"During one of my night calls, I was asked to review a patient who had reported multiple somatic problems such as headache and stomach pain, which is uncommon for a young and fit gentleman. Upon asking the patient if he had any worries, tears immediately welled up in his eyes. We later figured that the patient, who is a migrant worker, was actually feeling worried about his family members who do not reside in Singapore, and about the uncertainty of when he could return to work. To reassure him, we chatted a little with him about the COVID-19 situation, and also encouraged him to have regular video calls with his family. Our medical social services and nursing teams also provided him with psychological support, and his condition subsequently improved.
Instead of simply treating physical symptoms like the headache, chest discomfort, or stomach pain alone, it is important to take the time to understand the patient better, allowing us to treat him as a whole – this is what being a family doctor truly entails."
- Dr Li Yufei, Senior Staff Registrar, Post Acute & Continuing Care Service, Bright Vision Hospital
Source: SingHealth Community Hospitals webpage
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