Why the sudden focus on expensive health care?

[winnipegjets]

Maid's toothache turns into $93,000 life-threatening skin condition

Wednesday, Oct 09, 2013
The New Paper
By Zul Othman

SINGAPORE - She was already straining under the trauma of her husband's heart-bypass surgery when she was hit with a second whammy, one that cost her more than $90,000.

Madam Jameela Bee Mohd's husband was at Changi General Hospital (CGH) when her maid was hit by toxic epidermal necrolysis, a rare and life-threatening skin condition usually caused by a reaction to drugs.

The maid, Miss Nur Umaroh Karwiyahmukhlis, contracted the condition after she sought treatment for gum pain in April.

A few days later, the 26-year-old was in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Singapore General Hospital (SGH), fighting for her life.

On May 30 - 33 days later - she recovered, was discharged and returned to her home in West Java's Indramayu district, leaving her former employer with a medical bill of about $93,000.

"I remember the day Umaroh was discharged from hospital," Madam Jameela, 48, said.

"My husband was also due to be discharged the same day, but I told him to go home alone so I could be with her.

"What happened is still a shock to me. I still don't understand why the hospital bill is so expensive, especially since it all started from a gum infection," she said in a recent interview at her family's executive HDB flat in Pasir Ris.

Madam Jameela manages a Muslim undertaker company with her husband, Mr Salleh Mohd Sarif, 49, and has two children, aged four and 12.
- See more at: http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/stuck-maids-93k-medical-bill#sthash.D5qJ5Mbd.dpuf

 

[winnipegjets]

The PAP government wants to justify the need for mandatory health insurance for sinkees?

 

[MountainChicken]

Health care in Sinkapore was NEVER Cheap le. So better die than fall sick.

 

[TopSage]

Typical bill for severe illness is $100+K, I have seen a bill of $300K before.

Whether the govt is trying to justify something, there is a real problem, almost 20% of Singaporeans are uninsured....
and these families are at risk of going bankrupt once someone get sick.

 

[Agoraphobic]

The story suggests that the treatment by the hospital caused the disease. Shouldn't the ones responsible for causing it be made to pay the bill? Or is this the hospital's scheme to make more money? I swear, fucking doctors nowadays do not practice for curing people. They don't care. And we are supposed to put our trust in them?

Cheers!

Maid's toothache turns into $93,000 life-threatening skin condition
............................... caused by a reaction to drugs.

The maid, Miss Nur Umaroh Karwiyahmukhlis, contracted the condition after she sought treatment for gum pain in April.

A few days later, the 26-year-old was in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Singapore General Hospital (SGH), fighting for her life..........................

 

[halsey02]

The story suggests that the treatment by the hospital caused the disease. Shouldn't the ones responsible for causing it be made to pay the bill? Or is this the hospital's scheme to make more money? I swear, fucking doctors nowadays do not practice for curing people. They don't care. And we are supposed to put our trust in them?

Cheers!

She is a maid....period!...if this was...........they will fly in the best doctors that can be found on this earth!! The report is kind of fishy, I think there is a requirement to buy general insurance for the maids...

 

[Agoraphobic]

I think so too. In fact, insurance for employee should be mandatory. I'd be fucked if I had to fork out 90k for medical, will definitely make myself scarce. Like they say, better to die!

Cheers!

... I think there is a requirement to buy general insurance for the maids...

 

[singveld]

this is equivalent of an -ve toto win. i guess it is better to buy health insurance for maid.

 

[prancku]

this is equivalent of an -ve toto win. i guess it is better to buy health insurance for maid.

This is not the full report from the papers of 2 days ago. The full report stated that $15,000 insurance was bought for the maid. Unfortunately, still very short for the $90,000 bill.

Beats me, why when the maid's hospital stay and bills started mounting, employer did not put a stop to it and sent maid balek kampong. The fact that the husband was also suffering from an illness and hospitalised would have alerted her of the potentially explosive costs of the bill... even if at C class ward...Singapore hospitals are not cheep cheep as everyone knows...