Time
and Date:
12:45 h to 12:55 h
Venue:
Anaesthetic Room, North Tower OT.
Present:
Dr. Bachan Singh
Dr. Ngun Kok Wah.
Absent
with Apologies:
Dr. Tan Poh Hwa
The following were decided upon after a brief
discussion among those present.
1.
Anaesthetic Representative to Ad Hoc CDM Review Committee
Dr. Ngun Kok Wah was chosen to represent
the anaesthetists in the above committee.
2.
Nominee for 2001 MAB Elections
Datuk Dr. Radha Krishna was proposed and accepted to
be our nominee for the upcoming MAB Elections. Dr. Ngun had earlier spoken to
him and he had verbally agreed to accept the nomination if selected. As such,
Dr. Ngun will include Datuk Dr. Radha in the slate of nominees to the 2001 MAB
Elections to be proposed by the Nominations Committee.
3.
Anaesthetic Representative in the
2001/2003 OT Subcommittee
Dr. Dalina was chosen to be our nominee for the above
post. If she accepts the nomination, she will be proposed to the chairman of
the new subcommittee at the appropriate time.
4.
Proposal by OT Subcommittee for the Anaesthetists to Decide on the Need
to Activate the 2nd Emergency OT Team and to Decide on the Priority of
Emergency Cases
4.1.
Discussion
Dr. Bachan Singh felt that this was basically an
administrative problem and that should the anaesthetists accept the
responsibility, even if backed up by the hospital administration, there would
be unacceptable medico-legal implications to the anaesthetists. He reiterated
our previous suggestion that either the OT Subcommittee Chairman or a senior
medical staff from the administration be asked to make the decision. (Refer
to survey of 12 July 2000.)
At informal discussions prior to the meeting, Dr.
Anne Wong, Dr. Tan Poh Hwa, Dr. Charlie Chan and Dr. Robert Liew had expressed
similar views. Dr. Charlie Chan had also suggested that the problem should be
settled among the surgeons concerned as they would know their patients better
than the anaesthetists and would, therefore, be in a better position to make
the best decision. It would be difficult for the anaesthetist to make a
medically appropriate decision without first eliciting proper histories,
performing full physical examinations and reviewing all relevant investigation
results of the patients concerned.
4.2.
Decision
It was, hence, decided that,
4.2.1.
The
anaesthetists do not agree to take on the responsibilities of deciding on
either the need for the activation of the 2nd team nor on the priority of
emergency surgeries,
4.2.2.
The
anaesthetists would like to suggest the following options to the OT
Subcommittee,
4.2.2.1.The
OT Subcommittee Chairman to make the decisions,
4.2.2.2.A
senior member of the hospital administration to make the decisions, or
4.2.2.3.The
surgeons concerned to discuss and decide among themselves.
Dr. Ngun will convey the decision of the
anaesthetists to Datuk Dr. Radha who will relay it to the OT Subcommittee.
P.
S. Dr. Ngun spoke to Dr. Dalina on 25 April 2001 and she has gracefully
accepted the nomination for the OT Subcommittee.
