Foul!

As published in Malay Mail today. HARESH SAYS Haresh Deol ACHOO! The sound of Mr Trainee sneezing echoes throughout the hypermarket.  While manning the cashier, he rubs his nose with his bare hand, mucous and all spread across his palm and he dries it off by rubbing his hand on his pants. “RM49.70” he says as he hands out his bacteria-laden hand, flashing a smile without realising some of his nose residue is sticking on his upper lip. And there is no need to wonder why nine out of 10 people lining up at the checkout lanes were either coughing or sneezing. It is in the air, so they say. Some claim it tends to get hot and dry during the Chinese New Year, so they blame it on Mother Nature.  And the first place they go to is their neighbourhood general practitioner (GP). Oh yes, the flu and cough doctors who some, without even taking your temperature or listening to your heartbeat, will quickly prescribe two strips of paracetamol or a ...

As published in Malay Mail today By Dr Amar-Singh HSS A paediatrician, who was recently  compelled to witness the caning of an 18-year-old in court, relives the trauma: LAST week I experienced one of the darkest days of my life as a paediatrician. I have been through tough times but none as despairing as my last experience. I have helped parents whose children died. I have spent sleepless nights worrying over ill children. I have agonised with teenagers on struggles with parents and peers. I have worked with abused children. But I have never before been party to state approved, legal physical punishment of children. I accepted an unusual written legal request through my hospital director from a court magistrate. We were asked to send a doctor to ‘witness’ the whipping of a child in court. We were requested by the court to certify that this child was in a fit state of health to undergo the caning. In writing about it, it not my intention to question the decision ...

Etiqa Insurance and Takaful has distanced itself from claims made by doctors who are still being owed monies by third party administrator Medijaring Sdn Bhd. While the insurance company admitted it had appointed Medijaring to manage medical schemes with panel clinics and hospitals, it said the appointment ended in October 2012. “As part of the conclusion of Medijaring’s appointment as administrator for Etiqa, reconciliation of the medical scheme’s claims between Etiqa and Medijaring was carried out,” Etiqa said in a statement to Malay Mail. “Where there were outstanding eligible medical claims owing by Etiqa to Medijaring, Etiqa had taken proactive measures, including to settle the payment directly to the affected clinic and/or hospitals.” Read more here . Etiqa was responding to claims made by private practitioners as published in The Malay Mail on March 31, 2014 .  The article read: Doctors said they had not received their payments from third party admini...

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) lambasted those who labelled doctors as being racists without thoroughly investigating the claims. MMA president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan was "upset" over such claims, adding that grouses should be aired through proper channels. Dr Tharmaseelan was responding to allegations by several patients in Penang that doctors at the Kepala Batas and Seberang Jaya hospitals had verbally abused them and did not offer proper medical assistance. Pinang Tunggal assemblyman Datuk Roslan Saidin had also claimed during proceedings at the Penang state legislative assembly earlier this month that three Malaysian Chinese doctors had refused to treat Malay patients. This was refuted by state Health director Datuk Dr Lailanor Ibrahim, who said the department had not received any complaints. "Using privilege of office to hurl unproven accusations is cowardly and a misuse of such privileges," he said. "If there is basi...

I first wrote about the government's 1Care for 1Malaysia October last year . Earlier today, I received an email which is apparently being circulated to General Practitioners nationwide. They are still against the idea of a single health care system and have set up a facebook page a twitter account. Below is the email sent out to doctors; Dear All, Good job on the setting up of the facebook site - http://www.facebook.com/taknak1care. Thanks $&*%#@. Let us be united and stick to the facts in order to counter this 1 Care thing. The facts are so: 1. This 1 Care Plan is detrimental to our medical profession, whether GP, Specialist, private or public doctors, presently practising doctors and future doctors. 2. It is not law yet and there is still something every doctor can and should do to stop this being shoved down our throats. 3. The way forward MUST involve political clout and action because it ultimately involves legislation -- it is good to read that there is already movement...