When your relationship with your GP becomes unhealthy
When he burst into tears at a press conference this morning, health minister Godfrey Farrugia had just described seeing a family of his patients in the crowd lining the streets at – what was it, the state opening of parliament or the swearing-in ceremony?
Anyway, the children saw him, called out his name, and then – he said – turned to their parents and asked unhappily why he wasn’t going to be their doctor any more.
I tried to imagine my sons doing that with our GP – albeit a very nice man and also a cousin – at any age, and I couldn’t. A doctor is a doctor is a doctor. How on earth do you get to the stage where he is a sort of fond uncle or household pet?
If our GP came to our house once a year it was too much. Occasionally we went to his clinic for tests and suchlike, but in case of accidents we cut straight to the chase and went to the Mosta health centre for stitches or to the A & E department at St Luke’s for X-rays, and our GP was never involved.
So what are these people doing – ringing up their GP and demanding attention for every scratch or slight rise in body temperature? How exactly does a GP become part of your family unless you’re a family of invalids, fusspots or hypochondriacs?
If our GP had become a cabinet minister, I would simply have found another GP I liked. Too many people seem prone to hysterical attachment.
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Ummm video anyone?
Two Maltas.
We are rapidly becoming the laughing stock of Europe.
If Minister Farrugia loves his profession to the point of bursting into tears because he is going to miss it, why does he not let someone else take over the Ministry of Health, then?
It would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad.
All patients who have been treated by Dr Farrugia know how professional and dedicated this man is.
His doctor/patient relationship is impeccable. I egoistically regret the fact that I have now got to find myself another doctor but am 100% sure that Dr Farrugia is the best man within the Labour team for the health minister position.
I am confident we will all see positive results from this hardworking individual. May God bless him and all those who wish the best for Malta and the Maltese.
[Daphne – Why are you so dependent on your GP? Do you have chronic health problems, or fall ill unnaturally often? I last saw my GP three years ago, outside of social occasions. Before that it might have been three years earlier. Most illnesses cure themselves and those which don’t cure themselves need attention from somebody other than a GP. Your GP can’t cure a cough or a cold, and if you have a fever, just pop a Panadol and stay on the sofa until it’s gone. Frigging nation of attention-seeking drama queens, bit-tabib gej u sejjer.]
Whatever, Daphne, but may God bless him and all those who wish the best for Malta and the Maltese.
Thanks for the medical advice as I find it very helpful! Very nice of you!
Fortunately I’m quite a healthy individual. I take good care of myself and I believe that prevention is always better then cure. I don’t know how you got the impression that I’m not.
[Daphne – Because you talk about your GP as though he’s part and parcel of your household. I call my GP so infrequently that I didn’t even have his number at one stage.]
All I wanted to state is that I have full trust in Dr. Farrugia’ s skills as a general practitioner. If the guy had not intervened in time one of my family members would now be long gone.
While another GP informed us that we were not to worry Dr Farrugia was spot on.
Whilst wishing you the best of health I’d advise you to be careful of popping too much paracetamol cause all they do is ease the pain… Holding on to anger towards this ‘frigging nation’ is also a sickness as it increases stress levels. Kindly be cautious as we don’t want to loose your interesting bloggs.
[Daphne – I take Panadol once every four years, Robert, when I get a fever. ‘All Panadol do is ease the pain’ – yes, that’s exactly the point. A fever is a fever is a fever. Three days or fewer and it’s gone. What can a GP do except tell you to take Panadol every four hours and stay indoors? So why call him? I don’t think it’s so much that we are a nation of hypocondriacs as a nation of people consummately lacking in self-confidence. I mean, for heaven’s sake, can’t you work out whether there’s something wrong with you and what it is?]
Yes, I agree that the vast majority of us Maltese are very anxious when it comes to health issues but I personally see nothing wrong with that as there is absolutely no harm with getting checked from time to time. Kindly keep in mind that very few people are as informed as you when it comes to illness remedies…
[Daphne – I’m not informed. There’s nothing to be informed about. A fever is a fever, a cold is a cold, a cough is a cough and split skin requires cleaning. What else do normal people suffer from? The rare rash? Stick some cold cream on. If it persists, go straight to a dermatologist because you might have a skin condition, skipping your GP, except when it’s on your torso, when it might be the symptom of something else. Most Maltese people don’t really care about their health – if they did, they wouldn’t eat all the wrong things, refuse to drink water, pour crates of carbonated drinks down their gullet and smoke like chimneys. Calling the doctor all the time is attention-seeking behaviour, like people saying they’re ‘hurt’ because politicians aren’t hanging round their doorstep all the time. Same psychological roots.]
So “Doctor” Farrugia heroically saved the life of some of your family members. How interesting. I didn’t know that another election was around the corner and that private secretariat staff are on positive propaganda mode.
Hypochondria can be useful, if your GP is also an MP. A pimple can lead to much greater things.
Godfrey Farrugia just stated he’s looking into the viability of having operations carried out by the private sector, should these exceed ‘waiting times’.
Enough said.
I think it is the Health Minister who is attached to his patients and not the other way round. I get the feeling Dr Farrugia has been “pushed” into going into politics and becoming a cabinet minister when clearly his heart is not in it.
He is out of his depth and should have remained the happy village doctor he was. He is the victim of another’s ambition.
Yep, let’s say he’s fully expendable and of some intrinsic value at the moment.
Does anyone believe Marlene was appointed by Joseph himself, only to resign a couple of days later?
In that case, doesn’t it make Joseph look like he’s already lost any authority?
Now that Franco Mercieca got ‘her’ PS and his practice, there’s no reason why she won’t exert leverage on Joseph himself.
I never expected Godfrey Farrugia to be handed that ministry, not when Fearne was all over the campaign.
It seems Marlene and Joseph have some waltz going on, reluctant partners and all.
“A fever is a fever is a fever”.
Is it really?
Oh Golly!
I have spent the last forty five years, including hundreds of sleepless nights, barking up the wrong tree.
Oh my Golly!
[Daphne – You know better than I do that it generally is just that: take two Panadols and go to bed.]
A stiff night cap works wonders also .
I agree, usually not generally.
It seems Marlene’s ex husband and present boyfriend have a habit of crying in public.
Love this comment by Noel Muscat on Facebook:
“Noel Muscat
I remember someone else crying on TV. A common factor between both men is a female MP !!”
All these people going on about how dedicated a doctor Dr. Farrugia is are a bunch of bloody idiots. It’s not the point.
If he can’t take the heat, he should get out of the kitchen. Simples.
And being a good doctor doesn’t automatically make you a good health minister.
Really, I don’t care if he’s a good doctor, he’s not my GP.
I care if he’s a good health minister, because that is the responsibility he promised to undertake that affects everyone.
U ħalluna min ‘jaħasra’ and ‘miskin’. This is not a bloody pity party.
As a child I remember being sick together with practically all the class around every January with a cold or flu.
[Daphne – My, fascinating. A truly unparalleled insight into childhood sniffles. I’m going to ask you a personal question, David: do you have a girlfriend?]
I prefer to consult a doctor when I have a fever or feel sick rather than be my own doctor and take any medication on my own initiative.
[Daphne – You didn’t have to tell me that, David. I’d have worked it out for myself, going by your relentless anally retentive behaviour. Yes, you would need a doctor to tell you to take a couple of Panadol every four hours when you have a fever or a bad headache. It figures.]
A doctor usually recommends other medication, maybe also an antibiotic.
Yes I agree with you we don’t really need doctors. I accept your diagnosis and now I am taking laxatives and suppositories to cure my anal retention.
[Daphne – Do you know what antibiotics are for, David, and why you’re not supposed to take them unless your infection is dangerous? No, doctors do not ‘recommend other medication’, not for run-of-the-mill sniffles. We do need doctors. What we don’t need are people who haven’t a clue about their own bodies and who infest and clog up every health centre and A & E waiting-room with their ‘ghax ghandi ugih hawn’.]