Let me tell you a story. One about a trainee who stood still through a parade till he fainted and fell face flat, fracturing his two upper anterior teeth. Emergency treatment was rendered at my workplace, which comprised of a splint to support the fragments and to encourage healing. Let’s just call him BHB. BHB was then transported via the siren-topped vehicle to the nearest civilian facility filled with nurses and doctors. He was subsequently managed by their internal “department in-charge of teeth”. Some minor adjustments to his dressing took place, and he was discharged soon after.
The next day, BHB came with his mother to my workplace for a review. BHB was told to return in 1/52 for the removal of his sutures. BHB’s mother discreetly communicated with me, to request for a referral back to that civilian facility for management, as she was doubtful of the physicians abilities here in my organization. Point to note, BHB was managed by one, the day before, who was the classmate of my senior “colleague”. Referral granted, case closed. Or so it seemed.
BHB and his mother then proceeded to the organization’s in-house physician, affectionately known as the ammo (pronounce it) to submit a memo from the civilian facility’s “walk-in” department. Upon checking the visit summary, it was discovered that they had requested for a referral to the “mother of all civilian departments in-charge of teeth”, the AnDeeSee (pronounce it to get the abbreviation).
The story continues. 6 days later, a relative of BHB called. She babbled in mandarin and queried the next destination for BHB, claiming to be his mother. I told her that he could come back here, but that she had previously requested for management in the civilian world, and that she should contact them instead, not us. She relented that she was not his mother, and was his aunt. Apparently, BHB was told that the AnDeeSee would call him to fix an appt, but none did so. I proceeded to inform her that she had to call them to fix an appt for a new consultation, and to decide what to do there. She countered by claiming she didn’t know what to tell them as well. I should write it out in dialogue for better understanding.
“You all referred him there you all should fix appt for him what.”
“But you requested to be referred back to the initial place that treatment was done, not AnDeeSee, so I have no idea what you all want.”
“If you all have no idea, then how would I have any idea?”
“Your nephew should tell you what he wants to do, and what the physician previously recommended.”
“He can’t articulate properly with that thing inside, and he also doesn’t know what to do.”
“Then if he doesn’t know what to do, how would we know what to do. He was the one who was attended to by the physician, not me.”
“You all gahmen sector always push responsibility around. This incident occurred in your organization, you all should take full responsibility of it and see that my nephew is well attended to. Yes it’s true, I do not want him to return to your organization for further management. But you all cannot just do this. I’m his relative, it hurts me to see him suffer.”
“But I really do not know what you all want. You all don’t want him to do it here and requested to do it externally, so we assumed you all had an idea of what to do. We just gave you what you wanted, and offered our services, but you rejected it.”
“How can you all do this? I’m sure if TCH (think of a very high profile figure with these 3 initials) comes down, you all will not do this to him right.”
“But that’s not the point. Point is, what do you want? We already acceded to your request.”
So on and so forth, complaining, whining, bitching, griping, to someone who has totally no control over the organisation’s policies, and does not wish to even join the organization.
The saga does not end here. My senior colleague decided to do a teleconference with her.
An excerpt;
“My sister’s son was hurt in training. It’s all your (the organisation’s) fault. You all should have relaxed the rules, allowed fingers and toes to move while in formation. Why is training so harsh…Why should I have to pay first at the external institution, it’s totally your fault… How long will it take to claim back…? It should be charged to you all directly what.”
BHB is useless. He doesn’t know even know who are his direct superiors. His matriarch takes care of his every detail. How can this kind of person be expected to fulfill the motto of the school he is in.
That’s all I’m going to reiterate here.
All these happened because of selfish people. People who are not willing to pay for specialist attention, yet demand it. People who pressure employees to do totally unrelated work, thinking they can order around with their so-called rights. People who complain to pawns, but do not dare bring it up to the crustaceans.
It’s partly also because the organization I’m in is really fucked up. Where else in the world can you get priority, not because of fame or fortune, but because of the crustaceans you hold upon your shoulders. Where else can you demand top attention without paying for it. Where else can you apply rules, expect your subordinates to obey them, but personally do not conform to those rules. Where else can you delegate your work to others, and claim credit from them, only to be protected from a law that spells “insubordination”, when they try to protest.
I’m really sick of this. I’m paid a fraction of those people, to do more work than them, and not by choice.
To quote a friend, “rank and prestige make a bigger impact on human relations in this environment, not logic”.