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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Docs' low morale no surprise
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to the recent letters regarding the shortage of doctors.
I'd like to add that junior doctors and housemen are rostered to work long hours, often having to forgo lunch or dinner because of the heavy workload. Moreover, about five times a month, they have to put in 30- to 36-hour continuous work shifts. The problem is they have no rest day before or after those extended shifts of continuous, exacting work. The next day is still a full working day, averaging 12 hours.
This continues for many years, until they become consultants.
How can any person who is exhausted physically and mentally from working under such exacting conditions, week after week, be expected to correctly diagnose medical conditions, prescribe and administer correct medication and treat patients with care, concern, compassion and patience? Accidents and mistakes are waiting to happen.
Our population has increased by a couple of million within a short time. Correspondingly, the demands on doctors and nurses have increased. Patients and their families are also now more demanding, and a large portion of the doctors' time is spent answering questions on the Internet, further reducing their productivity.
It is, therefore, not surprising that the morale of junior doctors is very low. Some doctors are curt and brusque towards one another, due in large part to their being overworked and frustrated. Can we blame them? Can we expect niceties when they are operating under such conditions? They have little, if any, family or social life. Many cannot wait to finish their bond and go into private practice, where the working hours are more sane and humane.
So on goes that vicious circle of doctor shortage.
Doctors' working conditions and welfare have to be seriously looked into. All public hospitals should follow certain guidelines as to the maximum number of hours the doctors should work and include mandatory rest after long shifts of 24 hours or more. Perhaps consider re-assigning some of the doctors' duties to others like counsellors, medics, social workers, nurses or administrators. This will leave doctors to do the actual treatment and have more time for the care of patients. Yvonne Chew (Ms)
We've doctors who join PAPee and are doing very well and living comfortably ever after. *hee*hee*
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->I REFER to the recent letters regarding the shortage of doctors.
I'd like to add that junior doctors and housemen are rostered to work long hours, often having to forgo lunch or dinner because of the heavy workload. Moreover, about five times a month, they have to put in 30- to 36-hour continuous work shifts. The problem is they have no rest day before or after those extended shifts of continuous, exacting work. The next day is still a full working day, averaging 12 hours.
This continues for many years, until they become consultants.
How can any person who is exhausted physically and mentally from working under such exacting conditions, week after week, be expected to correctly diagnose medical conditions, prescribe and administer correct medication and treat patients with care, concern, compassion and patience? Accidents and mistakes are waiting to happen.
Our population has increased by a couple of million within a short time. Correspondingly, the demands on doctors and nurses have increased. Patients and their families are also now more demanding, and a large portion of the doctors' time is spent answering questions on the Internet, further reducing their productivity.
It is, therefore, not surprising that the morale of junior doctors is very low. Some doctors are curt and brusque towards one another, due in large part to their being overworked and frustrated. Can we blame them? Can we expect niceties when they are operating under such conditions? They have little, if any, family or social life. Many cannot wait to finish their bond and go into private practice, where the working hours are more sane and humane.
So on goes that vicious circle of doctor shortage.
Doctors' working conditions and welfare have to be seriously looked into. All public hospitals should follow certain guidelines as to the maximum number of hours the doctors should work and include mandatory rest after long shifts of 24 hours or more. Perhaps consider re-assigning some of the doctors' duties to others like counsellors, medics, social workers, nurses or administrators. This will leave doctors to do the actual treatment and have more time for the care of patients. Yvonne Chew (Ms)
We've doctors who join PAPee and are doing very well and living comfortably ever after. *hee*hee*
