Patience, Patients!

Posted on December 18, 2006
Filed Under Health and Beauty, Reviews | Viewed 4244 times

Why are patients called such? They need a lot of patience, that’s why!
I cannot help but write about two separate recent experiences with regard to a basic hospital service—emergency rooms.

Capitol Medical Center

Two weeks ago, we brought daughter Monica to the ER of Capitol Medical Center as she was having an asthma attack. We were there between 10 to 11:30 pm. We were told by the guard to proceed to the Medicine Section of the ER where adult patients were being treated. To my dismay, not one of the ER staff acknowledged our presence, even though we have been standing right before their very noses—it was as if we didn’t exist at all. There were three of them sitting by what seemed to be a reception area, one was eating and talking with the other staff, one on the phone, and another (maybe a medical intern), sitting on a patient’s chair, writing. A patient was sitting across was being interviewed.

When the doctor stood up, in exasperation, I asked him if the patient could sit down. That was the only time when our existence was acknowledged.

Monica was asked the basic questions relating to vital signs, and afterwards was given nebulization, in one of the seats lined up for such treatment. I asked the doctor what the treatment was – it was plain Ventolin. She explained that her attack was kind of different, there was less wheezing, but chest was tight and she felt a great pressure on her chest. I remember during her last attack several months ago, she was given something different from Ventolin. Anyway, just for immediate relief, we were just hoping that Ventolin would suffice for the meantime. Having had several trips to the hospital ERs for the past 25 years, I was already almost an expert on ER services, particularly with treatment of asthma.

I was expecting the intern to at least check her up again as soon as nebulization was finished, but no one came, except an attendant took the nebulizer, which she said was to be used by another patient. A large hospital which does not even have enough nebulizers?

While waiting what next, Monica and I exchanged observations – the ER was not spic and span, as a health service facility should be, air conditioning was not enough, there was an electric fan whirring to support the air conditioning, cottons, paper were on the floor, next to a waste can. In general, the feeling is, ewwwwww (as what teenagers today say for “yucky”), is this is a private medical center?

And this hospital is supposed to be one of the best in the Quezon City area, or maybe, that was in the past. If I remember right, it has undergone a face lift a few years ago, and an extension.

There were patients and relatives, patiently waiting to be attended to, for instructions for discharge, etc., etc. I could sense the irritation and boredom of some.

I asked the intern, what next? And was he not supposed to have immediately checked up the patient again, to check if there was an improvement? He said yes, but he did not do it. And was daughter not supposed to be seen by at least the resident in charge for such pulmonary cases. He said the hospital did not have such resident specialists. Another nebulization, another few minutes, and Monica and I were getting impatient. If it were only Ventolin nebulization, we could have done that in the comforts of home. What we needed at that time, was something which could relieve her of the heaviness in the chest, and difficulty of breathing. Patience, I told myself, and asked Monica if there was an improvement. She asked me, why CMC, in the first place. There was the Medical City – she has always been happy and satisfied with the hospital and ER facilities. I told her CMC was the nearest to our home, and that I was hoping that services would have improved.

We just requested to be discharged, waited for the instructions, which were plain ventolin nebulization after every—- hours (was it 6 or 8 hours?), paid the bills, and left. Monica was not even sure if she was relieved, all she knew was that she was irritated. Asthma patients, I have learned over the years, get irritated fast when they have an attack.

St. Luke’s Medical Center

More than 10 days after, at about the same time, we had to go for another trip to the ER.It was at St. Luke’s Medical Center this time. I am just thankful for the convenience of living in Quezon City. There are many large hospitals to choose from.

The guard kindly opened the doors of the ER, an attendant immediately sat us down, interviewed Monica for the vital signs, and a medical intern came to attend to her. There were several patients, in various states of treatment, but one could sense that there was no irritation or boredom among them. The intern was very friendly, making the patient comfortable, giving us an initial observation of Monica’s illness, explaining the cause of her discomfort, headaches, sinus polyps or whatever. He said he had to call the resident ENT on duty that evening to further check her up. In a few minutes the resident came, checked her up, gave prescriptions, and advised Monica to see an ENT specialist in the next few days, for further treatment and possible surgery of the nasal polyps that have been obstructing her sinuses.

Another lady doctor came, she read out the prescriptions, explained the effects of the medicines, what time they should be taken, and demonstrated how the seretide discus should be used. I noticed that same lady went from patient to patient explaining their prescriptions and medications. This was new to me, perhaps a new service in the hospital, for patients to take their medicines properly.

We had to wait for doctor’s discharge, billing and payment. It took us another 20 minutes, but we did not mind. It was again observing – the sterile cleanliness of the hospital, the neat curtains separating the cubicles, the number of doctors (there were several) and medical staff attending to the patients, and the professionalism.

Medical City General Hospital

And compare – in the past we had always gone to the new Medical City, impressed with their new building (a hotel like facility), hospital staff (they must have gone through rigid training, giving a different meaning to hospital care), hospital facilities (I can’t complain), service staff (very friendly), and Starbucks (yes, right in the hospital premises).

Disclaimer: The above are personal experiences and personal opinions. But I was thinking, maybe, CMC management is not be aware of the staff’s seeming disinterest, or maybe the low morale, which could have been affecting hospital services. On the other hand, hospital staff, or any staff whosoever, in committing oneself to a profession or work, should exercise the highest degree of efficiency in the work place.

And if CMC, or any hospital for that matter, is serious in taking the challenge in its desire to be a major player in the country’s medical tourism industry, it has to look into its most basic service – the ER service! ER stop is the first stop for medical services. And the ER is to be a showcase. Think about it … I am not closing my door to CMC, and I am looking forward to an improvement in future.

Comments

5 Responses to “Patience, Patients!”

Carlo on December 27th, 2006 5:10 pm

I hate ERs… same situation happened to us a lot of times. St. Lukes, Makati Med, St. Dominic, Manila Doctors’.. hmmm…what else? Almost all of them.

Give them ER staff some cash and I bet they will act as fast as the lightning strikes. Isn’t Hospitals named HOSPITAL because of the Filipino trait Hospitality? Is it evident? I don’t think so.
“Grace” Anatomy (on Christmas Day) | The D Spot on December 30th, 2006 3:37 am

[...] In humility, I apologized to the interns and resident doctors about my behaviour, and thanked them for being patient. Now I realize that it is not only patients who need to be patient, but the doctors and hospital staff as well. [...]
L Salvador on January 15th, 2007 1:19 am

Re – St. Luke’s Medical Center
I’ll keep that in mind in case I would have to go to a hospital when in Manila. It’s embarassing to admit that some hospitals in our native land are forgetting the sanity of the hospital facilities. My daughter would like to be a medical intern in one of the big hospitals in Manila then later on serve her mother’s beloved country by joining the organization “Doctors without Borders”.
Angelo on January 29th, 2007 7:44 am

I’m happy to hear that the level of service at St. Luke’s remains up to par! I did my medical training there, and professionalism and good bedside manner were always stressed. Of course, I was witness to many occasions when patients did not have the same positive experience that you had, but everybody, and every hospital will have its good days, and its bad days…some more so than others

Thank you for dropping by my blog!
Max’s Power Breakfast - A Review | The D Spot on March 20th, 2007 12:19 am

[...] I have not even heard from the owners at all, if they have indeed seen it. Another review, entitled Patience, Patients has, I was told, reached the hospital’s [...]