF HOW CAN THIS BIZZARE EVENT HAPPEN... IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE... THEY'RE SH|T YOU'VE BEEN ACCUMULATING... CERTAINLY YOU DON'T EXPECT SH|T TO JUST DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT...?
the Bear SG the same thing that will happen when a corporation outsourced their call centre to India? (for those who do not know, the Indian company sold the data in the open market, utterly destroying the credibility of that company) outsourcing.. anyone?
