Wednesday 16 July 2014

We can form a single united body, while supporting each speciality or branch under it

By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy's must be divided.

We can form a single united body, while the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole, which means that we shall be many to the enemy's few.

And if we are able thus to attack an inferior force with a superior one, our opponents will be in dire straits.

The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few.

For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.

Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks; numerical strength, from compelling our adversary to make these preparations against us.

Knowing the place and the time of the coming battle, we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order to fight.

But if neither time nor place be known, then the left wing will be impotent to succor the right, the right equally impotent to succor the left, the van unable to relieve the rear, or the rear to support the van. How much more so if the furthest portions of the army are anything under a hundred LI apart, and even the nearest are separated by several LI!



From "Sun Tzu on the Art of War - The Oldest Military Treatise in the World"
Translated from the Chinese By Lionel Giles, M.A. (1910)

Discussion:

Now Sun Tzu's principle can be applied to the resource management in healthcare and importance of the clinic appointment management.

Translation:

By discovering the population's disease statistics and maintaining our care facilities impartial, we can keep our workforces concentrated, while the provisions of care is diversified.

We can form a single united body, while supporting each speciality or branch under it. Hence there will be a holistic healthcare system against separate cases of a whole disease spectrums, which means that we shall have more capacities shared for the few specialised cases.

And if we are able thus to treat a minor case with a superior facility, the chances of having adverse events will be minimised.

The spot where we intend to treat must not be made inflexible; for then the people with health conditions will be able to expect a possible encounter at several different points; and healthcare demands being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few.

For should the healthcare demand strengthen in the business districts, it will weaken in the residential areas; should it strengthen in the residential areas, it will weaken the business district; should it strengthen in the suburbs, it will weaken in the city centres; should it strengthen in the city centres, it will weaken in the suburbs. If it disperses to everywhere, it will everywhere be weak.

Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible health demands; numerical strength, from encouraging our health consumers to make prior appointments with us.

Knowing the place and the time of the coming encounters, we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order to treat.

But if neither time nor place be known, then the staff in the left wing of the hospital will be impotent to succour the right, the staff in the right equally impotent to succour the left, the acute facility unable to relieve the chronic, or the chronic facility to support the acute. How much more so if the furthest portions of the staff are anything under a hundred miles apart, and even the nearest are separated by several miles!

Ray Murakami

Friday 11 July 2014

You may retrieve and be safe from adverse effects if your weaning procedures are more swift

You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy's weak points; you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy.

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.

If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.



From "Sun Tzu on the Art of War - The Oldest Military Treatise in the World"
Translated from the Chinese By Lionel Giles, M.A. (1910)

Discussion:

Again, Sun Tzu's principle is shown to be in line with low-invasive treatments and preventive healthcare.

Translation:

Treatments may be advanced and absolutely harmless, if you make for the disease's weak points; you may retrieve and be safe from adverse effects if your weaning procedures are more swift than the raising risks of complications.

If we wish to treat, the pathogen can be forced to an interaction even though it be sheltered behind a thick structure and a deep cavity. All we need do is attack some other parts that it will be obliged to react.

If we do not wish to treat, we can prevent the disease from affecting us even though the lines of our immunity be merely traced out on the defence mechanisms. All we need do is to prescribe something disturbs and blocks its mechanism of pathogenesis.

Ray Murakami