HEALTH SERVICE
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 29
HEALTH SERVICE
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HEALTH SITUATION IS IN SINGAPORE, CAN ANY ONE OFFER A A BRIEF ACCURATE SUMMARY?
#2
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: HEALTH SERVICE
Healthcare is excellent in Singapore (world class)....many people fly in from Indonesia and Vietnam to deliver babies in Singapore, cancer treatment, heart operations etc. etc. Many of the doctors have trained in the UK, Australia, US and they all speak English (some better than others!).
There are private hospitals (inc. for A&E) eg. Gleneagles, Mount Elizabeth and public hospitals where costs tend to be cheaper but the quality of care is just as good eg. National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital. If you want cheaper prices, check out Thailand.
Doctors to tend to be happy to prescibe lots of pills though! I saw a doctor last week for a minor ailment and came out with four different types of medication...! The cost breakdown was:
Consultation - S$45
1 tube cream - S$7
2 tablets of medication - S$16
10 tabs of medication - S$10
20 capsules of medication - S$19
GST (tax at 7%) - 6.79
Total - 103.70 (rounding adjustment, deducted 9 cents!)
This would have been far more expensive in the US. I will submit the claim form to our insurer (BUPA International) and I just pay the first 10% of the claim.
My main gripe here is that emergency ambulances actually wait at traffic lights and cars absolutely do not give way to ambulances! My spouse works very close to NUH and you see ambulances stuck in traffic at the lights all the time with their lights flashing...sirens are rarely used and they're very quiet in any case. (They do have paramedics on motorbikes apparently, I've never seen one though). I've always been advised to take a taxi to A&E if possible!
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,755
Re: HEALTH SERVICE
I bet your tablets and capsules were all different bright colours.
I've seen the paramedics on motor bikes.
A couple of weeks ago I went into the gym after seeing the paramedic motor bike and an ambulance outside thinking that someone would be in serious trouble.
Turned out a guy had sprained his ankle.
I'd also say that in Singapore you tend to be over prescribed.
I saw a doctor at, well better not mention the medical group, who immediately sent me to the group's main hospital.
There the Deputy Head of Surgery after a perfunctory exam said he could operate on me the following day and that he recommended I have the operation.
Well I was due to travel back to UK the following week so decided to hold off.
When back in the UK I had to wait 6 weeks to see a specialist then a further 2 weeks to have X rays etc.
And a further week or so to get the results from the specialist.
But everything was OK, no operation needed and I've been fine for the 5 years since.
But again unlike UK where they have money problems and don't like to forward you to specialists or carry out investigatory procedures, in Singapore it's quite straight forward to ask to be referred and then to ask for a certain investigation to take place.
Because of this I've stopped watching 'House'.
I've seen the paramedics on motor bikes.
A couple of weeks ago I went into the gym after seeing the paramedic motor bike and an ambulance outside thinking that someone would be in serious trouble.
Turned out a guy had sprained his ankle.
I'd also say that in Singapore you tend to be over prescribed.
I saw a doctor at, well better not mention the medical group, who immediately sent me to the group's main hospital.
There the Deputy Head of Surgery after a perfunctory exam said he could operate on me the following day and that he recommended I have the operation.
Well I was due to travel back to UK the following week so decided to hold off.
When back in the UK I had to wait 6 weeks to see a specialist then a further 2 weeks to have X rays etc.
And a further week or so to get the results from the specialist.
But everything was OK, no operation needed and I've been fine for the 5 years since.
But again unlike UK where they have money problems and don't like to forward you to specialists or carry out investigatory procedures, in Singapore it's quite straight forward to ask to be referred and then to ask for a certain investigation to take place.
Because of this I've stopped watching 'House'.
#4
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 29
Re: HEALTH SERVICE
Not sure in what context you mean eg. H1N1, SARS....but no problems here as far as I'm aware.
Healthcare is excellent in Singapore (world class)....many people fly in from Indonesia and Vietnam to deliver babies in Singapore, cancer treatment, heart operations etc. etc. Many of the doctors have trained in the UK, Australia, US and they all speak English (some better than others!).
There are private hospitals (inc. for A&E) eg. Gleneagles, Mount Elizabeth and public hospitals where costs tend to be cheaper but the quality of care is just as good eg. National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital. If you want cheaper prices, check out Thailand.
Doctors to tend to be happy to prescibe lots of pills though! I saw a doctor last week for a minor ailment and came out with four different types of medication...! The cost breakdown was:
Consultation - S$45
1 tube cream - S$7
2 tablets of medication - S$16
10 tabs of medication - S$10
20 capsules of medication - S$19
GST (tax at 7%) - 6.79
Total - 103.70 (rounding adjustment, deducted 9 cents!)
This would have been far more expensive in the US. I will submit the claim form to our insurer (BUPA International) and I just pay the first 10% of the claim.
My main gripe here is that emergency ambulances actually wait at traffic lights and cars absolutely do not give way to ambulances! My spouse works very close to NUH and you see ambulances stuck in traffic at the lights all the time with their lights flashing...sirens are rarely used and they're very quiet in any case. (They do have paramedics on motorbikes apparently, I've never seen one though). I've always been advised to take a taxi to A&E if possible!
Healthcare is excellent in Singapore (world class)....many people fly in from Indonesia and Vietnam to deliver babies in Singapore, cancer treatment, heart operations etc. etc. Many of the doctors have trained in the UK, Australia, US and they all speak English (some better than others!).
There are private hospitals (inc. for A&E) eg. Gleneagles, Mount Elizabeth and public hospitals where costs tend to be cheaper but the quality of care is just as good eg. National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital. If you want cheaper prices, check out Thailand.
Doctors to tend to be happy to prescibe lots of pills though! I saw a doctor last week for a minor ailment and came out with four different types of medication...! The cost breakdown was:
Consultation - S$45
1 tube cream - S$7
2 tablets of medication - S$16
10 tabs of medication - S$10
20 capsules of medication - S$19
GST (tax at 7%) - 6.79
Total - 103.70 (rounding adjustment, deducted 9 cents!)
This would have been far more expensive in the US. I will submit the claim form to our insurer (BUPA International) and I just pay the first 10% of the claim.
My main gripe here is that emergency ambulances actually wait at traffic lights and cars absolutely do not give way to ambulances! My spouse works very close to NUH and you see ambulances stuck in traffic at the lights all the time with their lights flashing...sirens are rarely used and they're very quiet in any case. (They do have paramedics on motorbikes apparently, I've never seen one though). I've always been advised to take a taxi to A&E if possible!
#5
Re: HEALTH SERVICE
Umm this is an Expat forum therefore I imagine those answering were thinking you were an Expat not a Singapore citizen.