SURGICAL OPD

16th December 2020

Namaste.  

As much as I hate OPD session at our teaching hospital, sometimes I learn a lot about HUMANITY in that setting.  

Banyak perkara yang aku belajar dengan hanya melihat telatah pesakit cenga berbagai isu kesihatan mereka.  

Sometimes I just keep wondering but sometimes I manage to figure it out.  

Why some people were instructed to put off their shoes or chappal outside, some don’t? 

Why some people were treated nicely and some not? 

I don’t prefer to write “treated badly” because I have not seen one.  

So, let me share with you what I saw yesterday morning.  

We were posted in Surgery OPD (outpatient department) - klinik, bilik pemeriksaan.   

To be honest, I hate Surgery, I believe I am a thinker, not much a doer. So I guess that is one of the factors why I enjoy medical-based posting rather than surgical postings like ENT and Ortho.  

…. 

our next patient was this one lady aged 65+ came for follow up session. She was operated for incisional hernia - incisional hernia is defined as protrusion of abdominal content passing through abdominal layer which scarred due to previous surgical operation.  

That is not a real definition, but you can google to understand better.  

And she didn’t come alone. But with another 2 ladies slightly younger than her maybe around 40+ and 50+. It seems like her daughter or sister. I don’t know. But they were very humble entering the clinic. And of course, shoes off already. 

Something grabbed my attention. That mak cik, who's our patient right now. To describe her, she was wearing southern Indian saree with a head craft, a woolen sweater as it is cold season now, walking slowly and humbly, with a smile on her face. very polite began with greetings of Namaste with a hand gesture. Very the classic Indian style. I love to see that.  

She greets our consultant as well as 8 students wearing white coat inside.  

Our consultant talked to her asking how she is etc, and he asked her to lie down on the examination table.  

We were happy to see her incision was healing, no signs of infection.  

To be honest, I would say pandai mak cik ni jaga luka dia. It’s quite a large incision actually.  

Finally, here's the moment.  

After fixing her saree, she came out from the curtains.  

My consultant told her that everything seems good. Please come again afterward.  

Sempat juga those 2 ladies berbual berkenaan keadaan this older lady.  

Everyone was happy. I like the reactions. Grateful for the family member’s well-being.  

But, this mak cik suddenly came closer to the consultant table.  

Standing beside me. As I observed her face, there must something in her mind that she would like to express. 

She said “thank you very much Doctor, May God bless you” 

Her face reaction was priceless, the way she's expressing gratitude, feeling contented touched my heart. 

Looking at me, the doctor and my fellow friends.  

She greeted us as well with Anjali Mudra gesture.  

Slight bow, hands pressed together with plam touching and fingers pointed upwards, thumbs close to the chest.  

This mak cik really knows how to appreciate HEALTH and WELL BEING.  

Not so many people would do that now. I mean it is not a compulsory pun.  

It just that the way she reacts after the doctor told her she is okay now made me realized, the older generations appreciate those who made their life better by fixing their health problems. 

I've seen a grandmother kneeled and kissed the earth, and then touched the doctor’s feet expressing how happy and thankful she is because the doctor managed to treat her grandson medical condition which is leukemia.