Wednesday, August 17, 2011

HO survival kit: Your voice does not matter, ever.


Have you heard? The shit, I mean, the shift system will be starting soon. Every single hospital in Malaysia that has housemen are FORCED to start the shift system for the housemen. This is so that the housemen have enough rest and a better quality of life..... yeah, right.

This is just a cover up because they do not want to pay us if we do calls. So, like it or not, the shit, I mean shift (sorry, it has become a habit to say shit system as many can foresee the failure of this system) system, MUST take place.

The pros:
-less working hours
-the government can save money
-better quality of life for housemen (I am not sure in what way is this true as even though we are allowed some days off in the week for the shift system, we still have to come for continued medical education on our off day).
-seriously, I can't think of any more pros.

The cons:
-confusion during passing over
-no ownership of patients, therefore the HO that really don't have passion don't even care about the patient.
-very limited hands on experience and very short learning and training time
-we will not know the daily progress of a patient
-no more extra income
-no training for critical time when we are supposed to handle cases when we are alone during on call
-some of will really become like nurses
-there will be confusion when a HO changes from one discipline to the next because of the sudden influx or outflux of HO

Really, the people who asked for this and enforced this system should just quit their jobs now because they really don't know what they are asking for.

And worst of all, we can't do anything because when they say it MUST be enforced, it MUST. And then we are shunned by the seniors saying that we are so spoiled, when the seniors do not actually know that I am so damn against the shift system and I voiced my opinion to the authorities but no one heard me.

What else is there left for me to do?

2 comments:

skin o' my teeth said...

pandainya dia berbahasa inggeris!

Adzrul Ariff said...

Just try and absorb as many things as you can Alia. I don't agree with the shift system (they are suitable for Emergency posting only) for the reasons that you mention above. Whatmore is the ownership of the patient issue...which is vital as we learn pretty much by following up from the patient's day 1 when they presented with all sort of sickness that could leave you, the MO and even the specialist confounded...then slowly as the mystery unraveled and step by step we treat the illness...and you'd be smiling when on day 4 or 5 or so when the patient is up and about inquiring when they can go home and the mystery illness is solved.

Nonetheless, persevere. From the sounds of it I'd love to have you as my Houseman :D It's just crazy here sometimes in district which left all of us wondering, how on earth will the shift-system HOs will cope when they have to be oncall for the first time as an MO, with all the responsibilities. At least, to be oncall as an HO, you'll learn under your superiors and you're at the very least unaccountable for mistakes (though that can get you extended as punishment)....at the very least you'll learn to cope with the no-sleeping oncall and going on the next day as zombie. It'll be a major Culture Shock.

And I want to keep my oncall allowances thank you very much. :)