The letter below was from therealsingapore.com
This situation is now quite common for certain types of specialists due to the hospital differentiation of patients. If you're are willing to pay as a private patient, the waiting time is very short even if you have a skin problem that can probably wait. However, if you are too poor and need subsidised care, they will make you wait even though it is more urgent.
A reply to this letter by Angel Yap explained that her father suspected of cancer was asked to wait for 3 months to see a specialist. For cancer cases, the cancer can spread and go from stage I to III within months and early diagnosis is the difference between life and death. To save his life, the family went to a private hospital which is not possible for those who are poorer.
My neighbor once had severe joint pain and was given specialist letter by polyclinic. Quite serious doctor suspect bone cancer or joint infection. Neighbor does not speak English only Hokkien so ask me to make appointment for her at public hospital. This was the conversation:
ME : Hello, I want to make appointment for orthopedic specialist for a patient.
Operator : You're calling as private patient or subsidised patient.
ME : Class C patient.
Operator : Okay earliest 6 months time...in Aug.
ME: I never tell you her problem, how you know she can wait so long.
Operator : If you want earlier appointment, you have to come in as private patient.
ME: This is ridiculous, if cannot afford how?
Operator: Sorry sir, if you want earlier appointment, come as private patient.
ME: ...I need to check with patient to see if can afford....
<<<Hang up>>>
The neighbor said she very scare of high hospital bills and went to see Chinese sinseh instead luckily her problem went away...if something more serious most likely she might lose her life.
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http://www.therealsingapore.com/content/one-year-wait-see-specialist
My husband has been seeing a general practitioner (GP) at Tampines Polyclinic for several years.
In early August, the GP decided my husband needed to see a renal specialist as a blood test showed that his condition was worsening.
We were shocked, however, to find out that the appointment date given by the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) was December next year.
After I called several times to plead and complain, it was moved up to August next year.Why does my husband have to wait nearly a year for his appointment?
Who is responsible if something happens to him in the meantime? Are our hospital staff so overworked that appointments have to be scheduled over a year in advance?
The SGH feedback department claimed that the reason for such a late date was that the GP did not request an urgent appointment.
Isn't it urgent enough if the GP decides that my husband needs to see a specialist and do a scan of his kidneys?
Surely polyclinics do not send patients to specialists for no good reason.This would be a first-time investigative check, and patients would worry over whether or not there is anything wrong with them.
Just because patients like my husband do not complain does not mean they are okay. The health authorities should appreciate such patients and not penalise them by putting them at the back of the queue.
Tay Soh Hoon (Ms)
