Dear Editor,
In an effort to make the health services more customer-friendly, the minister of health recently announced plans to implement a new scheme to rein in all categories of health workers, with regard to how they interface with the public.
You know, sometimes I really wonder why is it that our leaders like to say things that they really don't believe.
I remember a very recent case when I had to take my nephew to Kingston Public Hospital. One of the doctors attending to patients in the Casualty Department was most disrespectful to the patients. Of course, as we were the patients, we had no choice but to just swallow our pride, and some of us were just grumbling about the doctor's attitude.
I don't go to hospitals very often. However, for the times that I do go, I notice a trend. The rude doctors are usually the local ones. The "foreign" doctors seem very polite to the patients. I have a feeling that some of these local doctors are surprised that they have reached this far and, as such, think they are gods.
There are local doctors, however, who are very polite. I remember a case when I went to the University Hospital late one night with a relative and a local doctor tended to him very well. He went even further, he gave us a lift near our home. So, despite those "hurry-come-up" doctors, we do have some very good and courteous ones in the system.
Despite the minister's speech, I really don't see the ministry sanctioning any doctor for being disrespectful to anybody -- worse patients. Sure other health care workers, like ward attendants, clerks, and other such will be disciplined. I suppose that, unlike doctors, these categories of health workers are expendable, so we can always do away with them for the smallest infraction.
It would be good to have an effective system that rewards doctors who show exemplary service. The Government has a competition for departments in respect of customer service, maybe it should consider one for good doctors. As for the bad ones, well... Let me not say anything more, I may very well end up in one of those hospitals and I may have to give them my name.
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
Good luck disciplining doctors
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In an effort to make the health services more customer-friendly, the minister of health recently announced plans to implement a new scheme to rein in all categories of health workers, with regard to how they interface with the public.
You know, sometimes I really wonder why is it that our leaders like to say things that they really don't believe.
I remember a very recent case when I had to take my nephew to Kingston Public Hospital. One of the doctors attending to patients in the Casualty Department was most disrespectful to the patients. Of course, as we were the patients, we had no choice but to just swallow our pride, and some of us were just grumbling about the doctor's attitude.
I don't go to hospitals very often. However, for the times that I do go, I notice a trend. The rude doctors are usually the local ones. The "foreign" doctors seem very polite to the patients. I have a feeling that some of these local doctors are surprised that they have reached this far and, as such, think they are gods.
There are local doctors, however, who are very polite. I remember a case when I went to the University Hospital late one night with a relative and a local doctor tended to him very well. He went even further, he gave us a lift near our home. So, despite those "hurry-come-up" doctors, we do have some very good and courteous ones in the system.
Despite the minister's speech, I really don't see the ministry sanctioning any doctor for being disrespectful to anybody -- worse patients. Sure other health care workers, like ward attendants, clerks, and other such will be disciplined. I suppose that, unlike doctors, these categories of health workers are expendable, so we can always do away with them for the smallest infraction.
It would be good to have an effective system that rewards doctors who show exemplary service. The Government has a competition for departments in respect of customer service, maybe it should consider one for good doctors. As for the bad ones, well... Let me not say anything more, I may very well end up in one of those hospitals and I may have to give them my name.
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
Good luck disciplining doctors
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