Some of our underfunded general hospitals appear to be overstretched as staff struggle to cope with the large number of outpatients. And to think they want to build a 100-storey tower while others want to promote ‘medical tourism’.
I happened to be at the orthopaedic outpatient treatment section at the Seberang Jaya General Hospital this morning and this was the scene that greeted me. Young and old, of all ethnic groups – people in wheelchairs, others in arm slings and still others holding crutches – they are accustomed to waiting and waiting and waiting to be called.
First, they have to crowd at the counter to pop in their appointment cards in a little plastic box – one box for 8.00am appointments, another for 9.00am and another for 10.00am. Many turn up early but they still have to wait, perhaps just as long.
Then they take a seat and wait for a long time for their names to be called, upon which they receive their queue numbers. One patient had turned up at 7.30am and only received the queue number at 10.00am.
And then it’s another wait for your number to show up on the board before you can finally see a medical officer (some of whom may not be that experienced), doctor or specialist. Mind you, the above pictures are at the new larger waiting room for outpatients. (The old one was too small and crammed.) The waiting room may now be more spacious but the crowd remains just as large, if not bigger.
One Pak Haji, a petrol pump attendant, was there because his son was involved in a road accident and had damaged his knee. He had taken the boy to the Kepala Batas Hospital but was referred here (Seberang Jaya Hospital) because the KB Hospital was “tak lengkap”, he told me.
Pak Haji lamented that he had to spend RM200 to buy a metal plate for the surgical procedure on his son’s knee. He’s lucky; others have to spend several thousand ringgit on nuts, bolts, stents and other paraphernalia before surgery can be carried out.
We have money for submarines and a 100-storey tower, but not enough for our public health care system, which suffers from an acute shortage of specialists, other staff and vital equipment. Sad, isn’t it?
Meanwhile, private (and sometimes well-connected) companies profit from the sale of the paraphernalia for surgery, the provision of privatised services (catering, housekeeping, maintenance of hospitals) and the supply of drugs to the general hospitals. And because of the overstretched services in general hospitals, many who can barely afford it are forced to turn to private hospitals, which, along with medical insurance firms, reap big bucks.
Waiting to pop your card in the box at the counter, and then waiting to get a waiting number(!) and then waiting to be called to see a medical officer
Waiting for a waiting number!
Finally waiting to see a doctor - notice the crutches and the wheelchairs
First, they have to crowd at the counter to pop in their appointment cards in a little plastic box – one box for 8.00am appointments, another for 9.00am and another for 10.00am. Many turn up early but they still have to wait, perhaps just as long.
Then they take a seat and wait for a long time for their names to be called, upon which they receive their queue numbers. One patient had turned up at 7.30am and only received the queue number at 10.00am.
And then it’s another wait for your number to show up on the board before you can finally see a medical officer (some of whom may not be that experienced), doctor or specialist. Mind you, the above pictures are at the new larger waiting room for outpatients. (The old one was too small and crammed.) The waiting room may now be more spacious but the crowd remains just as large, if not bigger.
One Pak Haji, a petrol pump attendant, was there because his son was involved in a road accident and had damaged his knee. He had taken the boy to the Kepala Batas Hospital but was referred here (Seberang Jaya Hospital) because the KB Hospital was “tak lengkap”, he told me.
Pak Haji lamented that he had to spend RM200 to buy a metal plate for the surgical procedure on his son’s knee. He’s lucky; others have to spend several thousand ringgit on nuts, bolts, stents and other paraphernalia before surgery can be carried out.
We have money for submarines and a 100-storey tower, but not enough for our public health care system, which suffers from an acute shortage of specialists, other staff and vital equipment. Sad, isn’t it?
Meanwhile, private (and sometimes well-connected) companies profit from the sale of the paraphernalia for surgery, the provision of privatised services (catering, housekeeping, maintenance of hospitals) and the supply of drugs to the general hospitals. And because of the overstretched services in general hospitals, many who can barely afford it are forced to turn to private hospitals, which, along with medical insurance firms, reap big bucks.
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