Our family doctor must be one of the best and most popular considering the hundreds (well, sort of) client-patients she see ev­eryday. We always make sure to either book the very earliest slot or the very last slot of the day. If I book the first or last slot I get to wait only two hours, otherwise it’s some five-hour wait (well, sort of). The fact is booking the very first slot means nothing to this clinic since it’s still a first-come-first­serve basis, so when people with­out any appointments happen to come before you they get to be called first.

One instance I came early in the morning clean-shaven and by the time I got called I already could feel beard stubbles com­ing out, and once you get called you get ushered into the examination room and wait for another half hour before she sees you. The actual consultation re­ally takes two minutes, unless you talk about other things like where we’re going into our next vacation or something like that.

That’s why when I think some­thing’s wrong with me I go to the walk-in clinics instead. The wait’s almost the same but if I come re­ally early I’m guaranteed a shorter wait; but if there’s really some­thing wrong with me then I go to the hospital emergency itself, just like the other day when something went very wrong with my right eye that made me go nuts - like some­thing’s stuck or tearing my cornea or something.

Despite several eyewashes it was still so bad that early the next morning I went to the hospital emergency. After a couple of min­utes waiting the emergency recep­tionist at the counter called me and asked what’s wrong. Barely able to open my eye which was obviously bloodshot with tears that made my nose run I explained my predicament. After going through the registration formalities and tapping into her computer I was told to go back to my seat and wait for my name to be called.

After a few moments another lady in the next window calls me and asked what’s the matter, I again explained there’s a matter with my eye. After a few more en­tries into the computer I was di­rected to follow a line on the floor of the hallway. After a few turns, the line eventually ended at an­other window counter.

Another patient was ahead of me so I had to wait for another five minutes or so. Finally the girl behind the window beckons me, gets my name and once more I was asked what’s wrong with me. I patiently repeated what I have told the two previous ladies. After more tapping into the computer she printed some stuff. When she was done I was told to sit and wait.

Finally a nurse calls my name and asks me to come and sit down to where she’s at, which I did. Once again I was asked what’s wrong with me, and once again I explained what was wrong with me. Tears are now really flow­ing down my cheek, and they’re not from my eye problem any­ more but actual tears of despera­tion. Finally I was led into the eye examination department where I was asked to read the alphabetic chart - maybe to verify that I can still see. Once finished I was led into another examination room and asked sit down and wait.

Some more waiting and a doc­tor finally comes, apologizing for the delay and, of course, the final what’s-the-problem-question. So, for the last nth time I described my problem. He proceeded to examine me and after some eye-drop and eye-peeking procedures declared he can’t see anything wrong with my eye. Of course, I said, I’m so happy to finally see you that I can’t hold my tears from flowing, and the problem must have washed away. He gave me the eye-drop anyways.

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