Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Healthcare in Singapore

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Healthcare in Singapore

Here is the view from Lucky Tan.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...: Shhhhh!
Don't alert the powers that be that this is a quietly ticking time bomb that will cost them many votes in the years to come as the population ages.; May 04, 2010 10:50 AM
Anonymous said...: This is one area that I dislike about this Govt, We have the stingest nanny Govt in the world, where we have to pay thru our nose for medical care, while they could afford the best medical care on their bloated salaries, paid by taxpayers.
In fact they are not the nanny at all, they look after themselves, not the citizens.
What's there to be shhhh about, people just need to be reminded about medical costs, election or no election, better still around election time.; May 04, 2010 11:29 AM
Anonymous said...: Recently, I brought my father to one of the A&E at one of the government hospital. After registration, we were directed to the payment counter to make payment for the consultation charges. After payment was made, we were then directed to next counter to wafit for consultation.

Instead of ensuring that the patients are attended to by the medical staff at the shortest time, you have to make payment first. It just makes you wonder that they are more interested in money collection then giving treatment. Uniquely Singapore indeed!

Merlion; May 04, 2010 11:40 AM
Anonymous said...: To Anon 10:50am,

PAPpies already know. That's why they are replacing demographics with younger PRs and new citizens.

They are also encouraging people to seek treatment in cheaper countries. Minister of health even let out a freudian slip that old folks should live out their lives in JB.

Over the next 10-20 years, if PAP still holds 2/3 majority, we will receive greater solidity of the bigger vision:
1) Actual and overt push by govt to get older and poorer folks to retire & die in M'sia, Batam and Thailand. No more "paiseh" stories from ministers. It will be in-your-face propaganda in TV, newspapers, online. Less & less financial help will be given to these struggling families, and they will be publicly humiliated and made to feel like parasites, just like the homeless couple in parliament speech.

2) The legalising of euthanasia. Initially the criteria will be very strict. But over 10 yrs after euthanasia is first legalised, the criteria will be more & more lax. Perhaps even running out of money after 80 yrs old will be a legal criteria for termination.

Impossible to imagine? Don't forget all the big pervasive media will be going all-out to trumpet the merits and the pure logic of such schemes, and everyone will make those who don't support as traitors and destroyers of the next generation. So easy --- PAPpy will say: What do you want? Maintain GST and income tax? Or you want to have 25% GST and 40% income tax?

I bet many people will just accept. They will think: Old folks gone case liao. Better to worry about myself and my children. You die better than I die.; May 04, 2010 2:17 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Merlion,

Regarding payment in A&E in govt restructured hospitals, yes this is the normal procedure as deemed by money-faced bureaucrats/specialists and money-counting PAPpies.

To get attention and treatment by medical staff first, you need to wayang and put on acting skills, e.g. screaming in pain, rolling on floor, faint on floor etc. Then a staff nurse will do triaging i.e. sifting out serious/moderate/not serious cases. But most importantly you must complain of PAIN and show you are in pain to get their attention.

Of course if not *that* serious and not so uncomfortable, then probably good not to wayang. Let those really serious cases go first.

Serious cases most often needs to be warded. But you'll be surprised how many serious cases are made to wait in A&E for 3-4 hours, or lie in stretchers along corridors becoz no available ward beds.; May 04, 2010 2:28 PM
Anonymous said...: rex comments as follows,

from the administrative point of view, if a patient has to pay the consultation fee, does it matter if he pays first or after he sees the doctor?
in fact, at the point in time when the patient registers, since he is already in the front queue it seems more efficeint for the hospital to collect the consultation fee in one go with the registration. This logic however assumes that it is not a super emergency case (it cannot be 100 patients all super emergency case since there are no 100 doctors).

The other way, is to register the patient, make him wait an hour or more, after seeing the doctor, queue up a second time to make payment. I think it is more efficient to pay first within the window of the waiting period for the doctor, yes?

rex; May 04, 2010 3:04 PM
Anonymous said...: Singapore medical cost is very high. Send my son to see a specilist as his fever did not go away after 6 days. Cost $510, mor than my son NS pay for a month!; May 04, 2010 3:07 PM
Anonymous said...: My experience of having teeth problem. i had a bad teeth and toothache. i had to wait for 1 month to see the dentist. Learn that I need to go and see a specialist to do root canal treatment. I pay the first dental visit plus cleaning of the teeth about $60++,
check out on root canal , $800++
decided can't afford it.
so i had to wait for 1 more month to go back to the dentist to take out the teeth, another $60++

two month of toothache, taking leave to visit the dentist, and $130...all the suffer for a bad teeth.

imagine if i am someone who don't take care of my teeth and have more tooth problem. i am sure more of my teeth will require treatment as i grow older. i am not sure if i can afford the fee.

And just the teeth health here.; May 04, 2010 5:06 PM
Anonymous said...: Reply to 5.06m. You better take care of your teeth.Keep extracting them that seem cheaper is also not a solution cause when you are tootheless, do you know the cost of denture? It is around 1k for a set!; May 04, 2010 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...: i brush my teeth two times everyday, before work and before sleep. And I rinse my teeth.

i may have more teeth problem as i get older maybe due to lack of calcium or maybe other reason. this time my teeth decay from the inside, the outer shell is completly nice when i look at from the mirror.

meanwhile i taking calcium tablet , maybe i will do root canal when i have less teeth left. two years ago i go to a private dental and the bill was $280. there may be cheaper private dental around.; May 04, 2010 6:56 PM
Anonymous said...: 1k if you go to the National Dental centre. Private is 2 to 3k per set!; May 04, 2010 7:19 PM
Vested interest Dentist said...: Dental implants costs more.. top of the range.. but lasts much longer till you die.. with dentures, your gums will recede and the dentures will not sit properly.. no more bak kut teh for you... curse & swear.

Dental Implants.. solid as a rock.. and never will rot.

Can even do them now.. pull out the lot.; May 04, 2010 8:38 PM
Anonymous said...: You are at risk of more expensive treatments and PAIN if you do not provide enough attention for your teeth. There is no cheaper alternative in Spore. Also be careful to find a reliable private dentist who really cares while charging you hard earned cash.

I was a regular of National Dental Centre, paying as private patient. Cost was on par with high end private clinic unless you manage to get polyclinic referral. It's a different package anyway. Not apple to apple.

My personal experience: go for the best possible dental health care because you will still pay the same or more later unless you are willing to go toothless. There is no comprehensive insurance for dental care, a sign of potential high cost and no one will be able to avoid the consequences (except the very lucky ones).

Loh; May 04, 2010 10:09 PM
Anonymous said...: well, you have to choose something within your budget, if you are earning only $1200 every month, deduct CPF , it less than $1000, and you have to pay for family expenses, may not be able to afford private dental care or some expensive treatment , expecially those with patent involved for the product.; May 05, 2010 6:31 AM
Anonymous said...: Reply to 6.56pm
Be careful not to over consume the calcium tablets as it may lead to kidney stones. Nutrients are best absorbed through proper balanced diet and exercise.

So take care before one problem lead to the next.; May 05, 2010 6:34 AM