Not a very good day

This morning, an elderly Bangladeshi "berkopiah" patient shouted bloody murder at me and took the whole room by surprise. I was putting in venflon in his hand, and since the registrar was the one who assembled the equipments, I thought she had the stopper with her. I had to held his hand up to stop the blood trickling while waiting for the registrar to come back with the stopper. And he rudely keep shouting, "You don't know anything, you don't know anything".My reaction? - being totally professional, I just gritted my teeth, and smiled. I did not do any fault at all, am I not? The consultant, Prof Kumar (of Kumar and Clark) & the registrar said that I am doing great - it took me only one attempt to prick his atherosclerosed vein. The patient was so stubborn. He was not allowed to have any breakfast, and yet he ate the morning before his endoscopy. His endoscopy is so difficult that even enough sedation was given, he still trying to kick everyone around his bed. Prof. Kumar took 5 attempts just to get the endoscope passed into his gullet. It took 5 people to held him down so that we can proceed with the procedure since he had varices that need banding, otherwise he will end up with massive haemorrhage. The food have camouflaged some bits in oesophagus that make banding more difficult. The clinical attachment doctor who was with me as well in the room said, "Don't bother with what the patient says. I was once slapped by a patient and my glasses broke".

The other day, a patient refused to be clerked by medical student (me!) and shouted to both me and the horrified nurse. It's not like he doesn't know the hospital is a teaching hospital! He then refused to see the consultant and asked to be referred to another consultant at Royal London (which is another teaching hospital). My consultant said, " You can't really make everyone happy, can you?".

Like Prof. Kumar said - your patient is your God. You give information about their choice and do what they want. That is simply being professional and you protect yourself from unnecessary litigation... Unless they physically the staff, then a complaint about patient is justified.

It is not like other professionals, if you don't like your client, you can just hung up, scold them back, or cancel the deal. We have the rudes, nutters, criminals, aggresive patients come to our door. We try our best to help, but when they start muttering swearing words or hurtful comment like I had this morning, doctors can only say nothing. Most A&E I have frequent in the past will have a big poster saying if any of the patient start being abusive to hospital staffs, they will be persecuted. It's sad, isn't it? Where is manners and common senses?

Quite a lot of medical students/doctors/clinical attachment docs in London have had this kind of experience where patient is just plain rude. We just put up with abusive comments, aren't we? Who want to get sued anyway?

Oh btw, on my way back home, I was sitting with this young Brazilian looking bloke in the bus. And this perverted guy keep touching my thigh! I put distance between him and me, pulled my jacket over my thigh, sit really close to the window, (still doesn't get my message - don't touch my thigh!Brain size of chickpea agaknye) and somehow his finger slowly creeping to my thigh. Mind you, I was wearing a thick long brown corduroy skirt. I try not to make any scene in the bus (there is one nutter in the bus as well, quarelling about why one of the passengers doesn't say please when he wants to open a window). Finally I have enough, and got off from the bus. Bangang tolol sial punya mamat (kena kau aku mencarut dalam bahasa melayu).

P/s: Prof Kumar is a real nice lady although she is a bit "ladish"(not in a bad way, in a GOOD way). Her English - one word to describe, polished and posh! I wish I had her during my 3rd year.