Wednesday, February 10, 2016

at own risk discharge


I just came back from my hometown and I didn't feel good now with fever, headache and lethargy. I left yesterday with a very huge disappointment and how I wished I can stay home to give everything a try again. Because patient is my passion.

On Sunday, I was informed by my younger brother that one of our acquaintance had suddenly developed abnormal behavior. A seventeen-years old Muslim lady. Previously, she was an over-introvert girl, didn't talked too much and had a very few friends only. She was always scolded and rebuked by many people but she won't fight back. Naive is the best word to describe her perhaps.

On Monday morning, I paid her a visit, talking to her and her parents. She didn't sleep. She talked a lot non-sensely. Sometimes she talked to non-existent. What's worse than that? She didn't recognize people. She tended to label people with any characters known-to-her like Dajjal, Abu Jahal, al-Kazab, Prophet Muhammad SAW, Prophet Isa AS, Upin & Ipin and with some other public figures like Siti Nurhaliza, Iqram Dinzly and Mira Lyana.

And surprisingly the content of her speech sounded like a grudge that she kept against everyone who used to bully, scold and rebuke her. She complained about every disrespectful things people did to her. The one that actually made her down and sliced her heart into pieces I believed.

My very own theory would suggest that she's depressed. She kept all the tense with her, she didn't have the courage to fight back, she had no good coping mechanism, she had no escapism with high expressed emotions (EE) family members around and finally she couldn't take it more that she burst. I tried to make her parents understand the situation and console them for hospital management because currently they're seeking help from shaman for the cure. I respected their choice as long as it's in line with Islamic practice.

If you don't know me well, you won't think that I'll fight for this naive girl's right to be treated. Come on guys, she is a seventeen years old girl. She has future and a very long journey ahead. If she's a seventy years old lady, it's a different story. Don't deny her right to get proper bio-psychosocial-spiritual treatment provided by the government.

So, on Tuesday, at 11.00 a.m, together with my younger brother and my friend with luggage inside the car-boot, we started the journey to Kuantan. Before we left Kuala Krai, I met my uncle and we paid that seventeen years old naive girl a visit again. After a few minutes of talking, suddenly her mother agreed to bring her to the hospital.

To make it short, we've to delay our departure time and made my younger brother's friend waited for us for hours somewhere in Pasir Puteh, that finally his parents had to send him to Kuala Krai. I spent hours for that girl for her blood and urine results which turned out to be normal. Well that's good. And another hours accompanied her waiting for a specialist from Kota Bharu while her parents left to home.

What's the very huge disappointment about? When the specialist was about to arrive that her parents came and suddenly request for AOR discharge. I was clueless and speechless. What's more frustrating is that they said her daughter 'kena buatan orang' and would opt for shaman. I never stopped them or anyone else from seeking traditional medicine but please be considerate towards the unhealthy. They deserve proper treatment.

I learnt; it's hard to educate people and influence one's belief.

Finally I left Kuala Krai at 5.45 p.m. (six hours delay) with a very huge disappointment and tense inside. At 6.00 p.m. I received a call from my uncle to inform me that in two days' time, the same specialist will come again and will personally pay that girl a visit at her home. What a relief guys. That's passion. The passion to give proper treatment and to witness the unhealthy one gets better.

Even superheroes bleed and cry. But they never give up on their passion.





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