Different perspectives -doctors-

 

From this post, I will introduce the standpoints of people who are involved in this problem.

Reference: actual experience of a doctor which is wrote on Twitter.

(final edit: 2021/07/07)

Hi, I’m a doctor and I work at a Japanese hospital. 

Recently, I was really angry toward one patient.

One night, I was worked as an on-call doctor and a man who is in his 50’s came to my hospital by using an ambulance. Of course, I thought it must be a serious case,  so I carefully diagnosed him. However, while listening to his talking, I gradually felt angry because his way of using medical services is unacceptable. 

The reason why he came to the hospital was a pain in his leg. When I receive an emergency call from an ambulance, I thought the problem would be born breaking or something so I waited for him to come to my hospital. However, when an ambulance arrived and I went there to escort him, he could walk naturally! Soon, I felt that he doesn’t have a serious disease, but I have to consult him as a doctor, so I did. Of course, his bone was not broken. Although he argued that his leg had been aching for three days, there wasn’t a serious issue. 

I know the feeling of patients that they feel anxious about little pain because they are not specialists like me. So, I tried to understand him at that time. However, that was not the only problem. 

When I diagnosed the patient, he smelled alcohol. So I asked him, and he said that he drunk alcohol with his colleagues before he came to the hospital. Since he got drunk seriously, he used an ambulance as a taxi. Of course, he couldn't come back home even though his leg work so we tried to call a taxi for him to come back home. However, he said that he has no money to pay for a taxi (also for our medical services). But we couldn’t give up there, so I asked if there is someone who can come for him. He said he doesn’t have a family so we suggest the option that he can call his friends. Then he said okay and he called somebody. At that time I was relieved but I was surprised again after that. Unbelievably, the person he called was the police!! Finally, the patient came back to his home, accompanied by the police, and my job for him was finished.

I couldn’t understand that he has money for a drink but he doesn’t have medical care. Because of him, an ambulance was used as a taxi and the efficiency of emergency medical services has down. I want to work for people who need help and I think if the number of people who use the ambulances as a taxi, the emergency medical system will be collapsed. In order not to occur those inappropriate use of ambulances, I strongly support the idea of charging ambulance fees.