By Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek
YESTERDAY I shared about a bitter and painful experience of a patient who sought emergency treatment in a private hospital in Desa Park City (thereafter referred to as hospital 1.
The patient was given an anti-tetanus injection on the left deltoid muscle. First, the nurse cleaned the site of the injection with alcohol swab. Unfortunately, the injection was given on another site on her arm.
To-cap, a plaster was placed on a totally different site. Sounds like what happens in a third world country. Imagine this is happening in the Emergency Room of a private hospital which is not crowded with patients.
As the patient continues to be in pain at the injection site, the patient then seeks a second opinion from a hand surgeon in another private hospital (thereafter referred to as hospital 2) on the morning of July 5.
The doctor showed a more caring attitude. He commented that the suture could have been done better. As the injection site shows an obvious sign of infection, she was advised to increase the dosage of the antibiotic that was prescribed. By then, the shot site was swollen, red and it felt warm.
On July 6 at 9am, I make a call to hospital 1. I was attended by a customer service personnel named Lorraine. Introducing myself as Dr Chua, I explained to her what transpired to the patient in the Emergency Room on July 4.
I emphasised the objective of the complaint is to help the hospital to address issue of the lack of competence among its staffs and to ensure that staffs are more accountable towards patients. I told her in no uncertain term that I hope no one would have to go through what this patient has gone through.
Initially, the customer service personnel sounded defensive. But when she heard that patient is not interested to claim any damages, she sounded more relaxed.
However, after a lengthy conversation, the only reply I received from her is that she will look into it. At no time she asked for my full name and contact number. It was evident that the customer service office’s duty is just to provide a room for unhappy customers to ventilate their frustration. The customer service personnel’s response clearly reflects her tidak apa attitude and the complaint would probably end in the dustbin.
On morning of July 7, the patient went for a follow up treatment in hospital 2. On the doctor’s advice, ultrasound scan was done on the swollen injection site. The scan shows that there was indeed inflammation in the muscle but no abscess has formed as yet. The patient was advised to continue her antibiotics and in the event that she has spiking fever, she should return to the hospital immediately.
In short, this patient suffered a double whammy. First, it was the poor and unprofessional care in suturing. Secondly, a simple injection that became infected with a possibility of abscess formation.
The patient continues to live in fear as she was told by the doctor in an event of abscess formation, she may require a minor surgery called incision and drainage (I&D). Imagine a simple laceration of a finger requires several visits to two private hospitals.
So friends, please, before you go to a private hospital, do check around with friends. Often, the word-of-mouth referrals from the patients are fairly an accurate assessment of the quality of services of the hospital and its staffs.
Needless to say, the patient in this case is extremely negative about the incompetency of the staffs and poor attitude of the customer service personnel from hospital 1.
Often, patients have no effective way to channel their grievances and suffering to some private hospitals. They are regarded as the big boy. And some unfortunate patients may be on the receiving end of the tidak apa attitude and the lack of professionalism among its medical staffs. I am talking about paying like a first-class patient and receiving no class treatment.
Meanwhile, I pray that the patient will not get abscess in her upcoming follow up visit to hospital 2.
To be continued in my next posting….. as patient goes through her journey of pain, suffering and anxiety. – July 9, 2021
Tan Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek is the former Health Minister and former MCA President.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Photo credit: Getty Images
