Class 10 English Solution New Course | Unit 3 A Letter from a Patient- I

Unit 3

Reading I

A Letter from a Patient

A. Match the words with their meanings.

a. nightmare - iii. a very unpleasant or frightening experience

b. pediatric - iv. Relating to the medical care of children

c. intravenous - v. into or connected to a vein

d. priority - ii. a thing that is regarded as more important

e. medications - i. treatment

f. confidante - someone to whom secrets or private matters are confided, often a close friend or advisor

B. Write True for true and False for false statements.

a. The sender of the letter was happy with the service of the health workers. False

b. The staff of different departments in the hospital had harmonious relationships with each other. False

c. The hospital staff were concerned with the requirements of the sick child. False

d. The staff of the hospital shared their personal feelings with the writer. False

e. The chart was unclear about the patient's gender. True

f. The author took the mistakes of the health workers normally. False

g. The writer seems to be more sincere in her duty than the hospital staff. True

C. Answer the following questions.

a. What was the nightmare for the author?

The nightmare for the author was her nine-week old baby developing an extremely high fever and needing to be hospitalized.

b. What do you think the main purpose of this letter is?

The main purpose of this letter is to express the author's frustration and disappointment with the hospital staff's lack of empathy and professionalism.

c. According to the author, what was the main weakness of the hospital staff?

According to the author, the main weakness of the hospital staff was their lack of empathy towards patients and their families.

d. Did the nurses really say 'your daughter is not a priority'? Why did the author think so?

No, the nurses did not actually say "your daughter is not a priority." The author interpreted their statement of "I am so busy today" as an implication that her daughter's care was not a priority. The author felt this way because she believed that the nurses were using their busyness as an excuse for not providing timely care for her daughter.

e. What do the patients and their families expect from the health workers?

The patients and their families expect the health workers to prioritize their care and work towards restoring their health.

f. List the questions that the author was asked frequently in the hospital?

The author was frequently asked the following questions in the hospital:

i. Was her daughter premature?

ii. Was your delivery normal?

g. Why did the health workers make gender error about the author's daughter?

The health workers made a gender error about the author's daughter because her daughter spent her time in hospital wearing only a diaper.

h. According to the author, how do people perceive the career of health workers?

According to the author, people perceive the career of health workers as a noble and respected profession, but their behavior towards patients and their families can greatly impact their perception.

D. If you become a health worker in the future, what would be your priority? How would you treat your patients and their families?

If I became a health worker, the following would be my priority:

i. Providing compassionate care to patients and their families, making sure they feel heard, respected, and valued

ii. Communicating clearly and effectively with patients and their families, avoiding medical jargon and explaining diagnoses and treatments in understandable language

iii. Paying close attention to detail, including accurately recording information and avoiding mistakes such as misgendering patients

iv. Collaborating and maintaining good relationships with colleagues from different departments, working together to provide the best possible care for patients

v. Constantly striving to improve and learn, keeping up-to-date with the latest medical research and techniques, and being open to feedback and suggestions

Grammar I

Reported Speech

B. Change the following sentences into indirect speech. The beginning of each sentence is given.

a. "Please, help me fix this machine."

She requested me to help her fix the machine.

b. "Please, don't switch on the fan?"

The electrician requested me not to switch on the fan.

c. "Help me with my homework, please."

My friend requested me to help his homework.

d. "Lend me some money, please,"

She requested to lend her some money.

e. "Do your homework!"

The teacher told me to do my homework.

f. "Don't smoke!" The doctor advised him not to smoke.

g. "Don't make a mess!"

My mother told me not to make a mess.

Writing I

The letter in Reading I talks about different weaknesses of the health care workers in a hospital. Imagine you are one of the staff of the hospital. Now, write an email to the patient's mother apologising for your behaviour. Assure her that there will be improvement in the services your hospital provides.

From: abc@gmail.com

To: xyz@gmail.com

Subject: Apology for your unpleasant experience during your hospital stay

Dear Sarah,

I am writing this email to apologize for the experience that you and your daughter had during your stay at our hospital. We are deeply sorry for the shortcomings in the services we provided during your time here.

We understand that as health care workers, our primary responsibility is to provide the best possible care to our patients. However, we fell short of your expectations and for that, we are truly sorry.

We acknowledge the fact that we made mistakes and we take full responsibility for them. Please rest assured that we are taking immediate steps to rectify our shortcomings and to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.

As a member of the hospital staff, I can assure you that we are committed to providing the highest level of care to our patients. We understand the trust that you have placed in us and we are determined to live up to your expectations.

Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort that you and your daughter experienced during your stay at our hospital. We hope that you will give us another opportunity to serve you and demonstrate our commitment to excellence in health care.

Sincerely,

Sita Gurung