Dear Folks,
This is the mid-year holiday session. We lined up 2 interesting programs. HP is inviting us back to the old Inchcape sales office for a show-and-tell on SnapFish. This is scheduled for 19Jun08 Thu evening. Light refreshments included. Last call…..
One mother had this story. Her 1st kid who grew up in days of traditional films had more ‘print memories’. In those not so long ago days, you have to print to see. Her 2nd kid, who grew up in the digital age has ‘no memories’ because these are kept on hard disc, thumb drive. I have bundles of memory sticks lying around. So I think SnapFish is a good option.
Presently, there is a mega Xu Beihong exhibition. It’s a culture closer to home. Thanks to a volunteer guide (she works at HP), we have specially arranged a guided tour of this exhibition. This is scheduled for 28Jun08 Sat. Please contact our Secretariat Support at hpa.secretariat@gmail.com to sign up for these events. Nominal charge applies.
One for the road!
Collaboration
As members, you may be pleased to learn that we have formally established collaboration ties with ‘The EDB Society’. Latter is an alumni body whose members have been associated with Economic Development Board as Board members and staff, and who continue to be imbued with the mission of nation-building. Its members continue to be active in the government, business and the community. Activities organised by the Society include conferences, talks, breakfast meetings, dinners, cultural performances and movie screenings.
This month, the most important tip is staying alive when consulting with doctors. Enjoy…
Peeing neddles!
Some 7 weeks back, I had a mild fever for days. It was nothing serious and I was at work as usual until I had to time out, hit the sack for 2 days. By 3rd day, I visited my company’s doc and he thought it was nothing more than the usual flu. There were no aches and I politely turn down his recommended anti-biotic. Instead, I settled for paracetamol to manage my fever. He was disgruntled.
By day 4, I knew it was serious. It took a minute or two just to coax pee out of my thingy. And it felt like acupuncture treatment in the wrong place. I then suspected it was UTI (urinal tract infection), a problem more commonly associated with ladies. Called my ex-colleague doctor and describe my symptoms. He jabbed: ‘did you skinny dip in someone else swimming pool’!
So I went to the hospital, told the doc what I think I had and ask to prescribe the correct anti-biotic. 2 weeks on, it cleared. This reminds me of an article I read in Times last year entitled: ‘Where doctors go wrong’ by Christine Gorman. Allow me to quote error no 2.
ERROR 2: I just saw a case like this
“We all tend to be influenced by the last experience we had or something that made a deep impression on us,” Groopman says. So if it’s January, your doctor has just seen 14 patients with the flu and you show up with muscle aches and a fever, he or she is more likely to say you have the flu—which is fine unless it’s really meningitis or a reaction to a tetanus shot that you forgot to mention.
Dr Jerome Groopman, MD has written a few books. The latest, a worth while read, is entitled ‘How Doctors Think’ 2007. If you need to borrow this book from me, it’s $1.55 for 3 weeks; library rates apply. Error no 4 can kill!
ERROR 4: I hate or love this patient
Groopman cautions that emotions are more of an issue than most physicians like to admit. Doctors who are particularly fond of a patient have been known to miss the diagnosis of a life-threatening cancer because they just didn’t want it to be true. But negative emotions can be just as blinding, sometimes stopping a doctor from going the extra mile. “If you sense that your doctor is irritated with you, that he or she doesn’t like you,” says Groopman, “then it’s time to get a new doctor.”
Badgering to the top
In a recent survey, Alexandra hospital came out top in terms of customers’ service amongst all Government hospitals.
Middle of last year, I went trekking on Pulau Ubin. A week on, I was down with roller-coaster fever. By the week end, I decided to take a blood test to rule out dengue fever (it’s call paranoid). Upon registration at A&E, I was greeted by a rather enthusiastic man who quickly pushes a satisfaction survey form in my face.
He went on to mumble that his KPI is measured on no of returns (at least something to that effect). Here I was nursing a throbbing headache, waiting to receive service and this bugger needed me to achieve his KPI.
I sat down, waited for triage nurse and before long, he appeared this time with a pencil. Again, I was coaxed into filling survey form. I almost broke his pencil and swallowed the form. Thankfully, results showed platelet count to be quite normal and I just had to ride out the fever. The whole episode took 1.5hrs inclusive of triage, drawing blood, consulting doctor before and after results. I think our turn around time for public healthcare is more than decent.
So how did AH get to be number 1? Beg, borrow or badger?
Meanwhile, my favourite hospital (in terms of competency) was rated last. I am aggrieved. After 20 years, I continue to patronize the National University Hospital dental department. They are clinically very sound, minus the woolly, touchy service. I don’t need my teeth caressed.
