SDA clinic
It’s kind of odd, and me it sounds a very superfluous. I don’t know what we’re achieving here with this SDA (same-day-admission) clinic. First, it’s already a misnomer. It’s more of a pre-admission clinic.
Here’s what happens to a patient who presents with… let’s say… an inguinal hernia.
1. Patient sees the polyclinic and gets a referral letter to hospital, the appointment is usually in 3 months’ time.
2. Sees doc at hospital. Assessed. Usually not listed for op immediately.
3. At follow up, decides for op. Surgeon looks at his list. Slots him in.
4. Pt has to go to for pre admission testing (bloods, ECG, CXR for some)
5. Then on the same day, he sees the anesthetist.
6. Then he has to see the pre-admission clerking clinic (run by HO) where the only useful thing done is….
- writing which antibiotic to give on-call to OT (and often times, the drug isn’t given at all)
- getting the consent
The other thing done is writing the story onto the clerking sheet.
7. On day of op, the patient goes up directly to the ward where… another ill-fated HO has to clerk him and examine him and then print out the OT chit.
Sigh, are all these steps really THAT necessary? Especially No. 6.
All the patients feel it’s such a hassle, and I myself feel that there’s so much duplication in effort and wastage of precious time that the inpatients from our already filled-to-bursting lists could benefit!
