Sterile Memories, yet not cleaned

I went to HUSM this morning, to take my Hepatitis screening result. It is for my medical check up for the scholarship thingy. The health screening was done on Monday, but the result for the Hepatitis test can only be known after a week (bcos of the waitin list), but luckily the nurse expedite the process for me, I got the result today (after 3days). It is Negative.

And they also did an HIV screening on my blood which was not required in the forms. BTW, the doc asked me whether I would like to know the result, as the result is not displayed on the online system. Since the test has been done, why not?, I replied. So, the nurse went to the lab, and brought back a sealed result, Its also negative. Good to know there is anonymity in this full-of-stigma-disease screening, hope more and more people will take up the test, so that they won't spread it to others.

Alhamdulillah, I'm certified medically fit. Free from Hepatitis and HIV. Not that I'm in the high risk group. But there are possibilities for us to get these viruses even though we don't engage in the common you-all-know-what-activities that increase your risk of getting these deadly diseases. But having experienced being hospitalised, does make me a bit concern about this. You know its not a very safe place and accident can occurs. Luckily I was spared.

Speaking about accident, I had once in 2001, which is quite an awful mishap actually. The collision between my dad's boon-siew-honda with a car, causes part of my right hand skin tore apart exposing my bone. Its eerie when I think about it again, but at that moment I didn't feel any pain actually, I even managed to pick up the bike, and move it to the road side in the middle of the busy road, thanks to the adrenaline rush, funny somehow. Two nice peoples brought me to the hospital. As it is a government's, they only sew it back after 3 hours. I was only an after pre-uni student at that time, it happens during the break between pre-uni and my 1^st degree. I didn't say much that time, only wait for them to do their job, how unlucky. Some nurses in the ward are extremely furious when they attend the patient, lucky, they are nicer to me since later they knew I am a future health sc student. Very bias.

And today after about 6 years, I complaind to the doc attending my health screening, about the foreign materials I recently felt under my skin in the injured region (of course after I've been certified medically fit), she send me to the x-ray room, and they found that there are small pieces of glass scattered around my hand. I am shocked to see the x-ray film myself, I thought its only one, but its more than 5 pieces of tiny glass. Shit, why they didn't removed it during the after crash surgery, damn it. (Well I didn't swear verbally). The doc said probably bcos of the severity of the injury, makes sense, but with my limited knowledge about medicine back then, I do realise I was not treated in a proper way, but I didn't make a big fuss bout it, it is past).

Back to today's story, So the nice doc scheduled me with an orthopaedic next month. Another surgery mayb. Dont feel sorry for me, I am used to surgery. I already had two after the crash, one is to reconstruct the scar by a plastic surgeon, (luckily I was studying at one of the best university hospital in the country, so its all free and from the best) Anyway the scar is still there, but the appearance is greatly minimized. Another surgery was done to remove 3 small pieces of glass 2 years after the surgery. And I had endured series of injection after the reconstruction surgery, the plastic surgeon injected the scar region with a kind of steroid to minimise the scar appearance. So I'm not really scared with needles and docs n hospital. I'm used to it and have fair enough knowledge, so I do understand, comprehend and not that scared. Please don't pity me, OK?

My advice to my dear reader regarding our Government Hospital (based on my experience and my observation), NEVER go to these hospitals, if you are not knowledgeable (medically), since the doc will treat you like you cannot comprehend even a word from him (the docs wont say anything really). I know the doc's huge work load etc, but it doesn't hurt if the doc explain it in a simple way, I'm sure people can understand. Rather than, giving the silence treatment, and people misunderstood it. I had experienced a lot of these when I went back to my villages (the place of birth for my mum and dad). Because of the reluctance of these docs to explain things, people tend to take the alternative instead, which is meeting the bomoh etc, instead of taking the required treatment. Some bomoh is full of bullshit, seriously, black-magic or kena-buat-orang is usually the causative of the illness, not that I don't believe in these things, but Dr Harun Din had made a statement that there is no single human being can know the hidden stuff or the perkara ghaib, even our Prophet Muhammad PBUH don't know things beyond his senses, unless he was told by Allah.

And the result of misunderstanding the modern meds is unnecessary death. Yup its fate, but when there are ways to spare it, the death is not supposed to happen. And by eliminating peoples' believe in science based treatment, people tend to belief in khurafat and syirik based methodology, because in time of despair, people will do whatever it takes. Which is worst.

I had once go through this silly public health system when my close family, which is my grandma (may Allah bless her soul) pass away due to colon cancer few years ago without the families (even my dad) knowing the cause of death initially. I only knew it is due to colon cancer when I read the death cert. Thanks to the docs, which had zipped their mouth starting from my grandma's admission to the hospital (her stomach was bloated that time), to surgery and to few days unconscious in ICU till her life ends. Its fate I know. But this type of cancer needs years to develop to this stage. Again thanks to the docs at general practitioner or the clinics, that don't done/recommend any necessary screening during the cancer development, instead they prescribed kinds of pain killer and eventually to the steroid based med without prompting any caution. No offense, but I think this is how the health system works in Malaysia, I know there are good docs, but I haven't found any in the gov hospital, nothin compared to the university hospital (probably I am having a better treatment because I am one of them, mayb).

And it is also doesn't hurt if the docs treating my grandma (may her soul rest in peace) tell her son and daughters the cause of death, so that necessary cautious can be taken, as some diseases have genetic causative, meaning if yr parent have it, you have higher risk of getting it. Therefore the children are well informed in this, So that they can take the available preventive measures such as periodic scanning etc, right?

Enough blabbering I guess, nothing gained from it. The only way to improve this is to take part in the system and change it. InsyaAllah soon!

p.s. just remembered! about a nice General Hospital (GH) Doctor. He is a GH ophthalmologist that had performed a cataract surgery on my mum's eye at a private hospital (he work part time there), I wrote about this before, the link is here. He is not just willing to explain, but also charmin (my mum said so) And is still single (My sister in law's mum works at the GH, she knows all the gossips). So for singles out there in KB, you can try pretending having an eye complication, and go to the GH, lucky, you'll be scheduled to meet him. Yes he is a Kelantanese (an important aspect for Kelantanese)