I refer to the letter KL Hospital's trauma centre lobby staff dismal .

A contrast to the example quoted in the letter above is the University of Malaya's Medical Centre (UMMC) Emergency Unit in Petaling Jaya.

Early in March this year, I had to be sent to the ‘Emergency Unit' of University of Malaya Medical Centre because of a very rapid palpitation I experienced.

On reaching the front door, I walked to the counter and told the nurse of my problem and after placing her hands on my jugular veins and feeling the rapid heartbeat, she immediately ordered that I be taken inside and given an ECG.

This was done so fast and before I knew it, the ECG was completed and read by a doctor and I was sent immediately to the treatment room.

At the treatment room, I was attached to various instruments that recorded my vital statistics such as heartbeat, pressure, etc. Also, a needle was fixed to my hand for drip as well as much needed medication to slow down my heartbeat.

There were so many people attending to me all the time. They took blood samples and did an X-ray on the spot and the results came back as quickly as desired.

Throughout the two hours I was in the treatment room, there were staff members that popped in to check on me and assured me that everything would be all right.

Finally, a senior doctor came in and explained my condition and told me that I would be hospitalised for observation. I was then wheeled to a ward while awaiting a place in the cardiac ward to be available.

Later that afternoon, two doctors came and read the report and took down my medical history and told me that they need more blood for further tests to ensure I did not experience a heart attack.

Blood samples were then taken by a doctor (in general hospitals, at best, a medical assistant would do this task) who explained why the samples of blood were needed.

The point I wish to make here is that at every step of the proceedings, people there took the trouble to explain to you what was going on and they did it in a most polite, assuring and

simple manner that patients can understand.

As a patient, anxious about my well-being, this is what I really appreciate.

I wish to take this opportunity to highlight the efficient manner the staff of University of Malaya Medical Centre conducted their work and to thank them for a successful treatment that finally saw me getting an angioplasty done, all within four days after being admitted to their emergency unit!

This is the type of service we expect from all our hospitals and UMMC is one of the best examples one can have the other hospitals follow.