4 F's

This is not the 4 F’s (risk factors) for developing gallstones (ie. Fat, Female, Forty/Fifty, Fertile) but my new discovery of the 4 F’s of University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), KL.

Far

I live in Old Klang Road & it takes me about 20 to 25 minutes to get to UMMC. My colleagues who are from KL think it is “super fast” (since under an hour is considered “fast”). In Kuching, my rented place was only 5 minutes away from the hospital (Sarawak General).

My housemate & I car pool to work everyday (we work in the same department & there is no oncall, for now). We normally park at the Medical Faculty of University Malaya (most doctors do that) & walk across to the Medical Centre. The daily morning walk should help me to stay slim, hopefully :)

The Oncology Department is situated at the newer wing called Menara Timur & it is miles away from the Menara Utama (main building). Oncology patients are admitted to different wards (namely Medical, Surgical, ENT & Orthopedic) because we don’t have our own ward. Most of the in-patients are situated at the main building so I’m getting daily late morning & afternoon walks as well.


Flooded

Recently we hear about burst pipes in various Government deparments. Well, UMMC doesn’t have that problem (I hope) but along the walk way from Menara Utama to Menara Timur, you can find pools of water here & there. This is indeed an eye sore, especially for an established medical institution like UMMC.


Freezer

The Oncology Unit in UMMC is by far the coldest place I’ve ever been in my lifetime. Okay, I’m exaggerating. I’ve survived below zero degrees at winter time during my final year (medical school) in Hamilton, New Zealand, but that was okay because I was equipped with winter clothing & a heater.

The clinic area is quite alright (I mean the cold is still bearable) but the radiotherapy treatment area is just horrendous. The temperature is such because of the radiotherapy machines.

My fingers were cramped on at least 2 occasions that I could not write (on patient’s notes) properly. Thank God they did not turn blue. I swear I would turn up for work in full winter wear (including gloves) if this happens again.


Faded

On the way to work, we have to drive pass the Law Faculty before reaching the Medical Faculty. My housemate never fails to comment on how nice the Law building is. The Medical Faculty, on the other hand, is very ancient looking & gives us the creepy & eerie feeling everytime we walk pass there to go to the medical centre. None the less, it has produced many prominent doctors in the country, namely the current Director General of Health & the Minister of Health.

As medical students at the International Medical College (IMC), we made occasional visits to the Anatomy Department of University Malaya for Anatomy sessions as we did not have our own wet lab. Someone told us that Botak Chin’s (the notorious criminal) head was being kept there. Now, when I walk pass the Anatomy Department, I can’t help but think of the specimen, which could still be there, floating on preservative fluid, inside a huge glass container……I guess that explains the creepy feeling.