COAMS #2 - No patient is worth you risking your life

(September 21, 2005 at 09:11 AM)

'No patient is worth you risking your life..' that's what my lecturer, Dr Azmi told us today. 2 years back, i would insist that a doctor should never leave a patient bleeding on the street... i mean, it's inhumane... give that guy direct pressure, first aid, ANYTHING!!

but, after today's lecture, i think i'm having second thoughts... not that medical school made me cruel nor am i suggesting that you let him bleed to death,.. it's just that, do you have ANY idea how many doctors had been diagnosed as HIV +ve, mostly due to medical accidents like this???

well, try to work with me here... you see someone bleeding profusely on the street..a motor vehicle accident,.. so, your first instinct is to attend to him immediately, with your bare hands, stop the bleeding, do your best while waiting for the ambulance to arrive... but, little did you know, the person may be an AIDS patient,.. and the next thing you know,.. you are HIV +ve too!

what you gain? the person survive, but being an AIDS patient, dies few months later. what you lost? your job, your dream, your FUTURE.... you may even risk infecting it to your family or other patients... so, you end up spending the rest of your life doing filing work, counting bacteria, culturing viruses... ok, maybe that's not too bad... but think of ALL THOSE LIVES that YOU COULD HAVE SAVED if it wasn't because of this minor accident?

but, no, that's not a reasonable excuse to abandon patients... it's human lives here that we are taking about, and every life is precious and valuable... like what my lecturer said, a doctor is expected to serve WHENEVER, WHEREVER (it's a full-time job)... so doctors should bring an extra pair of gloves along... this not only protects you from the patient,.. it also protects the patient from you... do prepare a few more extras in your car and at home... you'll never know...

'No patient is worth you risking your life'