"Placing patients at the heart of all we do..."
Do you always do that? Have you ever been a patient yourself? Do you have the empathy needed to truly understand what it means to be sick or a patient in need?
SMA News is privileged to feature articles written by patients and their families. Ms Koh Soek Ying writes about her journey in looking after her son with autism, and how it prompted her to start social enterprise Mustard Tree as a way for people with special needs to learn skills that can help them earn a living. The other two authors have requested to remain anonymous; one had a benign condition and recounts her experience as a patient undergoing surgery; the other is having a stressful time looking after a family member with metastatic cancer. They have been very honest, brave and kind in sharing their experiences.
Whenever you meet a "difficult" patient or family member, please remember that they are not deliberately being "difficult". See things from their point of view and help to get their problems sorted.
SMA President Dr Lee Yik Voon shares his thoughts on the evolution of GP practice, touching on topics such as changes in technological advances, care models and keeping up with the different needs of an ageing population, in particular end-of-life issues. Sports medicine gets a highlight with articles from A/Prof Fabian Lim, A/Prof Roger Tian, Dr Dinesh Sirisena and Dr Teoh Chin Sim. Sports medicine physicians don't just look after elite athletes; they also develop exercise programmes and manage common functional injuries across the age groups.
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore has also submitted a succinct article on business arrangements and their tax implications. As this is just a brief write-up, I wish to remind readers to consult your accountants and lawyers for the specifics of your own case.
Regardless of which field you are in, ask yourself this: Are you a doctor first, or are you a businessman? Do you put dollars and cents first, or do you put patients first?
Have the right heart, and the rest should follow.