I got a call at work today from a doctor from the Klang hospital asking me to come see him as soon as possible. Apparently he’s been calling my sisters as well, had something really important to talk about. So I rushed there right after work. From Seri Kembangan to Klang. It drizzled halfway there and then the sun shone brightly up ahead. I met my sister Lina on the way near Aeon Bukit Raja. We went to the hospital together in her car. Could have met at the hospital, easier but somehow she wanted me to drive there.
We met an intern next to my father’s bed. I guess he’s the one who called us all. I thought he was going to explain everything for us but he kept insisting that we wait for the specialist doctor who will come by later. So we waited. My father is wearing an oxygen mask now. According to my stepmother he has stage 4 liver cancer. The doctor doesn’t recommend he goes for any operations now, it’s to complicated and risky. And it is also too late for chemotherapy which would have cause much pain and suffering to the already frail old man. Basically there was nothing else much left to do but to make him feel as comfortable as can be in his final days here. It could be days or next week, month, who knows.
This time around he does actually recognizes me. He kept asking for someone to fix an air conditioner in the room. If you don’t already know, the Klang (Or Tengku Ampuan Rahimah) hospital is one of the most crowded hospital and wards in the country. People from Shah Alam, Klang and even Banting flock to the hospital for treatment and the wards are always fully occupied. There is no first class ward in the hospital with air conditioning, not even individual rooms with beds. Just a big long dormitory of beds for all kind of patients. And here he was asking for an air conditioner. I know he is not really feeling well or knows what’s he’s talking about. At the same time I felt sorry that he could not be in a better hospital. But that is the only place he can afford to go right now.
Lina and I waited for a while for the specialist. Then an hour and then finally after an hour an a half, I asked the intern again to at least give us more specifics about my father’s condition. He’s still making excuses on why he’s not authorized to give us any reports. By 7:00 P.M. I couldn’t bear seeing my father in that state or wait for the specialist anymore so I said my goodbyes and Lina and I left the hospital. The specialist apparently will only be making her rounds from 8:00 P.M. onwards. One single specialist doctor for the entire 3 wards. This government has clearly failed the people.
Should I have stayed longer? I probably should but it is just too painful to watch. Anyway my little sister Izni is coming all the way from Pasir Mas to visit tomorrow. Hopefully she will get more clue on my father’s condition. Her husband unfortunately is too visit with work to come visit. So was Lina’s husband. It is too bad that he can’t depend on his son-in-laws more at this critical stage of his life.
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