The Medtech was Efficient
By @acelawrites
@acelawrites (19272)
Philippines
July 26, 2016 8:09pm CST
I had a bad experience with a female medtech at a private hospital in our place.
She failed to extract blood sample for my blood chem. exams. (Chem.8); so she pricked at my upper arm just opposite the elbow(called the anticubital space) but could not find the vein, then she pricked at the right upper arm to no avail, then I told her to just prick the vein at the back of my palm/hand which is very visible.
From that time, I was afraid to have the blood exam, so I always tell the medtech to extract from the back of my palm to be sure.
This morning, I had the blood chem exam again and the medtech, a male one, pricked at the upper arm, the right place to extract blood since it is less painful there. He did it easily!
I was thinking that later on the medtech would be gone abroad to work there instead of here in our country as was always happening. The other female medtech who was also efficient had gone abroad.
That really makes me sad!
10 people like this
10 responses
@allen0187 (59827)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
Getting blood extracted is a common fear among adults and children. I'm not afraid to get my blood taken but I'm not too crazy about it.
Sad to realize that up to now, brain drain is still a problem that our country faces.
3 people like this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
We can't prevent them from leaving for better opportunities in other countries. It's a sad reality.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59827)
• Philippines
30 Jul 16
@sol_cee so true!
@acelawrites what they earn here in our country for a year, they can easily earn in a month in another country.
@toniganzon (77310)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
My sister is a licensed medtech but never got to practice it as she proceeded to medicine and is now an OB Gyne doctor. But I heard that she's really good at extracting blood when she was still an intern medtech student.
2 people like this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
I really admire medtechs who can do their work well. Is your sister practicing here or abroad?
@toniganzon (77310)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
@acelawrites Here. None of our family members plan to work abroad because of our businesses here.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
@toniganzon that's good, they are here to share their talents to our countrymen. But I don't blame others for doing so because they don't have options like your family does.
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
28 Jul 16
@acelawrites Ouch pricking is painful . I don't ever like pricking specially to get blood for the blood sugar . I always request that they just inject me on my vein at that part opposite the elbow .
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
I was afraid that they will make a lot of pricking, so to be sure, I always suggest to prick at the back of my hand where the IV fluid was usually attached, to be sure. It was painful there than at the upper arm. Some of them had a hard time finding the main vein at the upper arm.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
i admit i have this bad habit of always joking with any medical person i encounter, nurse, x-ray technician, physical therapists, etc, "so why are you still here in the philippines?" of course they just smile and laugh but don't say anything, maybe because they're at work and someone might hear.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
@acelawrites sometimes i feel ashamed for teasing them to leave,but it's also understandable when they do
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
So true. I always joke them too that after the training/experience, then they'll go abroad; they really do not comment, due to work etiquette.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
My vein at the inside of the elbow is so hard to locate because it is deep; so to make the process easier, I always tell them to get from the back of my hand.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
It is the situation in our country; brain drain, so we have to contend with who are left to serve their countrymen, and we are thankful to them! Though we can not blame those who went overseas due to higher salaries there.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
One time I saw that she was the one on duty, so I postponed my blood chem. exam. I had bad experience with her.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
They always do. We could not blame them because they wanted to earn more for their families or for their career advancement.
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
So true, it can be double or triple of what they are getting from hospitals here. We can not blame them.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
27 Jul 16
It is so sad when trained people leave after gaining so much skills. It happens anywhere.
1 person likes this
