How Long Should We Wait?

I was waiting to see my Lokun the other day (yes, Dr Og IS ah pek and need to see dr also lah) and I had to wait one hour! The lady in front of me cow peh cow boo for being seen 15 minutes late, "Aiyoh, like that hor I tell you I might as well come late. Also get seen at the same time WHAT!!"


But then when it was her turn, she stayed in the consult room long long, refuse to leave and thereby contributed to my long waiting time!

Dr Og usually don't complain when I have to wait because my medical colleagues always waive professional charges for me la. Even at A and E, I also don't cut queue and most of the time I don't declare I am a doctor because I paiseh...

I know its quite a hassle to see a lokun because of the long wait. Its like tennis, you wait for the player to wayang abit, bounce the ball, swing the bat and suddenly everything is over in a split second! Still ok if its a sweet young thing tennis player but otherwise what a boring sport.

Waiting for doctor is the same thing. You wait and wait and when you enter the consult room its like kennah hypnotise, cannot remember what you wanted to ask and then the consult over liao!

But how long should we wait?

I'm not talking about how long patients should wait but instead how long should doctors wait for their patients? I can safely say that at least 75% of my patients don't come on time. The range of lateness can be from 5 minutes to anything like a few hours. But because the clinic staff don't want to offend the patients and always got something against doctors, the late patients still get registered and have to be seen.

If I had my way, I will not see any patients that is late. If you are five minutes late, its 50% of a ten minutes consult. Its neither fair to you as a patient to be seen in a rush nor to the doctor who needs to decide on your management.

Patients have many reasons for being late:

1) "Loctor, hospital boh parking one". This one quite true. They build hospital never build car park space one. Expect patients to take helicopter isit?

2) "Raining leh, din bring umbrellllllla". Singapore weather suka suka rain and Dr Og also don't like to take umbrella out, so can understand!

3) "I forgot got appointment until last minute than I rush out!". Aiyah, forgot then forgot all the way can or not?

4) "I was looking for my appointment card..." Alamak, the last time and the last last time already tell you no appointment card also can register...

5) "I come early also must wait!" Ok, you continue waiting.

6) "I was abducted by aliens on my way here!" Boh jiat yok!

7) "Loctor, I have to finish watching 爱 first."Courtesy of anon@1123AM

Sometimes, patients may be late because we cock up on our side too. For eg, they give patients a cardio appointment before the respi appointment and the cardio appointment got delayed.

And sometimes, doctors can be late themselves causing delays in the consult.

But in all honesty, patients being late is the number one cause of why you are not seen on time! The appointment time just keep getting shifted backwards and the ones who are slotted towards the end just gets seen later and later.

So I will like to make an appeal for all those who read this (you must be really bored) to go for your appointments with your doctors early. Simply because the reason why you are not seen on time is because you are late yourself. Have pity on doctors, they are humans and need to have their lunch. They also got family to go back to after work.

And surely you don't want to be the one waiting for one hour behind some kpkb woman.