First Pregnancy Checkup at Klinik Kesihatan Kajang

I’m now 8 weeks plus into my 2nd pregnancy, and it is still considered really early for a visit to the gynae. Since we would like to deliver in a government hospital again, we have to do our check up at a nearby klinik kesihatan, a basic clinic run by the government. I need to get the ‘pink card’ only available at government clinics so that I won’t be ‘scolded’ again like my first delivery at Hospital Putrajaya when I walked in without any record or card but just a letter from my gynae. My sis-in-law who is a doctor at a government hospital enlightened me that that is how the government hospital does things, they will give priority to their own patients, meaning patients who do checkups at their hospitals, and treat outsiders who walk in quite badly, as what I experienced. So this time, being a heck lot smarter, I decided to book myself at the clinic early. The government clinic is actually very good and comprehensive, all you need is LOTS of patience and time and 0 money, coz it’s free. Here’s how the procedure goes for those that are wondering how to go about.

1) Firstly to make sure, give your nearby clinic a call. Get the phone number from this file.(only for Selangor) I called them early in the morning just to ask which day and time they accept new mother’s registration. This is because every clinic have their own style, some only accept registrations on certain days and certain hours of the day. Thankfully, for KK Kajang, registrations can be done on any day, but you have to be early. If you want to go in the morning, don’t go in at 10am, go in by 8am. That is because the process from filling in the forms to finally getting your vits can take anywhere from 2-4 hours. So if you’re in at 10am and the clinic closes for lunch break at 12pm, you may get stuck halfway in the process. I chose to go in the afternoon, when it opens at 2pm. But I have to be there by 1.45pm latest to get the number. At KK Kajang, the number and info booth is now outside at the entrance, so it is easy now not to be missed.

2) After getting the number, proceed to the registration counter. At KK Kajang, it is at a very hidden corridor so ask around. You have to loiter around that area so the nurse will know you want to register and hand you the pink card. Do prepare your own pen and start filling up asap, as there is SO MUCH to fill up. All the forms and cards are very repetitious so I have to fill in my name, IC, husband’s name etc like 4 times. After filling the card, which took me nearly 20 minutes, quickly hand the card back to the counter and they will start calling your name for some Q & A session. I notice some people took VERY LONG for this session I don’t know why. The session includes asking you when is your last first day of period, how long it lasted, whether your family have any diseases such as diabetes, high blood etc, and also you have to sign a consent form to get your blood tested for HIV amongst other things. Your EDD will also be given on the spot. The head nurse that did my registration calculated my EDD in her mind within seconds, and it will be on 10 March 2012.

2) After this, I was asked to get my blood tested at the other hidden corridor. Quite a lot of blood was withdrawn, I thought it was gonna be just a prick. The HIV result was shown on the spot, and the rest of the blood was given back to me to bring it to the lab at Counter 3. The good thing about the government clinic is that everything is there, you get your lab tests done immediately with the results.

3) So at Counter 3, which is the lab window, I leave my card and they gave me a cup to pee in. I proceed to the Tandas Specimen (Specimen toilet) where there is a small window to leave the specimen after without having to walk over the clinic with it. Within seconds, the lab test result is given back to me, and now I have to bring it back to Counter 4, which is the Ibu & Anak counter (Mother & Child).

4) For those that have registered and passed through the first time, next time they just need to go straight to counter 4. So by this time at Counter 4 where I left my pink book, it was already like 3.40pm. I then waited again for the nurse to call while watching some weird shows on the TV. I thought since the wait is long I can spend some time reading but it was quite impossible coz I have to pay attention to the numbers being called and nurses calling by name. So finally at Counter 4, I was asked to take my weight. Already I weigh in at 70.7 KG! Then my pressure was taken and a few questions asked before I was asked to put my book into the basket at Door 14. All the doors have a small basket hung there for us to put our books in. The nurses will then come out to take the books inside and our numbers will be called.

5) So I waited and then my number was up so I entered for a short consultation with the nurse. Because I made what they call ‘Early Booking’, a consultation with the doctor was not necessary. The nurse just asked me a few questions like my wellbeing etc and checked my abdomen a little on the bed. That was it. She then prescribed the multivits, Obimin. However I’m still taking Nutrilite Daily and the nurse said just to take whatever I have until finish before switching. Apparently Obimin is a little expensive and only recently government clinics start prescribing it, they used to just give folic acid for this stage of pregnancy.

6) After this consultation, I return one of the pink book to be kept by the clinic to counter 4. A next appointment date is also given during the consultation. The other pink book is for my safekeeping, and then I proceeded to the Pharmacy counter to get my vits. There I have to take another number and staple it together with my prescription and leave it in the basket. It took another half and hour before I was given the vits. Oh, there’s also a Dental department in this clinic and I was asked to go get my dental checkup as well. That is one thing my previous gynae never asked me to do.

So the whole process took a total of 2 hours and a half. LONG BUT FREE. It’s only once a month so it is not a huge deal. I’m pretty grateful that such a healthcare service is provided to anyone in Malaysia. All the nurses I met there were also super friendly. Only thing is they do not do Ultrasound scan unless you have a complicated problem. No wonder most people who go here do not know whether they will have a girl or boy. Well, we plan not to get surprised so we’ll probably visit the private clinic just to get a scan a few times during these 9 months.