<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Mind the patient when addressing him
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MY FAMILY and I were visiting a relative who was warded in Singapore General Hospital recently when he lapsed into unconsciousness. This happened while a doctor and nurses were attending to him.
Standing outside the curtained bed, we heard the young doctor, while attempting to revive the patient, call out "Ah Pek! Ah Pek!" (old uncle in dialect) many times.
When my daughter told them our relative's name and that his mother tongue was English, she was told to stay outside the curtains, which was understandable. The "Ah Pek!" exhortations continued.
I felt it was inappropriate and disrespectful.
He had stayed at the ward for a week, and above his bed was his name and below his name was the word "English", indicating his medium of communication.
Those in public service should be mindful that not everyone who looks Chinese is of the race. And even among Chinese Singaporeans, not everyone is comfortable with dialect.
If the idea is to spark that connection with a patient, there should be an appropriate address that the patient can identify with. Why not use his name?
Nancy Loh (Madam)
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MY FAMILY and I were visiting a relative who was warded in Singapore General Hospital recently when he lapsed into unconsciousness. This happened while a doctor and nurses were attending to him.
Standing outside the curtained bed, we heard the young doctor, while attempting to revive the patient, call out "Ah Pek! Ah Pek!" (old uncle in dialect) many times.
When my daughter told them our relative's name and that his mother tongue was English, she was told to stay outside the curtains, which was understandable. The "Ah Pek!" exhortations continued.
I felt it was inappropriate and disrespectful.
He had stayed at the ward for a week, and above his bed was his name and below his name was the word "English", indicating his medium of communication.
Those in public service should be mindful that not everyone who looks Chinese is of the race. And even among Chinese Singaporeans, not everyone is comfortable with dialect.
If the idea is to spark that connection with a patient, there should be an appropriate address that the patient can identify with. Why not use his name?
Nancy Loh (Madam)
