Recently, a family member who is hypertensive went for a follow up visit in a private hospital in Petaling Jaya. At this visit, she was suddenly informed that she is Hepatitis B positive. She was shocked and quite speechless. The doctor then decided on a repeat test. Despite immunisation and the presence of sufficient antibodies, she was infected. She has no known risk factors. When another family member called the doctor, this doctor mentioned that it is quite unlikely to be a mistake.

This caused a lot of mental distress and sleepless nights wondering what went wrong and how to take things from here. Then the repeat result was announced today and the verdict.... a lab mixup! When the doctor was asked how such mix ups could occur? The doctor replied " It happens!!!".

I am very annoyed and angry. I can accept false positive results which do happen from time to time. But i cannot accept a laboratory mixup. It should not have occured. Who says such things only happen in a government hospital? The attitude of the staff in the hospital was that of complacency. It is like "what is the big deal?" kind of attitude.

An apology would suffice. But no, there was none offered. As a doctor myself, i am flabbergasted as to how a doctor could be so inhumane. Does the conferment of a specialist degree equate to an elevated status and thus the ensuing snobbish behavior? This specialist was even unhappy when I provided the same hypertensive medication to this family member for cost-saving purposes. Her attitude was, "if you think you are so smart then go see another doctor" attitude.

Nevertheless, I am relieved that the repeat HbsAg result was favorable.