GST

The topic on everybody's mind at the hospital lately had been GST. Or Goods and Services Tax. Akin to the VAT in the UK. Will we as Doctors be affected by this new ruling?

The management got the Consultants from Ernest and Young in to brief is on the impact it would have on us. It appeared that we would be exempted. It may sound good initially but that carried some major draw back. It seemed that we would not be able to charge our customers GST for services but we were subjected to GST for rentals and equipment. Not exactly fair wasn't it.

The ruling had yet to be tested, and there would be uncertainty at the beginning. Some teething problems. Praying that in the end things would work out for the better.

Talk Done

So far I had only been in the room, apart from breakfast this morning. Been busy finishing off the slides and also catching up on some sleep.

Now that my session was done, I plan to have a visit into town right after lunch. Check out would be at 2 pm for me. Flight home 5.45 pm.

Anita had alerted me on what to get but I doubt if I could make it. Let's see ...

Sunday Talk

I liked to have Sunday afternoons for myself. Either taking my boys out to the park, taking my camera for a spin or just chilling, I prefer to keep it low key.

But sometimes, I had to go out and join the reset of the world. Such occasion was yesterday afternoon.

I will make it a point in the future to politely turn down any invitations for pharmaceutical talks on a Sunday afternoon or evening. Yes, they do provide lunch, and the topic may be interesting and all, but best to leave Sunday alone.

As it happened yesterday, looking around, not many of my senior colleagues were around for the talk. I myself didn't stay for dinner and I promised to take the boys out. I spent the earlier afternoon taking the E-M1 for a quick spin at the Bird Park.

Shame that the topic was quite good ...

Saturday Afternoon Meeting

Saturday afternoon and as usual, there would be some medical meeting or forums taking place in town. This weekend it was on an oral anticoagulation, a favourite topic of mine.

So, off I went to the swanky new hotel in town - Grand Hyatt. Since I only joined for the afternoon session, I was worried that the traffic would've been bad on a Saturday afternoon. I decided to park at KLCC instead and took the underground tunnel towards Aquaria. From there, Hyatt was only five minutes away.

It was a big place. And the lobby was unique. It was basically one huge empty space. The ballroom and a couple of restaurants were located down there, but the rest of the lobby was located on one od the upper floors. You just take a lift up there. And that was where the checking-in and the business end happens. The lobby at the ground floor was left bare and sparse. Which was a welcomes change.

The AV system was amazing from what I saw. Seating area for the conference was also very comfortable and the cocktail area just outside the ballroom was big and accommodating. Something you would expect from a high end business hotel.

The talk itself was not bad. Very well oraganised and very well-ran. But it ended quite late though. Almost 6pm. But that didn't stop me from joining the boys across town at Setapak for dinner straight after.

Saturday Blues

I just had a look at the lab blood taking area and the queue was scary. It looked like I won't be able to start the clinic any time soon.

So, for the past hour, I had been camping at the lounge, watching the same news on the TV. Rather hungry but too early for lunch. So. Nothing but waiting fir the results for the time being.

I have a lunch and afternoon meeting to attend to in town but was really not in the mood. Might go to the meeting aftergetting changed at home, and would be bringing my camera along. The meeting would be near KLCC, so I might go snapping pictures after that .......