Very Irritating Person?

V.I.P.

What it means to me :

• patient with acute myocardial infarction - needs my immediate attention and antifibrinolytic therapy STAT. Time is myocardium
• patient with respiratory failure - needs my immediate attention and early anaesthetic assessment for consideration of assisted ventilation
• patient with upper gastrointestinal bleed - needs my immediate attention and judicious fluid resuscitation while we arrange for means to stop the hemorrhage
• patient with a sudden deterioration in GCS - needs my immediate attention and assessment for need for airway protection while measures are underway to determine its cause
• patient with cardiac arrest - you know what he/she needs

What it doesn't mean to me :

• high-ranking government officer who walked in (or chauffeured in, whatever) with fever for 3 days, but stable
  
• relative of some MP who has mild abdominal discomfort
• some Datin with moderately high BP but asymptomatic
• resident orthopedic surgeon's neighbour who has diarrhoea

Can't we just do our job? Your order of importance is dictated by the nature of your medical condition, not your status. Don't pry me away from a patient who deserves my attention more just because you are an "important" person who happens to have a trivial medical problem.

Did I just commit professional suicide? Maybe. Not that I have any political aspiration anyway.

I took an oath to be fair and just to my patients, and I intend to honour it.