- Joined
- Apr 14, 2011
- Messages
- 21,557
- Points
- 113
The HCMC hospital probably have slim Swee Nurses versus the fat arms angry looking ones in Sinkiepore.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1ER4toXynM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
I recently did something in Ho Chi Minh City that made me rethink what it means to live well as a Singaporean.
I did a colorectal screening. In Vietnam.
It included:
• Colonoscopy
• Abdominal ultrasound, including liver and prostate
• Full blood count
• CEA tumour marker blood test
• Medical report in English
• Doctor review of the results
Total cost: about SGD200. (or around VND4.2million, at a Singapore affiliated medical clinic no less)
What surprised me was not just the price. It was the entire experience.
The clinic delivered the bowel prep medication to me the day before the procedure.
They told me I only needed to pay after everything was completed. Mindblown.
On the day itself, the process was smooth, calm, and very organised. It felt like almost everyone could speak English.
For the colonoscopy, there were 3 nurses and 2 doctors.
For the ultrasound, there was another doctor and nurse.
After everything was completed, a final doctor reviewed the results and explained the report.
I walked out thinking:
Maybe one of the biggest advantages of living in Singapore is not that Singapore is cheap.
It clearly is not.
The real advantage is that Singapore gives us a very strong base.
Strong passport.
Strong currency.
Great airport.
Regional access.
High medical standards at home.
And the ability to choose wisely across the region.
We are one to three hours away from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, and many other places where private healthcare can sometimes be more accessible, more affordable, and more service-oriented than expected.
That is geographical and economic arbitrage.
And I think more Singaporeans should understand this.
For context, Singapore MOH’s benchmark for a subsidised public hospital screening colonoscopy is about S$710. Private hospital benchmarks can go much higher, depending on setting, doctor, anaesthesia, investigations, and add-ons.
In Vietnam, I did a colonoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, blood test, CEA tumour marker, English medical report, and doctor review for about SGD200.
Of course, cheaper does not automatically mean better.
And I am definitely not saying everyone should blindly fly overseas for medical procedures.
You still need to check the clinic, doctor credentials, hygiene standards, sedation safety, emergency protocols, follow-up arrangements, and whether your own health condition makes the procedure suitable.
For serious, urgent, or complicated medical issues, Singapore healthcare is still one of the safest systems in the world.
But for selected health screenings, dental work, imaging, physiotherapy, and some routine procedures, I think it is worth being more open-minded.
Especially as we get older.
In Singapore, many people are familiar with the FIT stool test, which checks for hidden blood in the stool. For average-risk adults, public screening conversations here often start around age 50.
But internationally, more guidelines have shifted colorectal cancer screening earlier, to around age 45 for average-risk adults.
That caught my attention because I am 44, turning 45 soon.
And the more I read about colonoscopy, the more I realised something important:
A colonoscopy is not just about detecting cancer.
It can also prevent future problems.
If the doctor finds certain polyps, they can often be removed during the same procedure before they have the chance to become something more serious later.
That changed how I saw it.
This was not about being paranoid.
It was about being early.
There are many things in life where early action makes a huge difference.
Health is one of them.
But many of us only take health seriously after symptoms appear, after a friend gets diagnosed, after a family member has a scare, or after the doctor says, “We should have checked earlier.”
I am sharing this because I think people in their 40s and 50s should have more open conversations about preventive screening.
Not in a fearful way.
In a practical way.
We talk openly about food, travel, property, schools, cars, investments, insurance, business, renovation, and holidays.
But we still talk too little about colonoscopies, health checks, blood tests, prostate checks, liver scans, dental work, and the cost of staying healthy.
Maybe we should normalise these conversations more.
Maybe being intentional about health should feel as normal as being intentional about career, family, and money.
And maybe one of the smartest things about being based in Singapore is learning when to use Singapore, and when to use the region.
Not everything has to be done overseas.
Not everything has to be done in Singapore either.
The key is to be informed, selective, and sensible.
Personally, this experience made me more open to the idea that good healthcare access is not just about the country you live in.
It is also about how well you understand your options.
Curious to hear from everyone:
Have you done medical screening, dental work, health checks, or other procedures overseas?
Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, or somewhere else?
Was your experience better or worse than expected?
Would you consider doing preventive screening overseas if the clinic was reputable, English-speaking, and significantly more affordable?
I think this is a conversation more Singaporeans should have.
Share your experience, good or bad.
Someone else reading this might benefit from it.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1ER4toXynM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
I recently did something in Ho Chi Minh City that made me rethink what it means to live well as a Singaporean.
I did a colorectal screening. In Vietnam.
It included:
• Colonoscopy
• Abdominal ultrasound, including liver and prostate
• Full blood count
• CEA tumour marker blood test
• Medical report in English
• Doctor review of the results
Total cost: about SGD200. (or around VND4.2million, at a Singapore affiliated medical clinic no less)
What surprised me was not just the price. It was the entire experience.
The clinic delivered the bowel prep medication to me the day before the procedure.
They told me I only needed to pay after everything was completed. Mindblown.
On the day itself, the process was smooth, calm, and very organised. It felt like almost everyone could speak English.
For the colonoscopy, there were 3 nurses and 2 doctors.
For the ultrasound, there was another doctor and nurse.
After everything was completed, a final doctor reviewed the results and explained the report.
I walked out thinking:
Maybe one of the biggest advantages of living in Singapore is not that Singapore is cheap.
It clearly is not.
The real advantage is that Singapore gives us a very strong base.
Strong passport.
Strong currency.
Great airport.
Regional access.
High medical standards at home.
And the ability to choose wisely across the region.
We are one to three hours away from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, and many other places where private healthcare can sometimes be more accessible, more affordable, and more service-oriented than expected.
That is geographical and economic arbitrage.
And I think more Singaporeans should understand this.
For context, Singapore MOH’s benchmark for a subsidised public hospital screening colonoscopy is about S$710. Private hospital benchmarks can go much higher, depending on setting, doctor, anaesthesia, investigations, and add-ons.
In Vietnam, I did a colonoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, blood test, CEA tumour marker, English medical report, and doctor review for about SGD200.
Of course, cheaper does not automatically mean better.
And I am definitely not saying everyone should blindly fly overseas for medical procedures.
You still need to check the clinic, doctor credentials, hygiene standards, sedation safety, emergency protocols, follow-up arrangements, and whether your own health condition makes the procedure suitable.
For serious, urgent, or complicated medical issues, Singapore healthcare is still one of the safest systems in the world.
But for selected health screenings, dental work, imaging, physiotherapy, and some routine procedures, I think it is worth being more open-minded.
Especially as we get older.
In Singapore, many people are familiar with the FIT stool test, which checks for hidden blood in the stool. For average-risk adults, public screening conversations here often start around age 50.
But internationally, more guidelines have shifted colorectal cancer screening earlier, to around age 45 for average-risk adults.
That caught my attention because I am 44, turning 45 soon.
And the more I read about colonoscopy, the more I realised something important:
A colonoscopy is not just about detecting cancer.
It can also prevent future problems.
If the doctor finds certain polyps, they can often be removed during the same procedure before they have the chance to become something more serious later.
That changed how I saw it.
This was not about being paranoid.
It was about being early.
There are many things in life where early action makes a huge difference.
Health is one of them.
But many of us only take health seriously after symptoms appear, after a friend gets diagnosed, after a family member has a scare, or after the doctor says, “We should have checked earlier.”
I am sharing this because I think people in their 40s and 50s should have more open conversations about preventive screening.
Not in a fearful way.
In a practical way.
We talk openly about food, travel, property, schools, cars, investments, insurance, business, renovation, and holidays.
But we still talk too little about colonoscopies, health checks, blood tests, prostate checks, liver scans, dental work, and the cost of staying healthy.
Maybe we should normalise these conversations more.
Maybe being intentional about health should feel as normal as being intentional about career, family, and money.
And maybe one of the smartest things about being based in Singapore is learning when to use Singapore, and when to use the region.
Not everything has to be done overseas.
Not everything has to be done in Singapore either.
The key is to be informed, selective, and sensible.
Personally, this experience made me more open to the idea that good healthcare access is not just about the country you live in.
It is also about how well you understand your options.
Curious to hear from everyone:
Have you done medical screening, dental work, health checks, or other procedures overseas?
Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, or somewhere else?
Was your experience better or worse than expected?
Would you consider doing preventive screening overseas if the clinic was reputable, English-speaking, and significantly more affordable?
I think this is a conversation more Singaporeans should have.
Share your experience, good or bad.
Someone else reading this might benefit from it.
Last edited:
