Its been awhile since I've had time to sit and write my blog. Part of it was work, part of it was keeping my mind quiet enough to focus. Despite my silence and perhaps appearance of inactivity on my social medias, I have been keeping myself up to date with issues transpiring in this country.
Perhaps the most pressing issue for the medical society at this point of time is the issue of 'Dispensing Separation'. The pharmacies are pushing for dispensing separation. What it simply means is that when you are sick and you go to the clinic, the doctor will only give you a prescription and then you have to go to the pharmacy and buy the drugs yourself. You will have to pay the doctors consultation fee, then go to the pharmacy and buy the medicine prescribed. This is being practiced in a lot of developed countries in the world and may seem to be an ideal system, EXCEPT, are Malaysians really ready to go through with this system? And are the people ready to pay two separate fees at two different locations just to receive treatment?
My personal experience of doing relief works in Phillippines and Indonesia has made me seen how difficult it was for the people. Half the time after disaster, they do not have enough money for even food, let alone two separate consultations for illness. So in turn, they just try their best to nurse the sick at home, until hopefully some NGO like mine detects them. Drug wise, some just get checked but have no money to purchase medication. Most just buy stuff off pharmacies without a prescription. Correct me if I'm wrong but how does this translate to a better health care?
Most every doctor in this country is against this new policy. For us, we feel that this will burden the patient and will cause patients to default follow-up especially in relation to chronic diseases. As it is, we already have a good healthcare system which is ranked top 5 in the world. It is very strange to change something that is good. But like everything else in this country, suddenly there is a bill out pending for parlimen to approve as an Act without the people realizing the full implications or the rationale behind it. (Examples : SOCSO Act, Personal Data Protection Act, etc). Inquisitive in nature I always question the rationale of the new acts to the officers-in-charge and most of the time they are unable to give me a logic and satisfactory answer. Most of the time, the answer would be that it was a directive from above and hence they have to follow.
Yesterday, there was a meeting between our top doctor associations and the pharmacy associations and Health Ministry in Putrajaya. My kudos to my bethren who unitely walked out of the meeting because the pharmacy side failed to produce the bill for the doctors to scrutinize through. Fair enough, if you want to implement something that will affect a few parties, there should be total transparency of what you are implementing. But the stakeholders for this act are not happy. What they thought would be a smooth drive is now having an obstacle from professional bodies that for years have been silent.
For the first time in so long, we see doctors uniting for a common cause. It is definitely exhilarating. For years, doctors have been victims of external parties taking advantage of our disunity. Doctors have been disrespected and humiliated by not only authorities but even the public. Too many bogus doctors walking around the street and selling 'god-knows-what' miracle cures and are accepted by public and undisturbed by enforcers, when doctors are constantly under scrutiny.
But we brought this upon ourselves. Due to the lack of unity. Doctors do not defend colleagues. Doctors attack their own colleagues. Most of the complaints and raids done on other doctors are complaints arising from another doctor (but done anonymously). Why do we as professionals, and supposed to be the top creme de la creme of the country act in such a juvenile manner? Why the bad-mouthing, backlashing, and degradation of our own fellow colleagues?
We must learn to respect each other regardless of where they graduated from, or years of experience. Whether they are senior or junior. Whether they are a specialist or just a doctor. Whether they are in government or in private practice. Whether they choose to go into business or administration or become a public figure or politician. Each and everyone of us has the capability to do the best for our patient. We took a serious vow on the first day, to do no harm and save lives. There are many ways to save lives, so we should respect whatever our colleagues choose to do. We should indulge in healthy competition among peers, by competing on our best skill and not by degrading our colleagues. We should spread our knowledge and share our experiences and help correct our colleagues who were mistaken instead of condemning them. We have a third vow to share our medical knowledge to our peers for the continuity of medical care. Have we all forgotten these three vows?
These few weeks there will be a lot of debate on the dispensing separation bill, and my prayers go to those representing the medical fraternity of doctors. Personally, I really wish that our medical associations can unite and make us as strong as the lawyer's bar council. I envy they unity they have in keeping the interests of the professional body in tact over time. With the recent events, perhaps there is still hope for a more united fraternity.
