Index Title:

RDELEON’s Medical Anecdotal Report [05-05]

MAR Title:

            What’s in a Name

Date of Observation:

            April  2005

Narration

            It is required for as doctors in this hospital to have our trodat. All laboratory examinations, radiological procedures and prescriptions should bear the signature of the doctor with his or her trodat stamped on it.

            I was manning the Surgery Out Patient Department (OPD) when a patient approached me.  She was holding an x-ray       request for KUB-IVP. She asked if I can sign the said request. I took the request and saw that it was already signed by a co-resident.

            I told her that I don’t have to sign it since it was already signed. She told me “Doktor wala po kasing tatak! Kelangan daw eh yun may tatak ng doktor.” Then I realized that she was asking for signature with trodat of the doctor.

            Unfortunately I lost my trodat and haven’t had it replaced with a new one. Knowing it was a Tuesday and all the residents were in the conference, I had to do something for the patient. I printed my name at the request, signed it and placed my license number. I told the patient to talk to the radiology staff and ask them nicely so that the KUB IVP will be done.

            At around lunch time, when I was going to the surgery ward, I passed by the said patient. I asked her what happened and if the KUB IVP was done. She told me that she didn’t have to ask, when they saw the request they immediately entertained her. She also added “Ang lakas pangalan mo!”

            I smiled at her and went on to the ward. As I reached the nurse station at the ward, a nursing aide asked me to sign a triplicate prescription for an in-patient. I told her that I don’t have my trodat and I told her of my previous incident which just happened. She told me “Sige nga doc tingnan natin kung malakas ang pangalan mo!”

            So I signed the prescription and she went on to get the medications for the patient.

Later on, I saw the nursing aide and asked her if she got all the medication from the pharmacy. She told me “Doc, malakas nga ang pangalan mo!”

INSIGHT (Physical, Psychosocial, Ethical)(Discovery, Stimulus, Reinforcement) 

            We doctors in this training institution are like students that we are required to be in complete uniform. Complete uniform means wearing ID, be in proper dress and have our trodat with us. It’s no excuse that doctors disobey the given rules. If one of the requirements is to have a trodat, we should have our own.

            This experience didn’t prove that “Malakas nga ang pangalan ko” it just showed me that it pays to be courteous and respectful to all the employees of this hospital. A simple nod or smile as a gesture of greeting when you meet fellow employees is all it takes.

            We should also try to know all the people in our working environment. When they ask us for simple favors like signing laboratory requests to referring their relatives for medical problem, we should try to help them. Because this small favor that we give them is perceived as a ton of blessing for them.