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Cast your mind back to the
last time you were sick and hands up those of you who
became grouchy about having to eat bland food or take
medication. Nothing your loved ones did could ease your
discomfort, so you started finding fault — never
mind if you are usually Mr Easygoing.
Hands up again those of you who are guilty of venting
your frustrations on someone, anyone, when anxious or
upset. When faced with a stressful or overwhelming situation
(such as learning about a loved one’s illness or
demise), one may respond in a way uncharacteristic of
his usual self — making unreasonable demands, blaming
unfairly, even lashing out at an innocent party.
These two categories would probably cover just about every
reader. Which means our colleagues in the healthcare sector
have been dealing with all of us difficult customers out
there!
In fact, excellence in service delivery is what every
public officer should strive for at all times. But when
customers are difficult to please or handle, it can be
challenging to keep smiling. So who is better qualified
to share with us service tips than our healthcare officers,
who provide sterling service to demanding customers every
day?
Challenge talks to four public
healthcare professionals — two doctors, a nurse
and an occupational therapist — to learn how they
handle difficult patients with professionalism and tender
loving care.
Whether it’s army boys feigning illness to get MCs,
patients who demand for unnecessary tests, or the depressed
who need a listening ear, Dr Meenakshi has a way with
them. She has found that devoting the first 47 seconds
of every consultation to listening to the patient can
make a huge difference.
Take, for instance, the army boy trying his luck. Instead
of giving him an earful, Dr Meenakshi will patiently listen
to him talk about his symptoms, nature of work, lifestyle
and eating habits. Then she will conduct a thorough check-up
before pronouncing that all is well and sending him back
to camp. Satisfied with her service, he would leave without
a word of protest. Those who complain of diarrhoea can
expect a rectal examination.
The hypochondriac who insists on taking a battery of tests
will not be brushed off lightly either. Dr Meenakshi will
take time to find out his concerns, explain his condition
and give reasons why he does not need more tests.
As for those who feel troubled, she is a concerned doctor
whom they can freely open
up to.
For example, two years back, a middle-aged lady visited
the polyclinic for a full-body check-up. When Dr Meenakshi
told her that the tests offered at the polyclinic were
limited, the lady looked unhappy and demanded for more
tests.
Although she had a long queue of patients waiting for
her, Dr Meenakshi sensed that the lady was troubled and
needed her attention.
With her gentle probing, the lady finally shared that
her husband was suffering from advanced-stage cancer but
had refused treatment. Her teenage children were giving
her a hard time. She also had fears of contracting cancer
and was on the brink of suicide.
Dr Meenakshi spent 20 minutes encouraging and advising
her. By the time they parted ways, the lady was looking
more relieved and promised to heed the advice given. Some
time later, the lady popped by the polyclinic just to
tell Dr Meenakshi that she was feeling happier and more
confident about facing her problems.
It is incidents like these that spur Dr Meenakshi, who
has been working at polyclinics for more than 20 years,
to continue serving her patients well.
“When a patient comes and says, ‘Doctor, I
feel so much better talking to you’, that makes
me feel good — more than any written compliment,”
she said. |
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by
Challenge Editorial Team
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