The Plot Thickens

Urgh has replied! :)

"I'm not avoiding you but rather it hasn't been my practice to allocate time to read your blog frequently, hence the late reply.

I'm indeed a medic who incidentally have talked to people you've worked with, including your seniors, registrars and the like.
If you want to keep a blog and a comment section, then it is the liberty and prerogative of any reader to write in his or her comments and still remain anonymous. Treat me seriously or as a "troll" if you like, but hey, that's the nature of things.

Looking at the comments, not everyone agrees that the AXR is of utmost importance. And you haven't explained how you've come about to say your cousin was "this close to perforation", a statement I think hinges dangerously on sensationalism. Was it based on you talking to the surgeon or the fact that the MO apologised for not having done the AXR earlier?

Finally I doubt I'm the only one around here who uses multisyllabic flowery adjectives. And I'm amazed that you fail to recognise just how arrogant you sound on your blog. You're always right in your interpersonal and professional skills; it's someone else who's giving you a hard time or screwing up. Have you never erred?"

Let me address each issue in turn:

1. I'm glad you've spoken to people I've worked with. Please tell me what they said. Again, bad comments should be backed up by a mention of the name of the department(s) they originated from, reasons, and the identity of the person(s) who uttered them ( or at least the person's rank ). Since I have no idea who you are, I wouldn't put it past you to conjure up adverse assessments or twist someone's words to suit your own purposes. If you do not wish to put these details down on my blog, then by all means ask whoever it is to contact me via email. As long as I can verify your claims.

2. One of the features of my blog is the fact that I use my real identity, something not every blogger is comfortable with. This started out as a hobby, but attracted a lot of attention when I began to cover the SARS epidemic. Many readers came to know about my site via word of mouth, not blatant advertising on my part. And as the owner of this blog, is it too much to ask that those with critical comments at least tell me who they are? Not doing so, to me, constitutes a lack of confidence in your own opinions, or worse, fear of ( in your own words ) "repercussions".

3. Ah, the "arrogance" argument rears its head yet again. Another indication that this is a personal attack. I'm just curious: have I ever met you before? It's obvious from what you've written that we've never been direct colleagues, yet this deep animosity suggests otherwise. I've never said I'm without flaws. But am I going to reveal them on a public website? You wish! On your planet, having strong views on issues important to me and speaking the truth automatically translates into cockiness. This has evidently been frustrating you for a while, because your outburst ( under the pretext of discussing my cousin's case ) illustrates some form of grudge against me.

However, as a medical professional, I do indeed pride myself on caring for my patients and doing my best for them, even when I'm tired, hungry or just plain feeling fed up about my fatigue and hunger. Please find me a doctor in Singapore who has worked with me before and thinks I'm horrible at my job, and I'll eat my words.

It's sad that you choose not to reveal your identity. The "prerogative" to remain anonymous is a gutless way out. And I'll keep saying this until you tell me your name, thank you very much.