Yvonne Leng /
I had gone to a polyclinic in mid-February and requested to do a MRI scan for my chronic backache which gave me agonizing pain and was affecting my sleep and temperament. I was first given a slot in early April to see the orthopaedic doctor. I asked for the earliest slot possible and was told that was the earliest date. I had managed my expectations well, knowing it would take 2-3 months before I can see the doctor. So I waited.
Come March, I was notified that my appointment had been postponed to almost another 2 months later, from early April to end of May instead. I wasn’t given any explanation; just a SMS and a letter that they “regret” to inform me that my appointment had been rescheduled.
I decided to do the scan at a private hospital and got a slot the very next day. Results were out the following day too. This kind of efficiency costs me S$1,000 excluding the treatment sessions averaging about S$100 per half an hour. I too accepted it, because it was a non-subsidised hospital.
6th May 2011, one day before election, I received a sms from CGH that my orthopaedic surgery appointment @ Changi General Hospital (CGH) had been once again delayed – for a second time. This time round delayed another 3 months from the already delayed date – end of August.
More than 6 months to see the doctor, just to do a scan? This is ridiculous, unacceptable and simply insane. I do not actually need to see the doctor anymore, but I am really mad.
I called the hospital and demanded an explanation. I was really really mad. And to my surprise, the operations manager reverted back to me within 3 hours and offered me an appointment slot that was just a few days later.
I was very impressed with her professionalism and efficiency. But somehow this made me even more angry. If I were one of the poor, uneducated, non-complaining Singaporeans or one who does not know which channel to go for help, I would have to accept these delays in seeking medical treatment? Is it because my condition is not life threatening that I have to accept this kind of unprofessionalism and inefficiency? Or are the poor and weak supposed to have higher threshold for pain and their lives are not as worthy as the rich?
I have since written to Ministry of Health and the Straits Times forum page. I have yet to hear from them. I am very sure a lot of people are facing the same problem. And as a fellow Singaporean, (not trying to be label as a typical complaining Singaporean) I think I have to voice out and make attempts to rectify issues like this.
And convey the message that our healthcare system has a lot of room to improve on. I sincerely hope Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Khaw Boon Wan – both of whom espoused the affordability and efficiency of our healthcare system – will be able to read this and make sure what needs to be rectified will be rectified.
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Picture from the History Society.
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@theforgottengeneration :
first off, you clearly have no idea how much or how little government doctors are paid. you also clearly have no idea the hours that they work. I suggest you look into that.
secondly, I will assume that you did not mean to come across the way you did when you wrote “pls don’t just ask people to sympathize with you” because it speaks poorly of you, especially since the post wasn’t asking you to sympathize, but to empathize.
thirdly, government doctors who “have balls” – generally the senior ones, since the junior ones are not paid to have balls – have tried to speak up against the system before. often they have been asked to leave the hospital shortly after doing so. Perhaps you are not aware of this. We have lost some good men because of this – the irony is they then leave for “greener pastures”, often against their will. The downside of going private is becoming a one-trick horse and less satisfaction on the job; although the upside is a pay that increases many-fold, and more satisfaction after hours. This may sound odd to you, but many doctors stay in government service because they enjoy doing what they do – helping people like you.
Yes, I agree with you that the image of gov docs has been badly managed. They were dying for people like you during SARs. I can only surmise that the people in power do not feel a need to protect the image, and want people like you to feel the way you do?
also when you write about doctors pay, you need to remember that doctors often are servicing large study loans that put them through medical school. Starting pay for a houseman here not so long ago was just under two thousand a month; I’m not sure what it is now, but given the medical school fees of over a hundred thousand dollars – does this revise your opinion at all?
anonymous,
Thanks for your insight.
If SARs (or similar) will strike Singapore again, we can be sure that the foreign doctors will leave Singapore, just like recent nuclear leak in Japan. Only doctors of our sons/daugthers of our land, will stay on and fight bravely for Singapore like those did during the last SARs.
I feel sad that our leaders do not understand the differences. They are forever comparing Singaporeans with foreigners based on cheaper, faster and harder. But they have not realised the important of where their hearts belong.
Just like they measure ministers’ performances based on GDP and not how much Singaporeans’s life has improved!
I’m facing the same issues on my back problem 3 years ago it’s really took me months to get a MRI scan and to see a doctor … I’ve given up and went direct to private patient , time is much shorter yet pay high bills… it was so stress and suffer on pain during the waiting time just to get a MRI scan . I had went 3 times on the day surgery guess what ? I can’t use much on my medisave account to offset full bill which i’ll need to top up cash before surgery . I just don’t understand what is the point of asking singaporean to buy a insurance which i can’t even claim for the past few times . But hey I need to see a doctor every month just to get the medi and stop the pain & was suffering depression due to the long team pain , sickness & worry about how much does i need to fork out if i’ll to go for another surgery … Is all about $$$ can’t they share our problem and listen to our voices……..I really don’t understand why we can’t use our medisave which is belong to our hard earn $$$ when we fall sick ,,,,,,,,,
@Tan Take Yong
The last time my niece had to wait for a long time to get her kidneys scanned. I asked the nurse in Changi Hospital whether it is because she is a subsidized patient. I was told private or subsidized patient, there is no difference in waiting time. Looks like they are not telling the truth.
The gahment policy on health care need to rexamine. Recently I had my colonscopy done in Australia as recommended by my GP. It’s free. I understand it cost S$950/in sg. I need to pay 1.5% of my salary annually as contribution to “Medicare”. Those who are unemployed are not required to pay. This papaya gahment critised other gahments that sg have the best health care system in the world and yet unable to provide subsidised health cae to its own citizen.
Since they are the highly paid ministers in the world, they should have better ideas to provide a better health care to its own citizens -it is a challenge for them to do it.
This is another issue of contention; Healthcare that are expensive, or cheap healthcare that puts you on waiting list till you could likely expire.
It is not a very difficult problem I feel,
but I do believe if the Party that Rules will just simply lower their own pay checks, & put it to sectors in need of better pay, problems can be better alleviated, if not solved.
Right now, this matter of LONG WAITING TIME at Polyclinics is a Chronic one. Not Acute. And our government remains Chronic.
Dear Yvonne,
I suggest you look at alternative healing – acupuncture. I suffer similar problems as you, diagnosed with cervical spondylosis through x-ray and after check-up, I actually have scoliosis.
By the way, I had a great experience at Khoo Teck Puat hospital. Before my appointment though, my pain was so severe in my neck and shoulder regions that I felt as though I’ll die from the pain. Luckily, a friend recommended me to an acupuncture centre in MacPherson, and WOAH, after the first treatment, I felt ALIVE!!
Thank u for your suggestions on the alternative treatments. Trust me i hav seek every possible treatment – chiro, acupunture, physio and even some others high tec like radiowave frequency and all. I had spent thousands on treatment and a thousand juz to do a scan when i thot any gvt hosp can just do that for me. And i completely relate when u mentioned – dying from the pain. When i wrote this post, i was thinking how painful i felt at one point and how miserable it would be if the old and poor is deny treatment, or god noes when to be treated. I juz hope to take this chance to voice out my own experience which juz fortunately and unfortunately coincide with our
GE. With that, i hope many will realise how we can improve on our “first class affordable healthcare”.
I have a simple statement:
Mr Khaw Boon Wan and his ilk need to give us an explanation.
A question for KBW:
What efficiency and/or affordability were you espousing?