Sunday, June 28, 2015

Two month's wait to be treated as a subsidized patient

I went to Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic to do an X ray on the growth in my foot and to receive the appropriate treatment. They found that it was an early stage of tophus, which was caused by gout. They referred me to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

KTP Hospital finally contacted me with an appointment. There was a gap of two months. It seemed rather long.

I have the option to be a private patient and be treated immediately. Money talks in Singapore. But, I prefer to wait and see what happens.

I suspect that they purposely lengthen the queue for subsidized patients so that more people would opt to pay and jump queue. I wonder if anyone in the Ministry of Health is looking at how the resources are being allocated between the private and subsidized patients?

Perhaps the Ministry also have a conflict of interest? They prefer more people to be private patients so that the government subsidy is reduced, and they score better in their KPI and get better bonuses?


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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 28, 2015 8:19 PM

    This has been a tactic that they have used for decades. I encountered so many such incidents till I give up treatment. 2 months is short. I once encountered a 6 month wait to have a nuclear heart scan & just before the date of scan they called me up to postpone another 3 months as the nuclear isotope is not available. I suspect they use it for a rich private walkin patient.

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  2. MohamedJune 29, 2015 2:21 AM

    Several months back, I was in the doctor's room in the kids clinic in a public hospital. A admin staff walked in and told the doctor that a parent has brought her child to see him without an appointment and asked if the doctor was willing to see the patient. The doctor said okay. Then the staff whispered to the doctor, "It's a subsidized patient, not a private patient, you still want to see?"

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  3. yujuanJune 29, 2015 11:11 AM

    This is no longer an open secret anymore. Even my 7 year old nephew knows it.

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  4. AnonymousJune 30, 2015 1:45 PM

    Not long after ktph opening, I had a 2 months time appointment for a scan. As i did not want to wait, I request to upgrade. I immediately given an early appointment - 2 weeks time. I compare the total cost of ktph with Banrugrade Hospital (Bangkok). I received immediate medical treatment in Bangkok instead. Why wait?

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