• IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here.

    The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.

Chitchat Sinkieland Medical Tourism Also Collapsed!

Pinkieslut

Alfrescian
Loyal
Singapore's medical tourism ambitions under threat
They came in droves - Indonesians, Thais and Malaysians - to receive quality medical treatment in Singapore's private hospitals.

But 15 years on, Singapore's ambitions to become a healthcare hub appear to be receding quietly.

The region's well-heeled medical tourists are looking elsewhere for treatment, meaning that local players have had to extend their reach abroad.


According to figures from the Singapore Tourism Board, medical tourism receipts stood at $1.1 billion in 2012, dropped to $832 million the following year, before going up slightly to $994 million in 2014.

Last year, the board stopped providing the figure.

Instead, medical tourism was placed under a generic category called Others, which includes money tourists spend on local transport, education and business.

This stood at $5.8 billion last year.

The STB declined to comment on the change.

It is quite a change from the days in 2002, when the Economic Review Committee said that healthcare was an exportable service that could boost economic growth.

The main reason Singapore is falling behind is that hospitals in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand have stepped up their game, said Mr Jean-Luc Butel, president of consulting firm K8 Global.

While they may not have the state-of-the-art technology that Singapore's private hospitals possess, they can carry out standard surgery at a fraction of the cost.

"There are outstanding surgeons in a lot of these countries; they may not be the best in the world, but they are fully qualified," Mr Butel said.

"This makes the competition very, very tough - our ability to attract the low- or medium-budget traveller is virtually gone."

Dr Zubin Daruwalla, healthcare director of PwC South East Asian Consulting, said that while it is still possible for Singapore to keep its spot at the top for medical tourists, costs must come down.

"The value of the Singapore dollar and its appreciation make us less affordable... flight and accommodation costs also contribute to this, especially if patients require regular follow-up," he said.

In Singapore, a relatively low-cost total hip replacement surgery at a private hospital would set a patient back around $14,000.

In comparison, the same procedure at Mahkota Medical Centre in Malaysia - which treats more than 80,000 foreign patients a year - costs the equivalent of only $8,800.

A basic single room at Farrer Park Hospital costs $562 a day.

The equivalent in one of hospital services company Columbia Asia Group's hotels in Indonesia is $77.

In the face of all this, some hospitals have developed innovative ways to make medical travel about more than just treatment.

At Farrer Park Hospital, where foreigners make up half the number of patients, a tablet can be used to view medical records, order meals and even shop online, and have the purchases delivered to a location of the patient's choice.

Thomson Medical, on the other hand, refers patients from its centres in Malaysia and Indonesia here - or vice versa - if they require technology or expertise that is not available readily in their home country.

"If we can manage our services and costs properly, maintain our high standards of... care, there is no reason why Singapore cannot be at the forefront of not just the regional, but also the global medical tourism market," said Mr Roy Quek, chairman of Thomson Medical.

He added that Singapore will always be a popular destination for complex treatments, a sentiment echoed by Dr Kelvin Loh, chief executive of Parkway Pantai's Singapore operations division.

"There is a growing trend of international patients coming to Singapore for complex medical treatment," he said, adding that its ability to handle such cases has drawn patients from new markets such as China and India.

"We are also expanding by opening new hospitals overseas."

Dr Beng Teck Liang, chief executive of the Singapore Medical Group, said his company recently took the "forward approach" by partnering Indonesia's Ciputra Group to set up an eye-care centre in Jakarta.

Dr Beng said: "Although we are still able to attract foreigners to Singapore for medical tourism, we should also reach out to these emerging countries."


This article was first published on Oct 17, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Read
 

Brightkid

Alfrescian
Loyal
When sheep knows that they are being fleeced in this pen, they will go to another pen to graze if the grass is the same standard.

Sheep that cannot move around, i.e., locked up in this pen, will be fleeced everyday until botak, yet still must be fleeced any other way, till they are naked.
 

mojito

Alfrescian
Loyal
Dun worry we got all bases covered. Medishield will ensure you get your treatment here in SG. Pay already might as well use right? Even if more expensive, you also won't think so much lah. Teehee! :cool:
 

winnipegjets

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Soon, they will import cheap foreign doctors for private hospitals to reduce cost. That's the PAP strategy to competition ...bring in foreigners.
 

Papsmearer

Alfrescian (InfP) - Comp
Generous Asset
Soon, they will import cheap foreign doctors for private hospitals to reduce cost. That's the PAP strategy to competition ...bring in foreigners.

why do you think they are leaving to get treatment in other countries? If they come to singapore and have to see a Myanmar doctor with credentials that even SMC will not approve, and be served by a Pinoy nurse, and have to see a specialist from India, then why bother to come here? They can get all these 3rd world FT so called healthcare professionals at home. Or like the article said, cheaper and betterer in Malaysia and elsewhere.
 

nayr69sg

Super Moderator
Staff member
SuperMod
why do you think they are leaving to get treatment in other countries? If they come to singapore and have to see a Myanmar doctor with credentials that even SMC will not approve, and be served by a Pinoy nurse, and have to see a specialist from India, then why bother to come here? They can get all these 3rd world FT so called healthcare professionals at home. Or like the article said, cheaper and betterer in Malaysia and elsewhere.

3rd world country people deserve 3rd world country doctors.

The really rich don't need to go to Singapore. They can go to USA.

For certain procedures and surgery there are other nations that are superior to USA. In the field of ENT for instance the Koreans and Thais are even better than the Americans.
 

Leongsam

High Order Twit / Low SES subject
Admin
Asset
why do you think they are leaving to get treatment in other countries? If they come to singapore and have to see a Myanmar doctor with credentials that even SMC will not approve, and be served by a Pinoy nurse, and have to see a specialist from India, then why bother to come here? They can get all these 3rd world FT so called healthcare professionals at home. Or like the article said, cheaper and betterer in Malaysia and elsewhere.

Burmese doctors are the best. I should know because my uncle is a doctor and he worked in the top notch US hospitals.
 

frenchbriefs

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
who says singapore has to be number one in everything?just like we packaged and sold off our state companies one by one,we can always shut down the medical industry in singapore if it ever becomes unprofitable and ship our sick and dieing over to malaysia for treatment.
 

Papsmearer

Alfrescian (InfP) - Comp
Generous Asset
Its already says in the article that singapore is not cheap for medical tourism. Why do these people want to pay this kind of money to see Myanmar Drs, Pinoy Nurses, Apuneh Specialists, etc.? For a little more, they can go to the real doctors in US.
 

borom

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
......come to singapore and have to see a Myanmar doctor .....Pinoy nurse,...specialist from India, then why bother to come here?......can get all these 3rd world FT so called healthcare professionals at home. Or like the article said, cheaper and betterer in Malaysia and elsewhere.

Yes, why pay 1st world prices for 3rd world service providers?
People who are smart will make the right choice, not like the 70% which sheepishly accept the pappy's highest property prices/ministers salaries.
 

Bonut

Alfrescian
Loyal
Its already says in the article that singapore is not cheap for medical tourism. Why do these people want to pay this kind of money to see Myanmar Drs, Pinoy Nurses, Apuneh Specialists, etc.? For a little more, they can go to the real doctors in US.

You just described my experience with Changi General Hospital. Waited for specialist consultant, but ended up with a Indian FT who must have found me "cute" and started telling me her stories in India. Best part, hospital didn't have the brand of medication that I was given previously and offered me something else, but she wasn't sure if the new medication was compatible. Asked me to step out of the room while she made phone calls to her buddies to confirm. I could hardly spot a local nurse in the ward. Almost all Pinoys.

I was charged Singapore First World fees.
 

numero uno

Alfrescian
Loyal
Its already says in the article that singapore is not cheap for medical tourism. Why do these people want to pay this kind of money to see Myanmar Drs, Pinoy Nurses, Apuneh Specialists, etc.? For a little more, they can go to the real doctors in US.

That's the least of the problems. wait till these people get scalped by the likes of Dr Susan L and get bills of millions for doing nothing!!! teh brunei royal family found out it was nothing but a con jib. the royal patient still died and they get billed more than $50m in total according to inside sources. no wonder all the foreigners avoid singapore medical tourism like the plague . Mt E seems to be the medical equivalent of sim lim square!!! hahahahhah
 

johnny333

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
You just described my experience with Changi General Hospital. Waited for specialist consultant, but ended up with a Indian FT who must have found me "cute" and started telling me her stories in India. Best part, hospital didn't have the brand of medication that I was given previously and offered me something else, but she wasn't sure if the new medication was compatible. Asked me to step out of the room while she made phone calls to her buddies to confirm. I could hardly spot a local nurse in the ward. Almost all Pinoys.

I was charged Singapore First World fees.

If you know the name of the medication you can probably get it cheaper in Malaysia over the counter at a pharmacist.
 

Bonut

Alfrescian
Loyal
If you know the name of the medication you can probably get it cheaper in Malaysia over the counter at a pharmacist.

It's actually medication injection, so lan lan must go hospital. But I get your point. I do my shopping @ JB.
 

myfoot123

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Everything in Singapore is expensive. We should not be surprised why we ain't competitive against other countries. Singaporeasn are stuck in this high cost, 3rd world citizenship. Swiss standard of living is a non existent, golden retirement is a scam. Aristocratic is the new meaning now, and only the few (PAP members) are entitled to it, at our countrymen expenses. 70% deserved the govt who put them in this predicament.
 

Devil Within

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Singapore can only attract the lower spectrum of the rich in Asia. If they are supper rich, they can go direct to USA for much better medical care there and at a lower price.
 
Top