Singapore a 'medical' hub? Not so

[IWC2006]

Unless Sg has a global success story like the successful conjoined twins separation in Melbourne, it really shouldn't consider itself to be the 'medical hub' of Asia Pacific. After been here for over a year and visited optometrist, dentist and doctors, I reckon the medical professionals in Oz are heaps ahead of Sg in their knowledge, professionism and caring towards patience. Yeah, we pay higher fees here but when it comes to life and death, its worth the money then getting mediocre medical services in Sg. The conjoined twins success story, is sending waves across the world and I'm sure Aussie doctors now are in high demand, and many would be headhunted to America to practise medicine.

Australian surgeons separate conjoined twinsFemale Bangladeshi twins Trishna and Krishna reported to be 'very well' after 25-hour operation
Buzz up!
Digg it
Adam Gabbatt and agencies guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 17 November 2009 07.44 GMT Article history
Surgeons separate conjoined twins Krishna and Trishna at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Photograph: Royal Children's Hospital/Handout/EPA


A team of 16 surgeons and nurses today successfully completed a 25-hour operation to separate conjoined twins in Australia.

The female Bangladeshi twins, Trishna and Krishna, had been joined at their heads, sharing blood vessels and brain tissue.

They were taken to Australia in 2007 after a charity worker found them in a Bangladeshi orphanage. It is too early to know whether either suffered any brain damage in the operation.

Leo Donnan, of the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, said the girls still faced many hours of reconstructive surgery following the initial operation.

"The teams managed to separate their brains and they are both very well," he said. "Now we have the long task of the reconstructive surgery, which will go on for many hours."

Plastic surgeons used a combination of the girls' skin, bone grafts and artificial materials to finish reconstructing their skulls around five hours after the separation surgery ended.

"Their bodies have to recover from this, and we've got a lot of unknown territory we're moving into," Donnan added.

"All I can say is that everything is in place for the best possible outcome. The main thing is that the girls are healthy."

The Children First Foundation said the girls' parents had put them in an orphanage as they were unable to care for them.

The charity brought the children to Australia after doctors in Bangladesh, who were unable to conduct the separation surgery, requested help.

"We are delighted and relieved that the girls have now been successfully separated," the foundation said in a statement.

"Both girls are physically stable, and we now await the completion of the next stage of their surgery. The girls will be in intensive care for some days."

Before the surgery, doctors had said there was a 50% chance that the girls could suffer brain damage and a 25% chance that one would die.

Ian McKenzie, a member of the surgical team, said the girls were improving as their bodies began to work individually.

"The twins are actually in better condition because the degree of separation has increased, and this problem we've had with their circulation affecting each other has actually got less," he added.

 

[fishbuff]

if u go to those govt hospitals, majority of the doctors are from burma, india and god know which 3rd world countries. what SG has provided are ample supplies of old and sickly patients with little/no economic worth and peasant class, so these FT doctors can experiment on them. Even if they screw up on the patients, they are not liable at all. we have not heard any case whereby the patients sued an errant doctor and won. There is no accountability. Remember the forced human organ harvesting back in 2007 Feb? the poors of the singapore are nothing but just human guinea pigs, with ample organs to supply and sweat to exploit for the NS.

 

[scroobal]

The medical hub claim by Singapore for the region was around cheap, affordable and competent. Cheaper than OZ/NZ and more competent than the rest of Asia. Thailand has now overtaken Singapore with the cheap and affordable tag. With the dismissal of a Filipina doctor for medical negligence leading to death of a patient and the rising complaints about foreign ill trained doctors and PRC nurses, competency is no different to some of the other asian countries. Doctors are also migrating.

Over the last decade, OZ doctors have picked up a number of Nobel prizes as well.

In the case of the Iranian twins, they had a major issue that the bangladesh twins were lucky not to have. There was a main artery running between both brains which was uncovered during the surgery.

 

[theblackhole]

singapore must learn to be humble...don't always first this first that....humility is something we should all learn..no need to blow all the time!

 

[IR123]

The medical hub claim by Singapore for the region was around cheap, affordable and competent. Cheaper than OZ/NZ and more competent than the rest of Asia. Thailand has now overtaken Singapore with the cheap and affordable tag. With the dismissal of a Filipina doctor for medical negligence leading to death of a patient and the rising complaints about foreign ill trained doctors and PRC nurses, competency is no different to some of the other asian countries. Doctors are also migrating.

Over the last decade, OZ doctors have picked up a number of Nobel prizes as well.

A range of private medical facilities have sprouted in Malacca.

They are a viable alternative to Singapore for the many Indonesians who flock there.

Private medical care and Class A of restructured hospitals are beyond the reach of many. Once complications developes, that person will be glad that the HDB property can pay for the medical cost.

 

[IR123]

if u go to those govt hospitals, majority of the doctors are from burma, india and god know which 3rd world countries. what SG has provided are ample supplies of old and sickly patients with little/no economic worth and peasant class, so these FT doctors can experiment on them. Even if they screw up on the patients, they are not liable at all. we have not heard any case whereby the patients sued an errant doctor and won. There is no accountability. Remember the forced human organ harvesting back in 2007 Feb? the poors of the singapore are nothing but just human guinea pigs, with ample organs to supply and sweat to exploit for the NS.

the drawback with subsidised medical care is that you have no control over which doctor will treat you

in my opinion, operations like heart surgery, brain surgery, spinal cord surgery are best done by the specialist and not under the supervision of that specialist

it boils down to money - if you have it, you get it.

 

[neddy]

Does not explain the flock of Aussies heading to Singapore for medical treatments.

Like Australia, there is a mix lot of specialists in Singapore, good if a person has access to the PM's doctors.

But Mayo-trained doctors love aggressive treatments and they are known to have got away with malpractices in Singapore.

In Australia, some doctors would rather put a patient on painkillers than risk operating.

 

[IR123]

Like Australia, there is a mix lot of specialists in Singapore, good if a person has access to the PM's doctors.

It is just my impression but i often wonder if the PM's and MM's doctors will treat you with the same level of care as they did the PM and MM?

One is the source of their advertising. The other is the benefits of the advertising.

There are two arguments against this.

One is that if they can treat the PM and MM, then they have the standard from which you can benefit if you can afford it.

The other is that all doctors treat patients the same - as all men are equal and thus deserve the right to the same standard of medical care once you decide to be their doctor.

But all these are hypothetical questions. Very few are in that league where they can engage the PM's and MM's doctors. The issue is that theirs is a scarce talent and thus command economic rent.

 

[neddy]

In the case of the Iranian twins, they had a major issue that the bangladesh twins were lucky not to have. There was a main artery running between both brains which was uncovered during the surgery.

Is there a need to rush through that surgery with the iranian twins?

 

[IR123]

Does not explain the flock of Aussies heading to Singapore for medical treatments.

I can understand if it is a few.

But a flock?

Do you have the statistics?

 

[Aussie Prick]

Unless Sg has a global success story like the successful conjoined twins separation in Melbourne, it really shouldn't consider itself to be the 'medical hub' of Asia Pacific. After been here for over a year and visited optometrist, dentist and doctors, I reckon the medical professionals in Oz are heaps ahead of Sg in their knowledge, professionism and caring towards patience. Yeah, we pay higher fees here but when it comes to life and death, its worth the money then getting mediocre medical services in Sg. The conjoined twins success story, is sending waves across the world and I'm sure Aussie doctors now are in high demand, and many would be headhunted to America to practise medicine.

Australian surgeons separate conjoined twinsFemale Bangladeshi twins Trishna and Krishna reported to be 'very well' after 25-hour operation
Buzz up!
Digg it
Adam Gabbatt and agencies guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 17 November 2009 07.44 GMT Article history
Surgeons separate conjoined twins Krishna and Trishna at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. Photograph: Royal Children's Hospital/Handout/EPA


A team of 16 surgeons and nurses today successfully completed a 25-hour operation to separate conjoined twins in Australia.

The female Bangladeshi twins, Trishna and Krishna, had been joined at their heads, sharing blood vessels and brain tissue.

They were taken to Australia in 2007 after a charity worker found them in a Bangladeshi orphanage. It is too early to know whether either suffered any brain damage in the operation.

Leo Donnan, of the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, said the girls still faced many hours of reconstructive surgery following the initial operation.

"The teams managed to separate their brains and they are both very well," he said. "Now we have the long task of the reconstructive surgery, which will go on for many hours."

Plastic surgeons used a combination of the girls' skin, bone grafts and artificial materials to finish reconstructing their skulls around five hours after the separation surgery ended.

"Their bodies have to recover from this, and we've got a lot of unknown territory we're moving into," Donnan added.

"All I can say is that everything is in place for the best possible outcome. The main thing is that the girls are healthy."

The Children First Foundation said the girls' parents had put them in an orphanage as they were unable to care for them.

The charity brought the children to Australia after doctors in Bangladesh, who were unable to conduct the separation surgery, requested help.

"We are delighted and relieved that the girls have now been successfully separated," the foundation said in a statement.

"Both girls are physically stable, and we now await the completion of the next stage of their surgery. The girls will be in intensive care for some days."

Before the surgery, doctors had said there was a 50% chance that the girls could suffer brain damage and a 25% chance that one would die.

Ian McKenzie, a member of the surgical team, said the girls were improving as their bodies began to work individually.

"The twins are actually in better condition because the degree of separation has increased, and this problem we've had with their circulation affecting each other has actually got less," he added.

Whatever it is AUSTRALIA CANNOT COMPARE OR COMPETE WITH 1) JOHNS HOPKINS 2) MT SINAI 3) MAYO CLINIC 4) etc 5) etc 6) etc

No way anyhow anywhere can Australia even come close to the Americans

 

[scroobal]

Nobody rushed thru the surgery. Why do you have the impression?

Is there a need to rush through that surgery with the iranian twins?

 

[scroobal]

Why would Aussies flock to Singapore. If they have the money, they would be covered by medical insurance and more or less can pick their hospitals and specialist. If they don't have the money they can seek treatment under State cost.

For cosmetics surgery, those that can't afford it fly to Thailand as Singapore costs for Private surgeons are just as expensive.

Does not explain the flock of Aussies heading to Singapore for medical treatments.

Like Australia, there is a mix lot of specialists in Singapore, good if a person has access to the PM's doctors.

But Mayo-trained doctors love aggressive treatments and they are known to have got away with malpractices in Singapore.

In Australia, some doctors would rather put a patient on painkillers than risk operating.

 

[fishbuff]

Does not explain the flock of Aussies heading to Singapore for medical treatments.

Like Australia, there is a mix lot of specialists in Singapore, good if a person has access to the PM's doctors.

But Mayo-trained doctors love aggressive treatments and they are known to have got away with malpractices in Singapore.

In Australia, some doctors would rather put a patient on painkillers than risk operating.

Do you know any doctor in SG that can do lobotomy? Aussie Pricks needs one badly.

 

[Ash007]

Now now, lets be nice here. There is no point to have a lobotomy when you don't have a brain do you?

Do you know any doctor in SG that can do lobotomy? Aussie Pricks needs one badly.

 

[neddy]

Nobody rushed thru the surgery. Why do you have the impression?

Because I read a report that commented about the need for the twins to undergo a more thorough examination, one that required months and even years.

They cannot be separated at once, but require multiple surgeries.

Right after I read that report, I was surprised to hear from Singapore side, Dr Goh already went ahead with the surgery.

 

[neddy]

Now now, lets be nice here. There is no point to have a lobotomy when you don't have a brain do you?

It is OK, the doctor just has to go through the motion, with a brainless.


But I still trust my doctor here in Perth. He treated sports injuries and fixed me up properly, correcting a botched operation I suffered during NS in Singapore.

 

[neddy]

Why would Aussies flock to Singapore. If they have the money, they would be covered by medical insurance and more or less can pick their hospitals and specialist. If they don't have the money they can seek treatment under State cost.

For cosmetics surgery, those that can't afford it fly to Thailand as Singapore costs for Private surgeons are just as expensive.

I am commenting about some of the elective surgeries for people who cannot wait - under the public system. The only reason how I heard about these cases is on the commercial TV investigative series.

 

[neddy]

Whatever it is AUSTRALIA CANNOT COMPARE OR COMPETE WITH 1) JOHNS HOPKINS 2) MT SINAI 3) MAYO CLINIC 4) etc 5) etc 6) etc

No way anyhow anywhere can Australia even come close to the Americans

Thank you for your interest in Australia and America. It must be hard on you to write about this while trying to get the FT nurses to understand you in a Singapore hospital.

Well, Australia do have good doctors. We also attract the best foreign ones from the developing countries because US don't grant them the visas.

An average American will also find it hard to access 1) JOHNS HOPKINS 2) MT SINAI 3) MAYO CLINIC 4) etc 5) etc 6) etc.

Perhaps the 36 million Americans can exchange their food stamps for the hospital fees, but alas, they will starve anyway.

All this thanks to the policies of school lecturer turned central banker, Ben the Helicoptor.

Since we are on the topic ....
Why can't Americans just have a proper central Banker like Glenn Stevens. The Brits are no better, they selected a chap who wanted to reverse Maggie's policies just when it is working.

God bless America!
God save the Queen!

 

[scroobal]

Frankly, first time, I heard of aussies coming to Singapore for elective surgery. They can get elective surgery done without waiting done in Australia if they have the money or medical insurance by going private. The quality of medicine is much better in Australia. Singaporeans use to head to Sydney for bypass under Victor Chang until it became available in the late 80s in Singapore.

If don't have the money they certainly can't do it in Singapore.

I am commenting about some of the elective surgeries for people who cannot wait - under the public system. The only reason how I heard about these cases is on the commercial TV investigative series.