BOOK REVIEW: Public Education Book & Understand Blood Disorders
This is a good time to read all the books that you have piled up! I just finished a book that was given to me by my university classmate, Dr Ng Soo Chin. The book is entitled “Understand Blood Disorders” but what is more important is the prefix, which says “Public Education Book”. I am a urologist but I am also a member of public.
Dr Ng Soo Chin was my classmate in the University of Malaya, 1976 – 1981. Indeed, we stayed on the same floor during the last 2 clinical years. His room was diagonally opposite mine! Therefore, in addition to knowing about him, I also knew who were his girlfriends that came and go at different times of the day and night!
I was at his medical centre in Subang Jaya to give a sample of my blood as a possible bone marrow donor. He was so busy that he could not meet me. We have not met for quite a few years. We could have gone on for hours if he had interrupted his ward round to come down to see me. But I was pleasantly surprised that he asked his beautiful secretary to give me a copy of his book. I really did not know that he has a hidden talent as a writer and an excellent one at that!
The book is highly readable, in good font layout and with nice colour photographs. You may as well ask why is there a need for a printed book when there are so much information and videos on the internet! In fact, I was also sceptical. However, when I read the book, I could hardly put it down.
What Dr Ng Soo Chin has done is to put the minimal facts and in a form suitable for public education. The “public” includes everybody including fellow doctors who are not well versed in that specialty. In addition, Dr Ng also expounded his views on health related matters. In fact, I agree entirely with him in many health issues. As a small town doctor, I was looking forward to another doctor to support my views.
The most important chapter is the chapter on “Is Health Screening Really Necessary?” I recommend everyone to read this chapter (also available on http://www.asiaone.com/health/health-screening-really-necessary). On one extreme, quite a number of Malaysian patients go for “total body scans”. He quoted an example of a lady who went for health check-up and eventually had a CT of the coronary arteries. This was followed by some intervention of the coronary arteries, resulting in a tear of the coronary artery! It is often not appreciated by the patients and ignored by the professionals that excess radiation is also a dangerous thing. The radio contrast given is just as dangerous in terms of side effects. The motto regarding the use of radiation is ALARA or as low as reasonably achievable..
Dr Ng is not advocating that you do not go for health check-ups. The misconception is that if you go for a health screening, your problems will all be solved. In fact, if a patient is unwell, he should go and see his doctor so that the specific health screening and treatment can be given. The health screening is not a series of tests but should start with the history and physical examination by a qualified doctor. In Malaysia, the commonest disease that is easily screened is that of diabetes. I am most pleased that Dr Ng reported on Page 252 that there are only 3 cancerswhereby there is a decrease in deaths following routine screening. These cancers are cancer of the cervix, breast and colon. I have many friends and fellow doctors who succumbed to cancer of the colon because they did not go for their screening colonoscopies, starting at the age of 50, if there is no family history.
I am very encouraged after reading Dr Ng Soo Chin’s book. Indeed, I immediately started on writing my version for Urology in the same theme of “Public Education Book”. It is a tough job, even to start on the first chapter! I salute Dr Ng Soo Chin for his effort to produce such a wonderful book for the public; references are also quoted for those who need more information. Inquiry for purchase: fhl.donation@gmail.com
Proceeds from sales go to FHL hospice
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