Hey boys and girls, it's Diabetes Day, and another chance to launch something and appear in the news.

Everyone join in 'the awareness campaign'. Becoming fat is not 'cute' anymore (like this cat) but will likely give you diabetes. Haha. Let's read some excellent quotes...(from some newspaper)

''..More information should be given about the disease..''
I think people know about the disease, but who actually want to compromise that kenduri, that kuih ? Exercise ? Eh..sibuukk bukannya apa....Pehin was right it is a lifestyle disease, therefore the treatment is the mindset, and cultural change. Not just a bunch of tests and pills to take for the rest of your life.

So, diabetes is ''the priority'' of the MOH eh? Then how come my auntie has to wait 8 months just to be reviewed by the specialist ?? And what about this sentence quoted : ''..it is imperative that our healthcare providers are well-prepared and equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitude to cope..'' hahahahahahhahaha. I wonder if any resources have been allocated to meet this rising trend- financial, staff manpower, and infrastructure. Jangan sampai nanti patient mahu berubat dan test sekali abis ubat!!!..and review atu 1 year sekali!!! Pleeeezzz why is there no improvement in the diabetes service atu kan..cuba tah check...

Long time ago the words Brunei and Poverty would seldom come together in one sentence, much less in the front pages of newspaper articles. As you can see in the above CIA factbook map of poverty, there simply is 'no data' on Brunei's poor. That just about says it all. Until recently they are almost denied of existing at all.

All too often we see people less well-off than us, roaming the streets and asking for money. But modern poverty sometimes come in various guises. From the snorty civil servant driving his modified sport rim second hand BMW car to the housewife flashing the latest iphone tucked away nicely in knock-off pirated LV bag. Both boasts more credit cards than they can fit in their hands. How many people do you know who become 'kapih' just 1 week after masuk gaji? Buying $5 petrol just enough to send their kids to/from school? If not for the cap in personal loan amount (due of course to bad debts), there will be even worse scenarios.

At the moment the extended family spirit help to bolster the costs of daily living. Having carpool, living under daddy's roof, not paying electricity bills (or food bills) no doubt has its perks in times of hardship. And let's not kid ourselves - our disposable income is surely shrinking, with inflation over the last many many years, and ever-increasing wants (remember the xbox, broadband connection, and weekly pirate dvd shopping). Perhaps there really is not many in the poverty line (under 5% according to the newspaper). But remember, copper wires are routinely being stolen, potplants kena curi, millions of dollars of unpaid electricity bills, little children being let loose by parents to sell kuih, kids rummaging the rubbish dump, maybe poverty is really upon us. Even $1 for doctor consultation with presciption of 10 different life-saving drugs are even too much for some (ask the lady with the ticket - she will tell you how it is like).

So, to all you aspiring clinicians there, next time try to ask what your patients diet are. You'll be surprised that red meat (and a balanced diet) is a luxury to a fair proportion. I just wonder if sometimes cases that came in through your door are actually diseases arising of society rather than simple bugs.

It is almost a standing joke now, when you read the newspaper, or watch the news, there will be some smiling person gleefully cutting the ribbon of something which never come to any result. Familiar? If you work in MOH, you should. There is almost one coming up every month. And how much money are spent on the venue rent, makan, and wasted man-hours? Look, launching something is NOT the same as doing the job. Quite often these white elephant projects or whatever is just literally a 'one-day' event. No follow-through, no extra budget or resources to carry out the plan etc. IF this is the only way how you can prove that you are doing something, then let's bring it on. Let's do a weekly launching event - make sure you ring RTB crew for filming. Haha, rumours has it that even they malas to turn up sometime! Then also ask photographers to take your best side profile and print it all over (front page please). LAME, man.

Sometimes I wonder. Can robots have emotion (like wall-e)? In star trek, Data always try to become more human and become more than what he is. In I.robot, Sonny develops sense of awareness, responsibility and did stuff to help others, even it means hurting himself.

I have met many plights of the 'robots' myself. I believe all robots when they are first programmed have a sense of these 'human values'. They work hard, following strict, antiquated rules which they know better. But these rules are unbendable, and defies logic, so much so, that even with their advanced positronic brains, they are reduced to mindless automaton, gibbering memos, submemos, pseudo-rumour-whoever-says so and stuff. Many times I've heard ground-breaking ideas, but all too often they are shuffled away by cronies who don't want change. With time, nothing is done, and if things are done, they are done with a heavy heart. Common sense sometimes is superceded by 'proper channels' or 'cc-the-letter-to-10-people-in-your-ministry, then cc-to-10-more-in-other-ministry'. These ideas are floating around in big offices, which are littered with ruptures in space-time continuum (ie. they get 'lost' so easily). If it reaches it's destination, anything new is treated with suspect. No one wants to risk being 'too clever' or 'too avant-garde' or 'too unruly' for that matter.

These big-robots follow the first rule of automaton in Brunei - sit on it. They are afraid, you guys. They are part of the chain of commands. Although they may be heads, but really they need to strictly follow the 'proper channel' rule, which means they don't really have any authority at all. They can't help but being robots, even if told not to be. Big decisions need to be sanctioned by the above. Even if they act within their authority and apply common sense, and to the best interest of all, they will live in fear with that decision. Why? No one will help them to carry out the plans. Everyone will start criticising on the littlest of things. Everyone will be so worried about using their brains and do more work. The softest whispers in some corridor is enough to make this good guy appear to be bad guy. Tiny mistakes will be used to discredit the idea and the person. So, why bother.

Goooooooooood robot....

Many doctors in our dearly beloved Brunei are frustrated. Why? Is it because of burning out? Disillusion with the real world? Broken empty promises? Cronyism? Overworked and unsupported? Poor leadership? Or simply crap system. Let's trash it out - the livelier the better. This space is for you guys. Who knows you might even get the attention of the powers that be.

H1N1 is going to kill us all. Everyone can't leave the country. Everyone told to stay at home. H1N1 now community spread. News gleefully telling how many has succumbed. Rumours everywhere about cover-ups of real death rate. Brunei famous highest rate of increase in cases. Ubat inda cukup. Dettol no more stock. MOH said don't panic. Goodbye, world..baru tah jua kan start blogging..