56 posts tagged “nation”
I was just thinking and reading some articles on doctor's morale. Seems like the morale of the medical profession is declining around the world thanks to the complexities involved in medical care. It's not as simple as patient gets sick, sees doctor, get some medication, pays doctor, goes home and gets better.
Now medical care is tangled in a complex web of government policies, increasing legislation, increasing costs of healthcare, the entities of managed health care organizations, insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry. This is coupled with the increasing expectations from patients and the lack of resources to cater to this expectation.
We often hear of some malpractice suits, patients' complaints..etc. etc..as long as something goes wrong it get's publicized. How often do we hear the doctor's side of the story? We have all heard of the baby in Klang whose arm got amputated because of alleged misplacement of an intravenous canulla. Till today, no one has heard the doctor's side of the story. Or was the doctor asked to keep mum?
Does the public hears of doctors' laments? How doctors work 36 hours in a stretch without sleep? How doctors do not even have time to take a meal nor a bath? How doctors do not even have a place to sleep? How doctors work through weekends and public holidays? How doctors work in a hostile and under extremely trying conditions? How doctors get needleprick injuries and occupationally acquired infectious disease? And at the same time can MAKE NO MISTAKES?
NO the public doesn't want to know about the deficiency of the system. All they know is they are sick and they want the BEST for themselves (without paying much lah). And nothing should go wrong. If anything goes wrong, they'll head for the newspapers or the lawyer's office. Somebody must pay for that mistake.
How often have I given Medical Certificates to patients out of compassion rather than due to sickness in its truest sense? (which I have ceased to a large extent) Patients who wants MC for 3 days for a 15 minute consultation. One day to travel to see the doctor, the day itself for consultation and the next day to travel back. Sometimes MCs for you to collect your medications at a later date too! Yes MCs for your convenience (despite knowing you could have done all those in a single day if you want) so that your salary is not deducted and to save you from taking your annual leave. MCs for your flu, MCs for your stomach pain, MCs for your diarrhoea, MCs for your headaches, MCs for your toothaches. Even MCs for your back pain because you slept the wrong way. Even when your finger wound has healed but you claimed it to be still painful. Still cannot write konon...
However for doctors it is a different story. Every MC taken by a doctor is viewed with suspicion. Got flu only mah..still can work. Fever? Just take a panadol and go to work. Diarrhoea? Go to work after going to the loo. Cannot take MC. Sometimes hospital administrators additionally demands that the MCs to doctors must be issued by a higher ranking doctor. Meaning House Officers and Medical Officers must obtained the MC from a specialist. Never mind if it's just some URTIs. Cannot take from fellow MOs. Somehow there is this perception that doctors are dishonest and always trying to avoid work. How insulting!
Anyway, if it is true that doctors are always avoiding work then something is very very wrong with the system. People avoid work because of no motivation, low morale, hostile & difficult working conditions and along the usual overworked, underpaid line. Very few people will avoid work purely because of disinterest or sheer laziness.
And if it is true that doctors are frequently getting sick and taking MCs frequently then it implies exactly the same thing as above! In addition to a hazardous and dirty working environment. With no time for proper nutritious food, adequate rest and exercise.
And why are colleagues upset if you take leave? Because it means that they have to do your work! And why are they upset having to do additional work? Same reasons as above.
How sad our state of affairs are. An organization can only produce good results if it's workers are highly motivated. If not, everybody will avoid work or just do the bare minimum with no pride nor intention to achieve excellence. With low morale, even a large army can be easily decimated. But as usual, the powers that be chooses to turn a blind eye and continue believing in their own lies of "first world infrastructure and first world mentality"
I'd better rant this off before losing steam.
Have you noticed a new generation of bureaucrats in M'sia who are obsessed with form over function? Or it has always been this way..
If we were to built a space shuttle to space, these bureaucrats would be more concerned if the rocket is painted red or blue, if the rocket has a signage writing "Made in Msia"..in the right font and size. If the writing is in black or blue color. And if the engineers building it had taken their PTK exams. If not, you will not be paid and no lift off.
These attitudes of bureaucrats who are essentially controlling the administrative system has bred a new generation of M'sians with stifled thinking. Not to blame our young people, coz the system has forced them to toe the line according to the bureaucratic stupidity. Like must print out in A4 size paper, must write in capital letters, must use black and not blue pen, must use 2B pencils, font must be New Roman size 12 with double spacing...etc. Or else it's no go, it will be rejected. This robotic stupidity has caused a new generation of Malaysians who think that form is more important than function. They worry that if they don't do exactly according to these stupid instructions, they will be rejected. Thus their creativity and critical thinking are stifled.
Never mind if the rocket's engine is not powerful enough or if the design is unsuitable for spaceflight, the most important thing is the colour of your rocket. Alternatively even if your rocket is highly sophisticated and sought after by many countries, it will be rejected by our M'sian bureaucrats if the words "Made in M'sia" painted on it is the wrong font size.
This stupidity exemplified the system we are in now. And the frustration of the people under these administrative conditions. The few really clever ones will manipulate the system to their advantage but by and large most will suffer. The honest ones.
Why have we evolved into this stupid bureaucratic system? Because M'sians of substance have left the country and we are left with many graduates with dubious qualification and training absorbed into the civil service administration. We are producing so many graduates and somehow the government must provide jobs. And since these graduates cannot comphrehend substance, they can only worry about the form. Sad..sad..
It started on a Monday with fever, blocked nose, sore throat and some muscle ache, which lasted till today. Then a friend sms-ed informing us that the squash tournament we were practising for since a couple of months ago is starting on that day! Oh man...
Well, taking a line from one of my books, 'The jungle is Neutral', "...if the mind is willing...the body is usually able to follow". Thus after popping 2 panadols (probably expired), I forced my body to play. Umm...it didn't work out for me like in the book...hehe. Got thrashed by one of the ex-top state players in round one. Over the next few days, I got whacked again and again but only after giving some stiff resistance hehehe. Squash is a game where physical and mental fitness is of utmost importance. Damn this virulent flu...However recent national events kept me alert.
We suddenly had 49 MPs going to Taiwan for a agricultural study tour including the BNBBC Deputy Chairman who is also the MP for Kinabatangan (pic taken from another blog). What I would be interested to know is what have they actually learnt in Taiwan over those several days. I'm sure all Malaysians would like to know how to improve our agricultural industry especially in the constituency of the BNBBC Dep Chairman.
There was also the furore regarding the racist remark by a politician in Penang among other things which resulted in this. A supporter even tored the picture of the ex-Chief Minister. The perpetrator was suspended 3 years but the reporter was ISA-ed "to ensure her safety". But then she was freed the next day...Eh...whatever happened to her "protection"? More on this here and here
Then the Seputeh MP was detained for allegedly telling mosque officials to tone down the call to prayer. This was denied by the mosque officials themselves.
I had lived within 200m from a mosque and have heard the "azan" prayer 5 times daily for 20 years. In fact I can even recite it out. It is a non-issue for me for the last 20 years. The person who alleged Teresa Kok said that is the one who wants to create problems. I mean even if the allegation against her is true (which is not), is this a justification to use the ISA (detention without trial) ? I just wonder if other religions are allowed have their own "call of prayer" to their followers? I shall offer my birthday candle light for them tonight...
What kind of grey matter does this Professor and Vice chancellor possess? Check out here. I'm not an expert on law but is there a provision to allow suing of a person for making a suggestion to open 10% of a university's place to non-Bumis ?
Is this how they are teaching law in this university? Just sue it ! Hahahaha. Thank you very much, not very interested to study in this university even if it is FOC...
I'm really fed up with the political situation in our country...coupled with the obsession with race and religious matters. I think it's about dominance really...
And the fact that 5,000 students in a university protested at the suggestion of allowing 10% of other races to be enrolled just exemplifies how bad polarization has creeped into our education system. Check out here and here. So will we be seeing more race based universities? So much for national integration. I'm a little worried at how things are turning out these days. Maybe I should start having a back-up plan...
Anyway I decided to take my mind away from all these depressing political stuffs. Came across this fantastic video of Michael Jackson's Beat It song by Fall Out Boy. When the mood is right I just love rock songs!!! Wish I could be at a rock concert singing my lungs out right now. Oh and I just bought these 2 new music CDs (can't remember the last time I actually bought music CDs). Ok...maybe I'm a little out of fashion hehe
In the mist of the anticipated massive crackdown of illegal immigrants as highlighted in The Star, I hope the authorities will handle the children with due care and compassion. I hope they are not abused or left with the more criminal adults.
The kids I met played dangerously near the sea waters, without supervision. Their parents are not to be seen anywhere at all. They are not afraid of strangers, in fact they embraced me without fear or apphrehension at all. They are not violent. They did not attempt to steal my things. They did not beg. In fact, they look at me with curiosity and perhaps with a longing for love and opportunity. They smiled, they laughed and above all they wanted someone to talk to and perhaps pay them some attention !!!!
The people who should be penalized are the ones selling identification cards and those entrusted to guard our nation's sovereignty but chose to "close one eye".
Can we set up a protection center for the "parent-less" kids instead of deporting them? I would rather have my income tax be used for this purpose than to sponsor some person to space or to buy some Mercedes Benz to ferry some politicians...
I have a soft spot for kids.
I really don't know what to make up of the recent news that RM1.175 million is required to maintain 16 Proton Perdana cars over 4 years. And the Pahang MB said his Mercedes Benz needed RM42,000 to maintain a year while a Proton Perdana needed RM57,500. Check out here (I think I need to check my last year's income statement if my salary FOR A YEAR exceeded this amount or not)
Either way it sounds bad. Either we are making a lousy car which needs servicing every 2 weeks (to come out with that exorbitant amount) or someone is pocketing a lot of money.
A car mechanic and a doctor are similar in many ways. One is repairing cars, the other repairing the body. Both charges consultation fees. Both do house calls. Both can prescribe medicines (or spare parts). Both advocate regular health screening (or regular maintenance). The difference is that nobody sues a mechanic if he botched a job or charges exorbitantly. No one regulates the mechanic's charges.
Lebih baik baiki kereta daripada baiki orang
I just wonder how are students being taught in the interior schools.
I interviewed a 17 year old girl, a patient from a district, in the clinic. She is supposed to take her SPM examinations this year.
Me : Bila ambil SPM?
Her : Tak ambil dah. Henti sekolah dah.
Me: Kenapa?
Her : Tak pandai.
Me: PMR dapat apa?
Her : Dapat "telor" (giggling)
Me: Cikgu ada ajar? Kamu ada tanya?
Her : Cikgu kata siapa tak faham angkat tangan.
Me: Kamu ada angkat tangan?
Her : Tak
Me : Kamu tau baca dan tulis?
Her : Tak
Me: Jadi apa kamu buat hari-hari di sekolah?
Her : (Giggling)
Me : Bapa, mak kerja apa?
Her : Petani. Tanam padi.
Me : Di rumah kamu buat apa? Kamu ada tolong potong padi?
Her : Belum musim. Bulan dua-belas nanti...
Me : Tadi macam mana datang? Macam mana kamu balik?
Her : Ikut "Ngii...ngo...ngii...ngo" (giggling)
Me : Ikut ambulans kah?
Her : (Nodded)
After 17 years of schooling she cannot read and write. I tested her myself. She was very cheerful though. I could not detect even a hint of jealousy nor dissatisfaction.
However I felt sad. How did this happen in our country? Poverty? Ignorance? Lack of opportunity? Neglected? Education system? Some population just don't realize that they have not been given a fair share of the socio-economic pie. Easy going people. Easy to be taken advantage of. The state's wealth plundered away while they are still in the dark. Obviously the "Dasar Ekonomi Baru" didn't reach here. She is a "Bumiputra" though.
Whatever happened to the fair distribution of wealth and opportunity? Looks like it is a skewed distribution.
Rice, is something we may have taken for granted. In the era of MacDonalds, steakhouses, Japanese cuisine and fine dining, rice is something regarded as cheap food. It is not surprising to see people in buffets ignoring the rice and target the "expensive" food like meats and seafood instead. In the restaurant, we have often seen extra rice being asked and then not finished and left on the table.
In a country where natural resources are aplenty, yesterday I was given an insight on how a local family, as the guardian ( also known as "jaga") of a probably multi-million dollars sports complex had for dinner. The local lady was given a room (more like a store room) beneath the spectator's seat to live. 3 elderly ladies were sitting around a discarded table and heaps of discarded chairs which was used once for some VIP parade in the stadium but were now left to rot. A couple of malnourished cats roamed nearby.
The lady had plain white rice for dinner with a bowl of Maggi Mi for company. Yup, plain white rice and maggi mi as the "vegetable". Something tugged at my heart. In our country where natural resources are aplenty, and multi billion mega projects are cropped up on a daily basis, this is something that should not happen. (to me at least)
Poverty is a disease which needs to be eradicated. When our country can boast the tallest and longest and can offer ONE MILLION RINGGIT to an Olympic gold medal, I can't help but wonder about the priorities our country is taking.
What is the point of having the most sophisticated scan machines and medications when patients do not even have proper nutritious food to eat due to poverty? Who benefits more from the the purchase of medications? The patients or the middleman or the pharmaceutical company? If you ask me, proper nutrition and food has more benefit than the few hundred ringgit anti-platelet agent. Proper nutrition and food is going to help the bed bound stroke patient with horrendous bed sores more than the few thousand ringgit of antibiotics.
Poverty is endemic around here. We have read about the apparent fair distribution of the country's wealth in various forms and agendas but to me what's more pertinent is the fair distribution of opportunity. Every citizen should be given equal opportunity to better themselves rather than dishing out money to them. If lazy people do not want to work despite given the opportunity then they themselves are to be blamed. But I can't help but feel that most people here (especially locals) do not have the opportunity to better themselves as these opportunities are being siphoned by the "powerful connected" people leaving crumbs behind.
I'm sure many of our leaders' children are busy studying overseas while back at home there are so many children who are not schooling due to poverty. They have to find means to put food into their stomach instead. Some schools are in dilapidated conditions too.
With the rising price of rice, I'm not surprised if some poor village people may need to resort to eating tapioca to survive. Which reminds me of the time of the Japanese Occupation as told to me.
Poverty, is the world's most prevalent and deadliest disease. Not heart attacks. It is the greatest tragedy of all times if a person dies of malnutrition due to poverty in our country. Which I'm sure is under-reported.
