Tan Kin Lian's Blog: The elderly needs to use taxis

Friday, January 13, 2012

The elderly needs to use taxis

An elderly man called me. He said that elderly people need to use taxis to go to hospital. When he visited the hospital, he found that many elderly people from poor families took taxis to attend medical appointments at the hospital. They were too old or sick to use bus or train, or it might have been too far for them to walk. The increase in taxi fares and surcharges have hit the pockets of these elderly people significantly. This was a point that was overlooked by younger people.

9 comments:

Xianlong said...: It will be even worse in the coming years with the silver tsunami.

Many folks of these silver tsunami have been slowly bed dry of their $$ by the relentless cost of living by the current govt.

A temp bus interchange can be built within a matter of weeks at Jurong east but they need 10 years to build 10 hawker centers. What about more polyclinics for the silver tsunami? Perhaps no need since intention is send them to die in johor...

What kind of morale for soldiers when they see old folks treated like them & in time to come discarded in similar fashion?; January 13, 2012 8:49 AM
Anonymous said...: Heartless as it sounds, these elderly folks got the government they deserved because of the way they voted.

They'll need to organize themselves into the silver haired voting brigade to champion their cause.; January 13, 2012 10:30 AM
Anonymous said...: Govt is too busy fighting to retain their $715,000 + $190,000 annual salary to be bothered with the old folks cannot afford taxi to visit hospital because they have difficulties using public transport. After cutting their Salary, do you think they wake up and take interest in these issues? Old folks do not fit into the NTUC model of "Faster, Cheaper and Better" Govt has left this problem to volunteers while chasing after GDP growth i.e. With GDP growth, there will be more and good jobs for Singaporeans. But with 1/3 of the population being foreigners, what jobs are they taking about? Again, lots of politically correct statement but totally useless as we are still out of job as the older you get, the harder to find a job regardless of qualification.; January 13, 2012 4:38 PM
Unknown said...: In Vancouver, seniors or sick people have special transportation called Handy bus,to bring them to and back from hospitals or places of their choice like community centers from their residence. The cost is S$3 one way. Alternatively, the seniors could take taxi to the hospitals and charged to the government. With taxis, the seniors must be hospital patients going for regular treatments or checkups.
But with all these facilities, Canada still rank way behind Singapore in healthcare. Singaporeans are so lucky.; January 13, 2012 6:16 PM
Anonymous said...: The difference between Canadian politicians and Singapore politicians (from a certain political party) is values and the political will to make it happen.

Singapore is densely populated (5.2 million) i.e. economies of scale.
And the country is small (582 sq km). 45 minutes to drive from one end of the country to the other.

Vancouver island is huge (32,130 sq km).
And sparsely populated (656,000 people)

No reason why Singapore cannot do better.

"But Canada has oil" says our money-faced politicians.
Let's face it.
Even if we suddenly discover a huge oil field in Kusu Island.
Do you think the Singapore elderly will be as well looked after as in Vancouver?
The oil money will be channeled towards more investments in foreign bank shares.

Bottom-line
------------
Next time you vote, ask yourself whether the political party you support has the right values to want to look after you in your old age.; January 13, 2012 10:03 PM
michael13 said...: Would appreciate that if WingLeeCheong could elaborate more in details on issue of healthcare in Canada on the following:

"Singaporeans are so lucky as compared with Canadians in terms of healthcare?"

I believe that many of us, the Singaporeans wish to be much enlightened on this interesting subject.

Thanking you in advance.; January 14, 2012 9:50 AM
Anonymous said...: The young, high-flyers (& Scholars) are not interested in the older people. (Or may be they also "Bo Bian".
They thought they would never get old. They are likely to be regreted.
Even if u are "SO So So...... good""???. Even if u hv a PHD from a famous U, u may become jobless or could only become a taxi driver when they are old.
This is the fact of life in spore.
They may reap what they sow.; January 14, 2012 11:33 AM
yujuan said...: WingLeecheong is so endearingly contradictory.
On one hand he said, "Canada still rank way behind Singapore in healthcare. Singaporeans are so lucky." On the other hand he said, "PAP is gambling away people's healthcare and welfare money in poor investments."
How lucky can I get when I get to see my specialist doctor in a restructured hospital for the whole of only 10 to 15 seconds, and he then quickly does a disappearing act into the adjoining room through the connecting door, leaving me to talk to his Assistant newbie Doctor, who is always someone new and one who still has to take instructions from his Superior.
Only have time to say to my Specialist doctor whether my condition has improved or deteriorated, that's all. Finally still have to pay a non-subsidized rate of $90 plus GST for that 15 second consultation. And mind you, this appointment has been postphoned from one a month earlier.
He's absolutely spot on to say we citizens are made to pay for the roulette gambling disasters on overseas investments by our 2 SWFs,in the form of stingy healthcare and welfare that we receive. Here is a bouquet to this ex Singaporean.; January 14, 2012 5:29 PM
Weng Mao Fa said...: Hi WingLeeCheong,

I am old enough to tell you a case:

Late-December, my monther's hand swalloned and visit a neighbourhod Polyclinic. X-ray was taken and refered to KTPH 2 days later. KTPH Orthopedic Specialist (India national) told me: "I don't know with the X-ray result". The India national specialist request for a MRI scan. The appointment date is 4 weeks later. No pain killer is prescribed.
We paid $25 consultant fee just to see the face of specialist. Upon receipt of the bill, it IS stated a "SENIOR CONSULTANT" !!!

My 80+yo mother was suffering. After KTPH, I brig her to the Emergency of NUH. Having taken X-ray again, a young local doctor tell us it is gout attack. Her pain gone the next day. She was given follow-up appointyment with NUH Medicine Specilist. She is well now.; January 22, 2012 6:57 PM