10/08/2015

Personal encounter in TTSH

I am not surprised with the outbreak of Hepatitis C at SGH. Sometime back I had some sudden lost of hearing problem in my left ear and was referred by Hougang Polyclinic to seek further advice in the ENT Department of Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The ENT doctor in TTSH who attended to me happened to be a foreign talent. After some checking of my ear I was told there was nothing wrong with my ears. So the ENT doctor recommended me for an MRI of the brain to rule out any tumour growth in my brain. I told the ENT doctor in charge of my case that I have a pace maker when he told me about sending me for an MRI. But on the day scheduled when I went for my MRI the radiologist was surprised when I told him that I ave a pace maker, because he could not find any note or statement regarding my pace maker. It is vitally important that a pace maker specialist must be arranged to stand by to monitor my pace maker before my MRI. Clearly the ENT doctor who recommended me for MRI negligently forgot to state in the form to the radiologist that I have a pace maker and therefore the radiologist could not conduct an MRI for me because it wasn't right to do so without the pace maker specialist standing by. I was later referred back to the same ENT doctor who apologised to me but then stated after all he is no longer sending me for MRI because it incurred risk. I thanked him but in my heart I really don't know what hubris he was talking or was he thinking of something else. Well, the ENT was a foreign talent. I nearly die in his hand.

Last month I suffered great giddiness or vertigo and was recommended by my outside GP to TTSH Emergency Admission . Can you imagine I was attended by another doctor of foreign origin . I spent the whole afternoon and night waiting for treatment. By the time I had to collect my medicine it was about 9.00pm. I was charged a total of slightly over hundred dollars. When I told the cashier that I am under the Pioneer Status and would like to pay through my Medisave. I was shocked to hear form her that in the emergency section pioneer status and medisave do not apply and so I had to pay either in cash or via Visa Credit Card. Subsequently I found out from a prominent Pharmacy that the anti-giddiness tablets I was prescribed cost only very much less than
a dollar . I am still in shock.

Suffering in Silence


This is a post from Ely

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

If "Suffering in Silence" is a Sinkie, I assume he did not vote for PAP.

And too bad lah, he is only a 30% minority.

My gut feel is that most Sinkies, at least 70%, who are attended to by foreign talent doctors, are treated properly, let alone almost "killed". "Suffering in Silence" is just one of the plain unlucky minority of minority to meet the kind of foreign talent doctor he described, and which cause him to nearly die.

Anonymous said...

That foreign talent doctor who recommended "Suffering in Silence" for MRI brain scan, despite being told by patient of having pace maker, is only a minority of doctors lah. Definitely less than 30% of all doctors.

Let's be realistic. Sinkies cannot expect 100% of doctors, even those in private practice, are all doing a good job treating patients, any more than expecting 100% of voters to vote for the PAP. Or expect most doctors are Sinkies, or being a nurse is a favourite job among most Sinkies.

Anonymous said...

I had similar experience too. I had numbness on part of my knee and was refer to the Skin Clinic by an Indian FT doctor at the Polyclinic.
Upon arriving at the Skin Clinic on the appointment date 3 months after the referal, the specialist informed me that I should be referred to the Nerve Clinic instead .
And that if I were to enjoy subsidies, I needed to go back the the polyclinic to get a proper referal ie another few months.
As my condition was not serious, I gave it up all together.
Years ago, LKY controlled the intake of medical students for whatever reasons. and now citizens MOH needed to import FT doctors whose credentials might not be up to the mark.

Anonymous said...

I had a neighbor who is in his late 70s. He lost hearing from one ear and one day discovered the other ear is also giving up. He consulted a neighborhood doctor (rather experienced doctor) who after half an hour of examining him declared that its due to old age and there is nothing he could do.

Rejected and designed to the fact that he is old and useless, he almost gave up. Luckily, a Policlinic doctor suggested that he see an ENT Specialist. At the examination, the specialist to him that he had blocks for both ears due to ear wax accumulation. A simple procedure to flush the out was carried out and behold, he is now hearing quite clearly on both ears.

The moral of the story is that seeing a doctor is a "Heng" "Suay" thing. Never give up. Go and seek a second opinion.

Anonymous said...

MOH needed to import FT doctors whose credentials might not be up to the mark.
Anon 2:12 p.m.

But that is not really an issue with Sinkies, given that an overwhelming 70% majority had voted for a certain party on 11 Sep.

Or maybe most Sinkies have not yet been treated by "FT doctors whose credentials might not be up to the mark". So give this more time and see how they will vote next GE.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ beggar extraodinaire:

>> I was shocked to hear form her that in the emergency section pioneer status and medisave do not apply and so I had to pay either in cash or via Visa Credit Card. Subsequently I found out from a prominent Pharmacy that the anti-giddiness tablets I was prescribed cost only very much less than
a dollar . <<


WOW! Since when did Pioneer Generation recipients become beggars? Have you no shame? (obviously not). Do you put your hand out for a hand out for anything else...perhaps maybe you expect cab fare to and fro hospital to be included in your PG "freebies".

Goh said...

Should try traditional herbs before seeing doctors else stop complaining about expensive health care.
Many sickness can be cured without seeing doctors.
I use koyok for aches, herbal tea for cold .

See doctor only if you wish to Keng MC.
Many pay 100 dollar medical fee but never mention they cheated their employer by taking a day MC when their appointment is just a 2 hour affair.

My colleague always tell my towkay his MC in advance for the next month.
My towkay ask him how he know he will fall sick in advance.
This colleague have medical appointment every month and the polyclinic doctor will ask him whether he is working. He only need to say yes to be entitled a day M C.
This shows our doctor cannot tell the differences between medical appointment and medical leave ..
How to trust these doctors.

Anonymous said...

Thanks god at least the writer still alive!

b said...

There is always a risk when visiting a doctor - whether local or foreign.

Anonymous said...

True or not?
If all the old Singaporeans die earlier, then PAP government will not have an ageing problem tio bo?

You get the quality of health care you voted for.
You and 70% of your friends and relatives.

Anonymous said...

@ going to die tonight Matilah @ October 08, 2015 3:11 p.m

WOW! Since when did PAP Government tax collectors become beggars?
Have they no shame? (obviously not).
Do they put their hand out and collect tax for everything ... perhaps maybe they expect tax money collected to continue to pay for their million dollar salaries and pensions.

Anonymous said...

/// Years ago, LKY controlled the intake of medical students for whatever reasons. and now citizens MOH needed to import FT doctors whose credentials might not be up to the mark. ///
October 08, 2015 2:12 p.m.

But luckily for LKY.
He does not seem to encounter any problems with his doctors.
We also do not hear PAP Ministers complaining of such problems.

Anonymous said...

Matilah, Your comment is an insult to the Pioneer Generation. I think you either misread the writer's point of view or rather you intentionally twisted the whole fact to suit your egregious comment. You surely know the Pioneer Generation citizens were told by the government that because of their great sacrifice and contribution during the early years of nation building they would be given rebates in medical consultation. At no time did the Pioneers asked for special treatment or special rebates. Since rebates were offered to the pioneers is it wrong for them to ask about it when they were not forth coming and why? Matilah, I am sorry to say I see you only as a miserable wayside vagabond acting as a big man though with petty and insidious thoughts.

Matilah, remember a beggar like you should not pretend to act like a big man. Shame on you. So if you have nothing good to say about others you just need to shut up and die miserably as a recluse.

Anti pretentious vagabond


Anonymous said...

This mother cockle smellor is tired of smelling and coming to show off his mother's cockle's smell. You cannot miss him in a hundred miles.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I am one of the batch when the government decided to control the number of med school entrants because in the infinite wisdom of the EDB, the country needed more engineers, specifically electrical engineers. So now we have too little doctors and to many engineers. Smart move, but I bet those meddlers in the civil service have collected their superscale pay and are long gone.

Fast forward, the know it alls want to have a significant increase in population to lower wages so that foreign MNCs who apparently like the low taxes, can also have low labor costs. What happens when the trend breaks down or if another country decides to copy that model? Rinse and repeat and bet on the local suckers, to suck it up. Suck it up Sinkies, you deserve every drop of this self inflicted shit because you are too selfish, too lacking of moral fiber to stand up for what is right.

Anonymous said...

As I have 10 yrs working experience in govt hospitals, I can comment that:

1. 99% of doctors attending to you in C class or B2 class are foreign doctors. If you see young S'porean "doctors" --- these are usually houseman i.e. haven't confirmed to be fully qualified doctors yet.

2. 75% of doctors in A&E are foreign doctors. Same thing --- if you see young S'porean "doctors" -- they are houseman or worse -- still medical students in NUS on attachment (they like to wear long white coat with small NUS logo).

3. A&E cannot use Medisave or Medishield UNLESS you get yourself admitted as inpatient.

Some drugs are not subsidised and can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars (e.g. clot-buster drugs for stroke or heart attack). MRI will also cost a few hundred dollars (this is already subsidised price). So if you kena MRI or un-subsidised drugs during A&E, insist to be warded. Like that all the costs can use Medisave and also claimable from Medishield.

4. There are many skeletons & shits in S'pore's hospital system. If you know the real truth, you will die cock stand.

But anyway, 70% of daft Sinkies voted for it.

Anonymous said...

/// MRI will also cost a few hundred dollars (this is already subsidised price). ////
October 09, 2015 12:45 a.m.

My dad did an MRI scan at the Camden Medical Centre about 8 years ago as a private patient.
- cost was about $500
- Is it true that our public hospital charges are going up faster than even our PAP Ministers' salaries?

What will happen if we give PAP a 80% mandate in GE 2020?
- Will it be PAP's turn to shout "Huat Ah" !

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ GULLIBLE OLD FOOL, 643:

>> You surely know the Pioneer Generation citizens were told by the government [blah blah...]<<

Yup, gullible cunts. Just because they were told by the govt, they have to listen to the govt and believe. Fuck you, lah cheebye brain!

>> Matilah, remember a beggar like you should not pretend to act like a big man. Shame on you. <<

I am incapable of feeling "shame". Too bad for you. No need to read or invent "motives" for my writing, I'm merely stating that some members of the Pioneer Generation are too quick to put out their motherfucking greedy beggar hands for more "freebies" given to them by a govt. who knows it can throw a bone or two here and there and get "control".

Want more welfare? Put out your hand, get on your knees....and suck govt dick...but take out your dentures first!