Here’s some (not so sensational) facts 🙂:

1. People can’t just call up any dr & say “I’m an NHI user, please see me.”

That is not how it will work. Drs have a choice to opt in to be NHI providers.. and those who do opt in, will provide the service to those who want to use that option for health care.

- E.g. I can opt in to be a provider in the suburb where I work currently.

- There’s also a limit to the number of patients I can see / have on my book as “patients I’m responsible for” in the demarcated area
>>> see how this will lead to availability of spaces per day/ week/ month? It’s not the “fault” of the provider to be booked out, it’s the system. Ask the brits & how that’s working for them (wait times of 6months or more to see a GP - even to treat basic things that you can’t foresee in advance…)

If say I’m allocated 5000 patients in a 20km radius of my practice, those patients need to register on the NHI system or physically at my practice and select me as their provider - so I can’t see people who are not “my” patients. Medical aids already do this… patients are encouraged to select primary GP drs and see them primarily or they don’t get full benefits. 2. No dr who doesn’t opt in to be an NHI provider has an obligation to see people who don’t want to pay upfront for services.. unless it’s a real “save the life” emergency where then any dr at any facility is obligated to stabilise the patient before referral to appropriate facility.

This already happens anyway with private hospitals when yhe patient doesn’t have medical aid. If the patient is dying they won’t turn away.. they’ll stabilise & refer to state hospita (they aren’t obligated to admit and treat).

So.. it will take a while for everyone to wrap their heads around the NHI thing… but let’s not have an attitude of Drs are against it / will frustrate users deliberately.

I just spoke to my daughter’s music teacher & I don’t know whether to laugh or cry:

My daughter spent grade 1-5 being told by her teachers then that she has an “auditory processing disorder” that’s affecting her ability to sustain attention & learn.. ..becoz “it made her zone out” when she couldn’t follow teachings in class..

The school recommended she takes “mind altering meds” - methylphenidate, to help her concentrate / avoid zoning out..

We saw 2 developmental psychologists & 2child psychiatrists on & off in those 5yrs

Doing this space yesterday reminded me of my own Hypertension diagnosis & how it affected my life:

Firstly, I was shocked when my dr told me I have a high blood pressure. My BP had always been on average 110/70 for MANY years. I did annual checks regularly “for points”..

https://twitter.com/dr_lovelee/status/1493188872322404352

But when I started my practice I “got busy” & slacked a little (a lot)..

2 yrs went by. Life happened. I went through patches of STRESS - work & personal life.

Then I went for a full medical because I was going to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. Then BOOM - BP is around 150/110..

Today I’m grateful for people I met here who’ve changed my life for better:

People who just send me positive vibes without saying a thing..

Those who push me to be a better person by pulling me aside to show me a different perspective when I’m blinded by my single story filters People who remind me who I am & what I’m capable of when I’m feeling downtrodden…

People who drag me out of my comfort zone & safety of routine to expose me to different life enriching experiences & nice things nje..

Those who see me & appreciate my efforts to heal humanity..

I’m not taking questions from people who haven’t vaccinated via DM anymore.

If you have vaccinated & have symptoms you’re welcome to DM.

Here’s the top 10 frequently asked questions I’ve picked up from >250 DMs yesterday..

Please refer to this thread for answers:

https://twitter.com/dr_lovelee/status/1416635986117898244

Q1: What side effects can be expected?

A:
1. Some people get side effects, some don’t.

2. Not getting side effects doesn’t mean the vaccine isn’t working.

3. Those who get post-vaccine symptoms, it’s unpredictable which ones & to what extent (how mild/ severe).

#DrLoveleeOnLife
On marriage:
I grew up in a home with 2 parents, so my expectations of what a marriage & a family should be were rooted in what I saw growing up.

Add to that, influences from Danielle Steele/ Mills & Boon Novels, Bo&Bilie, Brooke &Ridge on TV, True Love mag etc With time, growth & experience I was forced to relook at my expectations (actually fantasies to be honest) regarding marriage (romantic relationships in general).

A lot of unlearning was done, usually brought on by pain from trying to force another person to be who they aren’t.

I was talking to my friend who is a GP yesterday, she was just venting a little about how frustrated she is that people are choosing to miss all the messages from healthcare workers & gov

There’s a lot of information online & even HERE about this virus &how to behave but noooo.. It is impossible to test everyone, also it’s not necessary because most people will NOT require any form of medical treatment besides what they normally do when they have a cold or flu-like symptoms:

Stay home & rest & avoid infecting other people

That kids with “formula on the floor” tweet reminded of something.

I find it strange that some kids are given copious amounts of formula (or even milk) after age 1.. Like up to 6 bottles a day.

250-300ml of milk, even full cream cows milk(if no health issues with it) is enough. An average big bottle size is 250ml. Anything >2 of those is excessive. Imagine giving 4-6.. that 1L to 1,5L of milk for someone who weighs about 10-13kg.

Also, kids over 1yr should NOT be using a bottle with a teat. Start encouraging sippy cups early (+/- 9mo) & open cup by 1yr

Putting people up on high pedestals is a problem. This is often done becoz of one sided perceptions of individuals, without regard to the fact that humans are inherently flawed.

We form unrealistic expectations from those we “idolize”, thus setting the stage for disappointment. Nobody is perfect, and the parts about that person that you never thought existed will eventually show.

And when it does, people wanna cry “How could s/he do that (to me)?”. The problem is not the person per say... but your perception of them.