HOSPITALS: Loss undermines our trust

I AM disappointed with the lack of integrity that appears to have taken place in a well-known local government hospital.

My neighbour, Law, was transferred to that hospital from Temerloh Hospital after a suspected case of pneumonia. During the transfer, Law had with him a wallet with more than RM200.

Due to the severity of his condition, he had to be admitted into the intensive care unit. After a week there, he was transferred to the general ward.

That is when he found that the RM200 had shrunk to just three RM10 notes.

I am not putting the blame for the loss on any party. Law also does not wish to obtain any reimbursement from any party.

However, if any staff member of the hospital had anything to do with the loss of his money, it would amount to dishonesty while discharging their duties as healthcare professionals. If that is the case, then integrity is at stake.

This is unbecoming as the reputation of not merely a hospital but the entire Malaysian healthcare system could be seriously tarnished. Apart from providing the best healthcare services, I believe the value of trustworthiness should be inculcated in healthcare professionals, regardless of their position.

It is based on trust that patients come to government hospitals to receive treatment, besides the fact that they are cheaper.

The word "trust" should not be practised just among the healthcare professionals.

There has to be intra-professional trust, too. For instance, a doctor trusts that a pharmacist will check and dispense the prescribed medication properly, he trusts a laboratory technician to provide accurate laboratory results and a nurse to administer the prescribed medications to the patient on time in the ward.

It is because of trust that these professionals can work together efficiently to ensure the patients receive proper medical treatment.

Similarly, trust should be developed between a healthcare professional and a patient.

It is a little tougher than the intra-professional trust, but it is doable.

More often than not, a patient chooses to trust a doctor more than anyone else when they are admitted to a ward.

A patient trusts a doctor in his or her accurate diagnosis and treatment, trusts a physiotherapist for the rehabilitative treatment and even trusts the nurse or other staff who take care of all his or her belongings while admitted.

At the very least, the patient does not expect to be robbed of his possessions when he is most vulnerable.

As a future healthcare professional, I urge those in the healthcare sector to make the healthcare service a "trusted" one.

But before that, let's start with ourselves, our attitude, which is to serve with integrity towards all patients who come to us.

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