Tips to survive government clinics!

Salam everybodeehh!

Government clinics. Ugh. Horrendous they can be at times! the long waiting hours. the non-friendly staff. and the enormous amount of people! All in one place! 

Yeah tell me about it. It's not all that fun really to be there. But sometimes, one just got to. So I thought I'd give you a head's up on the unknown DOs and DON'Ts that they don't put up on their signboard. And I'll also highlight the "dang! i didn't know that!" tip to "survive" in a government clinic. Let's start shall we!

Here are the Do's.

• DO state your symptoms correctly to the clerk at the front counter and not give a diagnosis of your own. Because the first person you'll be meeting is the clerk. And in the gov clinic, she is responsible to only delegate you to the type of patient you will be categorize into (generally. coz we have a system). So if you're having a fever, just say fever for she won't know what to do even if you self-diagnose yourself to rule out leptospirosis. If you're there for just a check up, do say so too. And if you're there for an appointment, state that as well. simple kan? but trust me, even at this very first pitstop can get the clerk all ding-dong and enter the doc's room JUST to ask "doctor, ini penyakit apa? case biasa ker follow up?" while he/she might be in the middle of a consultation.
• DO bring your identification card along. We can't check if you if you're an alien. Coz we don't have the expertise for that.
• DO state to the counter if you feel it is an emergency (in very bad pain, or feeling extremely breathless etc). Because when you do, you will be directed straight into a specific treatment room to be seen and assessed immediately. No point if you speak nicely and then be given a number to wait and you sit there with stomach cramps that's so bad you end up crying and squirming on your own. It'll be awhile to spot you coz the staff are too busy to notice you amongst the sea of patients. Unless you pass out of course and someone starts screaming in panic.
• DO come for your appointments on time. If you can't just mention to us earlier or call us. Yes. We have a phone number for you to do that.
• DO wait for your turn patiently. We don't really like people who are suppose to be sick, yet have the energy to yell and scream for their turns to be quicker. Coz it's pretty much futile and we might end up checking you just as quick and with tantrums as well. If you want fast service, please go to your nearest private clinic.
• DO bring along your own plastic or little bags for your medicines. We are now going green. So no more plastic bags to be given with your bucketful of meds.
• DO check out our pamphlets that we have been repeatedly told to get by our bosses and READ them. Saves you a lot of time on repeatable questions and you get to make the most out of your tax money by utilizing them. Yes. Those things are made with the government's money ie. your tax money. 

Okay. Now the Don'ts

• DON'T wear skimpy, eye-popping clothes to the clinic. As hot (as in fever) as you may be, we don't want any pakciks to get any heart attacks or raised BP when looking at you. 
• DON'T leave your children unattended. This is a clinic. Not a playcentre.
• DON'T enter the doctor's room when it is not your turn. If you have an emergency, speak to the staff and they will get us for you. (trust me, this happened quite a lot with me. cakap takder manners maraahhhh!)
• DON'T go to a clinic which is not within your home's vicinity. For example, don't go to a clinic in Ampang when you live all the way in Subang. We have zone-distributed clinics accessible for your convenience. Unless you happen to be from work which is in Ampang. If you do so, it will be a waste of your journey's cost and time, just to get rejected.
• DON'T leave the clinic for a bite when you know your number will be up soon. You should have either eaten earlier or bring a snack along with you. Coz we don't tolerate those who fusses when we now put your card at the bottom of the pack. Other patients have waited too.
• DON'T waste your medicines. Eat them all when we tell you to. And if you somehow miraculously found a hidden treasure of extras dated centuries back, bring them to the pharmacist for disposal.
• DON'T answer your handphones while you're in the doctor's room. Banks wouldn't allow it. So do we.
• DON'T use the staff's toilet. Seriously. DON'T.

Now since we got that covered (what i can roughly think at the top of my head), now i'm gonna let you in on a little secret. This thing if you do, will get all of the staff willing to serve you the best that they can. Some have known to get stuff done for them even though we were not be able to do it in the first place! (Courtesy call). This thing is soo contagious, it will get the desired and same response from the staff almost instantly! like a click of a finger! 

Wanna know what it is? well the secret is.....

SMILE and BE NICE!

Trust me! it works! DO try it! =)