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The relationship between science, technology and public services is too broad a field to discuss. Let's focus on my main concerns.
Being a patient of temporal lobe epilepsy, which is incurable, and depression, which is said to be thoroughly curable, I have to see the doctors regularly and take drugs every day, until the day I say farewell to the world, unless there is breakthrough in science, which I am optimistic about. It is a misfortune for me to have contracted such diseases; however, it is really a fortune for me to be a permanent resident of Hong Kong, a place which provides its citizens with advanced medical treatment at competitive prices. Look at the situations in backward and underdeveloped countries where minor diseases can be fatal. There are inadequate well trained doctors and nurses, drugs, clinics, hospitals and laboratories. Then you can understand the true meaning of the Chinese saying 'With a heart, but without the strength'.
I have been enjoying the benefits which science and technology have brought to the development of medical services in Hong Kong. I am not any expert in the field, yet, I have learnt something from my experiences.
I don't know much about the means by which the doctors enrich their medical knowledge, but as a nosey person, I have drilled a little bit from the hard walls of some doctors. They told me they had been reading a lot on the Internet, and for the doctors who enjoy higher status, they can fly abroad to attend medical conferences. Books printed in black and white can no longer serve the world which is hungry for the most advanced development in medicine. Just put everything new on the Internet so that anyone can learn it at the quickest pace. Send the latest medical journals to all the doctors. Let the doctors from all over the world have visual conferences so that they can discuss the cases of their patients. Invite the experts in surgery abroad to give guidance to local surgeons during operations on the air. You can see how science and technology can help the doctors, and in the end, the patients.
Science and technology can indeed assist doctors to diagnose and treat diseases. I was amazed when I saw my brain on the films. Long, long time ago I had CT scanning. A few years ago I underwent MRI. During the process I was plunged into something like the cabin of a spaceship. I could not believe that the doctor could even see the nerves in the brain. Fantastic! He concluded from the fact that there was nothing wrong with the structure of my brain and that my problems were functional, not structural. No surgery required. Thanks God.
There have been a lot of advancements in drugs. The anti-epileptic drugs which I used to take made me a sleeping beauty in daytime. With the introduction of new drugs, I met the prince who kissed the sleeping princess awake. The old anti-depressants are infamous for the numerous side effects. Shaking hands and tight cheek muscle, which makes you look like a survivor of stroke, are two of the major found problems. I was fortunate in meeting a doctor who was fond of adventure. He prescribed me with the new inventions. The white mouse has been satisfied with the drugs so far. Not too many side effects, just minor constipation, a possible cause for overweight. And I have not had any relapse of epilepsy after changing to this drug. (Touch wood.) My worries have lessened a lot. I hope the researchers will go on with their work and one day invent a kind of drug which can guarantee recovery and is free from side effects. Moreover, the adventurous doctor gave me new sleeping pills to help me sleep soundly at night. A grand thing about the pills is that I won't be dependent of them.
Nevertheless, these are not sufficient.
At present I am still making appointments with the staff, or to be more exact, it is the clerk who offers me a date and time. I was quite impressed when I made an appointment over the phone to have my identity card replaced. Another thing which makes me interested is the seating plan which is shown on a screen at the box-office of the cinema. We can see which seats have been occupied. Is it possible for the Hospital Authority to introduce a similar system to public clinics so that we are free to choose the time sessions that are suitable for us? After making a decision, we just key in our registration numbers and the selected sessions will black out.
When I see the doctors reading my medical history, a thick pile of paper, I am suspicious if any of the pages can be lost and if the paper will become so old one day that it melts. And the pile reminds me of my long history of being sick. If you were me, you would be disappointed, right? Why don't we save the information on the computer system? It can save space, which can be used as wards instead. (No more folding beds in the corridors, please.) It is convenient for the doctors to read the history by just pressing some buttons. The handwriting of most of the doctors is as abstract as Picasso's paintings. Once I met a pharmacist who was not imaginative enough to read the prescriptions. Not intending to make any blunders, he had to call the doctor, who was unable to be located at that very moment. As a result, I had to waste my time in the waiting room. Why doesn’t the Hospital Authority install a computer system on which the doctors can type their prescriptions and send the messages to the pharmacy immediately? Then we don't have to take the prescription sheets to the pharmacy. This is a waste of paper.
Perhaps you may argue what I have mentioned is nothing new. A lot of people have considered the ideas. The lack of resources is a killing problem. Well, it may be true. I am not going to argue about this point. I just want to tell you that I have a dream. If the scientists keep on working hard, such computer systems may be available at very competitive prices in the future. When mobile phones were first introduced to the market, each cost a large sum of money. With the advancement in technology, they have become so cheap that even children can afford them. Wait for this day.
Frequent visitors to doctors have the pressure of memorizing the dates of the coming appointments. A lot of them may have had the experiences of forgetting to attend the appointments. Can't we have a system to remind them of the time and dates? Say, a signal is sent to the personal computers, or the mobile phones, of the patients a day before the appointments to remind them of the meeting with the doctors. This will be of great convenience to the patients who are forgetful and busy with their work.
If such a system is practicable, please also install a system to remind patients to take drugs. I have had the experience of forgetting to take drugs, which resulted in a severe fear of a relapse of epilepsy. Drugs may make their takers forgetful. Old people are weak in memory. A lot of drug users really need reminders.
The patients may be confronted with the problems of sudden deteriorating mental or physical conditions between two appointments. If they can afford to see private doctors, the problem can be solved easily. If they have to line up for a consultation in public clinics, what can they do? Panic! Just panic! If a system can be connected between the computers of the medical officers or experienced nurses on duty and the patients, the latter can seek advice from the former, thus getting some comfort and deciding if they have to jump the line for an earlier consultation. The patient can be more soothed if he can see the face of the doctor on a screen. You think it is a silly dream? You can never understand the needs of a patient, especially one with chronic diseases. Do you know how excited I was when I managed to find the doctor on the phone and listen to his voice when I was so depressed that I wanted to kill myself? At that moment I appreciated the invention of telephones and pagers so much.
As a common woman who is an idiot in science and technology, I cannot make any concrete suggestions in the field. As a chronic patient I have to be selfish in narrowing my discussion to medical services. Maybe what I have mentioned are all silly jokes. I just want to share my experiences and sincere wishes with you.
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