Can anyone offer me advice on what I should do? Should I write in to the straits times or?
A Traumatised Experience in a Clinic
Four months ago, in June, I broke my coccyx (tailbone at the end of the spine) when I sat down onto a sofa in a café. I accidentally landed with great impact (loud crack sound) onto the solid seat as the space between the table and sofa was very narrow and the cushion of the sofa was too thin. Since then, I have been constantly experiencing pain. I have sought medical advice three months ago but my doctor told me if I did not experience pain and numbness in my legs or constipation, it would not be so serious. The tailbone would heal by itself within two months.
At that time, I did not have any pain in my legs or constipation. However, three weeks ago, I sprained my ankle and foot. Recently, it did not recover but instead swelled and developed rashes. I did not know if this is due to food or medication allergies. I thought it might have some linkage to the breakage of the tailbone as some nerves of the lower body might be affected. Damage to the tailbone threatens damage to the nerves of the lower body, thus I decided to seek medical advice again. This time, I decided to go to a private clinic that has X-ray facilities so that the doctor can more easily diagnose whether the tailbone had been pressing into my nerves. I was also hoping to get a reference/recommendation letter to a specialist in this area. Besides, my foot had a terrible itch, so I wished to have some ointment or injection to alleviate the pain or stop the itch.
On Monday 27 Oct 2003, my boyfriend accompanied me to a :thumbsd: :thumbsd: clinic. The signboard indicated the availability of two doctors, one male and one female. At 5.25pm, I got a queue number and I passed my NRIC to a female receptionist for first time registration. I waited at the counter for her to return me my IC but she did not. This lady went for dinner by 6pm. I waited for more than half an hour but still my IC was not returned to me. I went to the reception counter again to request for my IC back and asked them if this was the standard practice of holding onto peoples ICs for first time patients. The male receptionist said no but refused to give me back my IC, giving the excuse that I could only get it back at the neighbouring dispensary counter after I have seen the doctor.
As the queue was not moving and the female doctor had left, I asked the dispensary nurses when the doctors would be in. They replied to me that the doctor was in already. I decided to leave and was about to ask for my IC again. I hoped that they would return it back to me. Suddenly, the counter, at the male doctors room, beeped and flashed for my queue number. Relieved at a chance to get medical consultation, I went to his room, accompanied by my boyfriend. When I sat down, the middle-aged male doctor began speaking in a loud with deep urgency and impatience. When I told him of my tailbone problem, he even sneered at me during the whole duration when I elaborated about the breakage of my tailbone. I got jeered at when I asked him for medical advice.
Instead, he kept on asking me what I think should be the solution and what should be the treatment. I wondered silently to myself: Isnt a doctor supposed to give medical advice and recommend treatment or alternatives? Why is he asking me for my opinion?
Do you know what this clinic is for? What is this clinic doing? He mocked derisively aloud. I shook my head, taken aback at his question as I thought I might have gone to the wrong clinic. You dont know? What can a small clinic like this do? What do you expect from us, such a small clinic? What are your expectations? What do you expect us to do? Do you expect me to perform an operation now and remove the fractured bone?! We can do nothing!
No I didnt. I said. He offered not a word of sympathy; I was an object of deep ridicule, scorned and sneered at his will. Tears had welled up in my eyes and threatened to stream down my cheeks. I fought back the tears and listened quietly to his admonishments. Eyes brimming with unshed tears, I glanced up at him, imploring him to stop ridiculing me with my eyes. But he did not stop.
Then, my boyfriend, who stood one corner of the door, came to the rescue: We seek your expert advice on this, Doctor.
Yes, I can offer you my expert advice. What any doctor can do is offer you some painkillers and advice. What do you think we can do? Yes, we can only offer you painkillers and our expert advice. He reinforced on his words.
Since you have the pain for almost half a year, 4-5 months. Even a bone fracture would have healed by now. What time does it take for a bone fracture to heal? Yes, 2-3 months. Your fractured tailbone would have healed by now. We can do nothing! The fault is not with us! You have problem! The problem lies in you. What do you expect me to do?!
But I broke my spine..
Spine?! You broke your spinal cord? He jeered.
Yes, isnt the tailbone part of the spine? I asked. He gave a snort.
Can you recommend me a specialist? I ventured.
Can, of course I can! I know of very good specialists in Singapore. In fact, there are many good specialists overseas, the better ones are all over the world. But the problem is: who is going to pay for your medical bills? Can you afford to pay? His mocking tone took me aback again. I wondered to myself: Is the financial inability of a patient to be sneered at?
I tried to prevent further mocking by going to the next health issue my foot. I told him I sprained my foot three weeks ago and that I had applied medication on it.
He said: Who asked you? Who told you to do so? Women come into my office, jumping at me for their conditions. I always get scolded by them.
I wondered silently to myself again: Huh. He often got scolded by women. Does it mean that the women who visited him were also subjected to the same treatment as me?
I tried to defend myself but I was not eloquent enough in my oral speech. He continued his mocking. At long last, I asked him if he could just give me some medical advice and recommend a specialist instead of scolding me. But he continued ranting on and on. I could not take it anymore and walked out of his office as I did not come to be mocked and ridiculed.
I went to the receptionist and demanded my IC to be returned back to me. But the clinic assistants refused to return it back to me. I kept asking my IC to be returned back to me after that, they said the doctor said later, I must wait. Then, they said that he said I could not get back my IC unless I paid up.
We went to the doctors office again and asked him to return me my IC. When he refused, we asked for his name card so we could lodge a complaint against him. He repeatedly claimed not to have any name card but contradicted himself by also saying that he could not and did not want to give us his name card.
Eventually, I paid up sixteen dollars for this consultation that I did not even receive any helpful medical advice and medication. It is such an irony that patients have to pay to be sneered at.
A Traumatised Experience in a Clinic
Four months ago, in June, I broke my coccyx (tailbone at the end of the spine) when I sat down onto a sofa in a café. I accidentally landed with great impact (loud crack sound) onto the solid seat as the space between the table and sofa was very narrow and the cushion of the sofa was too thin. Since then, I have been constantly experiencing pain. I have sought medical advice three months ago but my doctor told me if I did not experience pain and numbness in my legs or constipation, it would not be so serious. The tailbone would heal by itself within two months.
At that time, I did not have any pain in my legs or constipation. However, three weeks ago, I sprained my ankle and foot. Recently, it did not recover but instead swelled and developed rashes. I did not know if this is due to food or medication allergies. I thought it might have some linkage to the breakage of the tailbone as some nerves of the lower body might be affected. Damage to the tailbone threatens damage to the nerves of the lower body, thus I decided to seek medical advice again. This time, I decided to go to a private clinic that has X-ray facilities so that the doctor can more easily diagnose whether the tailbone had been pressing into my nerves. I was also hoping to get a reference/recommendation letter to a specialist in this area. Besides, my foot had a terrible itch, so I wished to have some ointment or injection to alleviate the pain or stop the itch.
On Monday 27 Oct 2003, my boyfriend accompanied me to a :thumbsd: :thumbsd: clinic. The signboard indicated the availability of two doctors, one male and one female. At 5.25pm, I got a queue number and I passed my NRIC to a female receptionist for first time registration. I waited at the counter for her to return me my IC but she did not. This lady went for dinner by 6pm. I waited for more than half an hour but still my IC was not returned to me. I went to the reception counter again to request for my IC back and asked them if this was the standard practice of holding onto peoples ICs for first time patients. The male receptionist said no but refused to give me back my IC, giving the excuse that I could only get it back at the neighbouring dispensary counter after I have seen the doctor.
As the queue was not moving and the female doctor had left, I asked the dispensary nurses when the doctors would be in. They replied to me that the doctor was in already. I decided to leave and was about to ask for my IC again. I hoped that they would return it back to me. Suddenly, the counter, at the male doctors room, beeped and flashed for my queue number. Relieved at a chance to get medical consultation, I went to his room, accompanied by my boyfriend. When I sat down, the middle-aged male doctor began speaking in a loud with deep urgency and impatience. When I told him of my tailbone problem, he even sneered at me during the whole duration when I elaborated about the breakage of my tailbone. I got jeered at when I asked him for medical advice.
Instead, he kept on asking me what I think should be the solution and what should be the treatment. I wondered silently to myself: Isnt a doctor supposed to give medical advice and recommend treatment or alternatives? Why is he asking me for my opinion?
Do you know what this clinic is for? What is this clinic doing? He mocked derisively aloud. I shook my head, taken aback at his question as I thought I might have gone to the wrong clinic. You dont know? What can a small clinic like this do? What do you expect from us, such a small clinic? What are your expectations? What do you expect us to do? Do you expect me to perform an operation now and remove the fractured bone?! We can do nothing!
No I didnt. I said. He offered not a word of sympathy; I was an object of deep ridicule, scorned and sneered at his will. Tears had welled up in my eyes and threatened to stream down my cheeks. I fought back the tears and listened quietly to his admonishments. Eyes brimming with unshed tears, I glanced up at him, imploring him to stop ridiculing me with my eyes. But he did not stop.
Then, my boyfriend, who stood one corner of the door, came to the rescue: We seek your expert advice on this, Doctor.
Yes, I can offer you my expert advice. What any doctor can do is offer you some painkillers and advice. What do you think we can do? Yes, we can only offer you painkillers and our expert advice. He reinforced on his words.
Since you have the pain for almost half a year, 4-5 months. Even a bone fracture would have healed by now. What time does it take for a bone fracture to heal? Yes, 2-3 months. Your fractured tailbone would have healed by now. We can do nothing! The fault is not with us! You have problem! The problem lies in you. What do you expect me to do?!
But I broke my spine..
Spine?! You broke your spinal cord? He jeered.
Yes, isnt the tailbone part of the spine? I asked. He gave a snort.
Can you recommend me a specialist? I ventured.
Can, of course I can! I know of very good specialists in Singapore. In fact, there are many good specialists overseas, the better ones are all over the world. But the problem is: who is going to pay for your medical bills? Can you afford to pay? His mocking tone took me aback again. I wondered to myself: Is the financial inability of a patient to be sneered at?
I tried to prevent further mocking by going to the next health issue my foot. I told him I sprained my foot three weeks ago and that I had applied medication on it.
He said: Who asked you? Who told you to do so? Women come into my office, jumping at me for their conditions. I always get scolded by them.
I wondered silently to myself again: Huh. He often got scolded by women. Does it mean that the women who visited him were also subjected to the same treatment as me?
I tried to defend myself but I was not eloquent enough in my oral speech. He continued his mocking. At long last, I asked him if he could just give me some medical advice and recommend a specialist instead of scolding me. But he continued ranting on and on. I could not take it anymore and walked out of his office as I did not come to be mocked and ridiculed.
I went to the receptionist and demanded my IC to be returned back to me. But the clinic assistants refused to return it back to me. I kept asking my IC to be returned back to me after that, they said the doctor said later, I must wait. Then, they said that he said I could not get back my IC unless I paid up.
We went to the doctors office again and asked him to return me my IC. When he refused, we asked for his name card so we could lodge a complaint against him. He repeatedly claimed not to have any name card but contradicted himself by also saying that he could not and did not want to give us his name card.
Eventually, I paid up sixteen dollars for this consultation that I did not even receive any helpful medical advice and medication. It is such an irony that patients have to pay to be sneered at.