by Jen » Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:18 pm
@ Graeme - the academics stay in Government practise. I'm not talking about medical outpatients in some dorp - I'm talking about the Professors heading up Intensive Care Units and specialist units in the large centres. They remain up to date and are aware that information is constantly changing. They aren't too arrogant to ask help from an expert, to perform an internet search or to change their practise based on good sound evidence. I know this is a generalisation, but there are some people in private practise, including specialists, who carry on doing the same thing they were taught when they qualified, even if that was 20 years ago!
Plus, a private ICU is a goldmine - doctors can charge a fortune so they are very possessive about the patients there - they will look after critically ill patients, and not ask for the help of an intensivist (a superspecialised anaesthetist or surgeon), even if they are way out of their depth, because then they lose the money. In government, we have daily wardrounds with academic discussions about each patient, sometimes with up to 4 intensivists together.
Government food & cleanliness is no joke, but if I'm really ill or get stabbed in the heart, government docs are way more equipped to deal with it.
Obviously, there are many good, competent doctors in Private Practise, but when some Private Hospitals have doctors just out of community service staffing their casualty, it concerns me a bit...
1.1.0 Epicrates cenchria cenchria
1.1.0 Corallus hortulanus
1.1.0 Heterodon nasicus
1.1.0 Trimeresurus puniceus
2.2.0 Trimeresurus albolabris