A Rather Different World

Two years ago my wife injured her right knee which became so painful that she could not sleep, and was no longer able to work as a care aide for seniors. She had to take a long sick leave. Then fifty-three weeks ago, we decided to change our family doctor (fd).

 

In the afternoon, right after paying the bill for tea in a neighborhood restaurant, my wife's phone rang. She left first to answer the call at the corner of the street. There were only a few cars and passengers around. It was a bit cold and cloudy.

 

The sky was dull, but my wife was upset about the phone conversation. The one at the other end of the phone was a male from the clinic of our family doctor. My wife told him, “You only need to tell me where to pick up the medical report, and not an arrangement that is irrelevant to me.” The arrangement was who was the one to write the medical report. Should it be the fd, or the specialist after the referral?

 

The staff hinted strongly that the patient should talk to the specialist. In other words, the patient has to handle the matter by herself. My wife had over ten years of working experience in dental clinics dealing with insurance companies, patients and related organizations. With knowledge on how those systems worked and the rights of patients, she was not to be manipulated. She stated clearly that patients do not need to arrange who to write the report. She challenged that staff if he had encountered a fd that refused writing reports for patients. His answer was “No.”

 

That conversation lasted more than half an hour with a repeating message that the family doctor could not write the report, in fact not willing. One excuse was that the fd did not know my wife’s conditions. She. countered by pointing out that the injury lasted more than a year. The doctor had the duty and ample time to conclude and develop a treatment plan.

 

The conversation ended with the promise from the clinic to notify the patient where to pick up the report.

 

In the past ten years, this fd was increasingly evading responsibilities. She was keen on scheduling appointments to claim government subsidies. A rise in my blood sugar index from 6.2 to 6.3 of A1C (an average of three months) was high enough to arrange a telephone interview which was refused by me. 

 

We are getting old and will need more medical reports from the fd. In addition to the suffering from a painful swelling knee, the patient suffers more worrying if the fd will cooperate. Rather than examining the injury, she focused on typing and making referrals. In response to a question from my wife about the lack of progress of the injury, she replied casually, “It took six weeks for a twisted ankle to heal.” After further delays, ultrasound assessment revealed muscle tear and internal infection. Another half a year was wasted.

 

The purpose and content of this phone conversation were too hard to bear. After hanging up the phone, we proceeded to find a new fd.