last nite, as i made my last round in the ICU, one of the nurses asked me if i could help insert an intravenous cannula for a patient who was not under my care. she had tried but failed in several attempts. as i checked on the patient's arms, there were several puncture wounds on both hands, evidence of the many unsuccessful attempts. even the patient looked fed-up & asked if the procedure could be deferred. being in ICU meant one was critically ill & hence an intravenous cannula was indispensable for the administration of essential medication.
after i managed to insert one, the patient asked sheepishly if i was going to charge him a fee for it. i returned an equally sheepish smile.
i know the public is generally wary of doctors in private practice with regards to the perceived exorbitant fees that they charge. i admit there are some black sheep in the profession. indeed, there's even a private hospital in ipoh infamously dubbed the
great white shark.
so i wonder if the sheepish smile i gave the patient looked anything like this....
**shiver**
14 comments:
lol! i remember working on one hospital project years ago. rm100 (or something exorbidant like that) for every time the bell is rung in the ward
the ipoh specialist is indeed a very expensive one..
Yes, the name still stands in Ipoh... I feel that the shark has even become BIGGER nowadays... so.. it is advisable to invest in some medical card insurance...
Cannot blame the patient's sheepishness..cos anywhere touched by a doctor means charged... hahaha....
if you must bill, shouldnt it be to the nurse for not being able to do something which she is supposed to be able to??
I hope you aint no shark!!
Isn't it a common thing that every private hospital practices - to account for each and every minute item? Anyway, leaving that aside, I must say, there aren't many nurses who can find the patient's vein easily especially in the elderlies. And worst still, sometimes after setting a line, infection sets in! *sigh*
KC,
very possible.
have you also heard horror stories like a panadol tablet that costs rm5? or an admission pack consisting a small face towel, soap, tooth brush & paste, plastic jug & cup costing rm50?
Wenn,
is there a reasonably priced private hospital??
Claire,
it's all very well to get a medical card, but need to read the details & fine print for exclusion clauses.
SAHM,
sometimes with difficult veins that are small, tortuous or hardly visible, the nurses are not able to insert. even when i have similar problems, i go for the jugular, literally!!
i have teeth, but they aren't so sharp!
;)
Ilene,
we all encounter problems like that from time to time. there's no medical procedure that doesn't have complications.
A smiling shark eh? wah! that is so scary. At night some more. And in ICU ward. LOL
Andrea,
looks can be deceiving - i'm toothless most times.
I'm scared of doctor..lol
Alv,
because of the needles or the fees?
Post a Comment