Dr. Cheah’s Pages

Earth Hour : March 27, 2010 8.30 pm

Turn your lights our for one hour from the time above.

Visit Earth Hour’s website.

Self destruct

Malaysia once stood tall among Asian countries. Now, it is slipping down the ranks as our leaders get distracted with deprecating issues.

It is sad to hear when individuals abroad are advised to stay abroad. Those that choose to return to this region pick Singapore as their destination of choice. In tandem, many Malaysians are looking abroad to further their careers and education swearing never to return.

Even as our final year medical students take their examinations, scouts especially from Singapore move stealthily among the cream. Equipped with job offers and attractive renumeration cum career advancements, only a fool will reject them.

In stark contrast, the Ministry of Health appears jaded and out of sync with its employees. There is no transparency in their procedures. There is also no empathy when dealing with issues concerning doctors from placements to post graduate opportunities and training. For example, expensive post graduate examination fees are borne by the doctors here, whereas in Singapore, they are reimbursed.

I can go on and on about the pitfalls but the reality is, even we are forced to advice friends against returning too prematurely to Malaysia lest your career be single handedly squashed by the government. In addition, talents that are much needed here easily bypass our country for a usually more lucrative deal on the other end of the Causeway.

We need to check this slide. If not, we will continue to self destruct, contrary to the rosy image that politicians attempt to paint to us.

@31 weeks

Time has just zipped by. In just 2 months, there will be someone new in my life. The experience remains surreal.

Attending antenatal classes has jolted some sense of reality. Despite having taken care of many antenatal patients spanning more than 4 years in primary care, there is a sense of being lost in this episode. Now I am at the receiving end and I have never thought that there would be so much uncertainty. It used to be a mundane routine every time mothers see me. Now I realise how much reassurances from a doctor mean. That is in fact the best part of a consultation, with the doctor telling us that everything is just fine.

Now it is just finding a suitable name for her!