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Students complain about
University Health Service
The
University Health Centre at the Chinese University
(Nickie Wong)
By Nickie Wong
Some students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong are dissatisfied with the University Health Service.
However, Dr. Kenneth Pang, director of the University Health Service, vigorously defends the clinic’s reputation.
Betty Chak Pui Kwan, a Year 1 student in the Professional Programme of Medicine, said she was dissatisfied about a “superficial” examination by doctors recently
She visited the school clinic on 9 October 2003 for discomfort in her eyes.
Said she: “The consultation lasted for only 2 minutes. And the
examination was too brief.
“I just described my situation to the doctor, and without careful investigation, she told me it was corneal infection.
Ms. Chak later sought help from a specialist clinic because the treatment provided by the health service did not work.
Ms. Chak said that the doctor who examined her in the specialist clinic was thorough and detailed.
In response to this, Dr. Kenneth Pang said, “It is a doctor’s professional practice to carefully examine every patient we receive.
“But I hope students can understand that there are a lot of students waiting, and we have to catch up with the appointments.”
Ms. Chak also claimed that the drugs prescribed by the school clinic were "ineffective", while those obtained from the specialist clinic were “immediately effective”.
According to Dr. Pang, the University Health Service jointly purchases some of its drugs with the Hospital Authority and the Department of Health.
He said, “The cost is lower because the drugs are produced and purchased in large quantities.”
The quality of the drugs is also guaranteed because the suppliers are recognized by the government.
Prof. Kenneth Lee of the Department of Pharmacy at the Chinese University said,
“The use of the cheaper drugs does not affect students much. Only those who have chronic diseases and must rely on drugs will be mostly affected.”
One of the reasons the University Health Service purchases cheaper drugs is that the clinic is fully reliant on university funding.
Drugs given to students are free, while other university clinics charge students according to the medicines prescribed.
Dr. Pang said, “I am considering a user-pay policy, because the reduction in the university funding will more or less affect the quality of the service and the drugs provided by the University Health Service.”
Though some students are dissatisfied, there have been few complaints about the health service over the years.
However, this could be because students do not know how to channel their dissatisfaction.
According to Dr. Pang, students can express their views directly to the University Health Service or its steering committee through a phone call, an e-mail or a formal letter.
Despite the fact that methods of contacting the Health Service Committee are printed in the 2003 student diary distributed to all students by the Student Union of the Chinese University, students are still unaware of these channels.
Carrie Law, a student representative of the Health Service Committee of the Student Union, said, “We always pay attention to students’ views in the Chinese University forum.
“Direct
responses will be made if we think the complaints are reasonable.”
Ms. Chak remains skeptical, though. She said she believes that, even if students complain, no changes will be made, because the doctors and drugs will still be the same.
Among the seven doctors working in the Health Service, five are permanent employees. New doctors are hired only if someone retires.
The Health Service director says that the clinic is sometimes wary of a patient’s reasons for visiting the clinic.
Dr. Pang said, “We doctors hate students who come to us just asking for a medical certificate.
“But
we still have to trust students and issue certificates when requested.”
Medical certificates are issued, according to Dr. Pang, to allow students
to rest and prevent them from infecting others.
“However, students may have their own purposes when coming to the clinic. ”
Sonia Ma Wing Kwok, a Year 1 student studying language education, said some student organizations explicitly tell students to obtain medical certificates to skip classes in order to attend club activities.
Medical certificates issued by the clinic can exempt students from lessons, especially physical education classes.
Absence without reasonable excuse in such classes can greatly affect students’ overall grades at the Chinese University.
Dr. Pang also said that some students say they have taken medicine before coming to the clinic, so the symptoms do not surface.
Ms. Law
agrees that it is impossible to forbid students to lie to doctors.
She said, “All we can do is to rely totally on the doctor’s
professional judgment.
“We do not want another ‘Student A’ in the Chinese University.”
The “Student A” she mentioned was a patient in an incident that happened in October 1988.
The story was reported in a 30-year retrospective on the university called 30 Years in the Chinese University.
According to the report, a student who was identified as “Student A” hurt her back during a swimming lesson.
Two days later, she sought help from the school clinic.
The report revealed that, although another physiologist told “Student A” not to attend a required swimming competition, the doctor at the clinic refused to issue her a medical certificate.
She eventually took part in the swimming competition, and the condition of her back worsened.
Due to the spinal injury, she had to drop out of school for 2 years.
Since then, she has not been able to carry things that weigh more than 5 pounds.
Dr. Pang did not want to comment on this case.
He said, “It is very unfair to both the doctor and the student.”
Although the clinic has medical malpractice insurance, no lawsuit has ever been filed; nor has any compensation been made.
This may be due to the fact that the Health Service does not handle patients in the cases of accidents or emergencies, which are usually more serious.
The University Health Service’s website says that in the case of an accident or emergency, students should seek help from the Prince of Wales Hospital instead of approaching the clinic.
“This
does not mean that the clinic refuses to receive patients during emergencies.
“It is because the facilities in the Prince of Wales Hospital are far better than ours,” said Dr. Pang.
University
Health Service Director Kenneth Pang defends
the service. (Nickie Wong)
Preventive measures for SARS at CUHK
By Nickie Wong
In spring 2003, The Chinese University of Hong Kong was badly struck by SARS.
Since summer 2003, the University Health Service has decided to use the first and second floor of the Postgraduate Hall No. 4 to quarantine suspected or confirmed cases of SARS.
The first floor is used to isolate admitted patients who have fever and SARS-like syndromes.
The second floor acts as a buffer to prevent the spread of virus to other levels of the building.
So far there have been only two residents in the quarantine hall, and they have since been discharged.
They were admitted because they had fever and serious influenza.
“Although they were not SARS patients, we still admitted them to the quarantine hall to prevent them from infecting others,” said Dr. Kenneth Pang, director of the University Health Service.
Other measures to prevent another SARS epidemic include masks. Every student who visits the University Health Center is given a paper mask.
According to Dr. Pang, this is to cultivate the habit of wearing masks.
Students will also be asked if they have a fever during registration.
If a fever is detected, they will be sent to the fever clinic.
A SARS clinic will be in operation if SARS comes again.
“We are just hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” said Dr. Pang.