Why Stop Doctors from Charging Polyclinic Rate?
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There are no guns or knifes pointing at them. They had willingly slashed the GP consultation fees to $8.Originally posted by vito_corleone:remember, docs are humans like the rest of us too. they have mouths to feed, bills to pay and material wants...don't expect something from somebody if you yourself can't do it. you tell me, after taking like what? more than 6 years of shit in medical school and the high tuition fees charged, shouldnt they at least have the right to be rewarded a little?
They had quoted $8 for consultation fees, they did not quote any charges for drugs, blood test, urine test or whatever..., the $8 could just be a marketing/sales strategy to bring in more patients.
It's true that all of us have mouths to feed, have bills to pay, irregard you are a doctor, a lawyer, a programmer, an engineer or even a maid. However when one have FTs compete with you in the engineering and IT, one would probably only ponder why the same thing could not be happened elsewhere? -
from what i see in sg , regardless of the cost, there'll still be corner cutting whenever possible, regardless of whether you're working as a toliet cleaner or the ceo of some big F*** company
as for how they arrived at the minimium charge you guys should know by now the way they do it ,such things are more accurate if decided with a dice
like i said earlier , they think that higher charges\pay means better service and goods or better talent hired
but those of you who grew up here, through the education system, through army, is that really what you get?
and my bro who's still in the army , tells me that his camp pays the caterers at least 4-6 bucks for a meal
something that consist of slobs you feed pigs, with things over cooked most of the time
but honestly , $4-6 and food's better outside, with better quality and quantity
something's really familar right?
(something i couldn't really identify with since food was great in my camp)
and govt subsidies, LOL HDB's pretty subsidised too
and the service at polyclinics, you've seen it for yourself, the rude behaviour you get from the staff, the lousy docs who only know how to give antibiotics ,
i don't even visit govt doctors unless i need something like operations or any followups -
As said, standards can be maintained through regulations, criminal sanctions and civil liabilities. imo, this is just the profession protecting itself.
Offtopic: Seriously, army food is really pretty good overall. The problem comes with the lack of imagination in the menus, and in the fact that they dun use enough msg. -
How docs want to charge?it is up to the individual doc.Market plays a role.Many ppl can afford to pay more than $8 to see a private GP.Originally posted by vito_corleone:remember, docs are humans like the rest of us too. they have mouths to feed, bills to pay and material wants...don't expect something from somebody if you yourself can't do it. you tell me, after taking like what? more than 6 years of shit in medical school and the high tuition fees charged, shouldnt they at least have the right to be rewarded a little? -
agree, the doctor definitely knows if he is not making enough. imagine, 1 day just 10 people, earn 180. 30 days earn 5.4K....and normally they charge u abt 25 at least, very farking seldom u ganna less than 20. so 30 days is 7.5K....dats for 10 people per day which is a figure near impossible. a normal clinic sees 20-30 people at least bah...Originally posted by diggo:I did not see logic in your argument.... y can't they let the doc and the patient determine the rate? If the rate is too low, the doc will go out of business, if the service is not good, the patient will not go to the doc... will also close shop.
The market forces will determine the best price/quality of service... no need to regulate everything on earth.
things will get to an equilibrium one...those with basic knowledge of econs will know what actually happens when a price floor comes into place. -
Actually the issue is not about fees,it is about whether docs advertised in the intenet improperly.
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Yes the issue is not about fees. In Zaobao's report published on 9 Apr, MOH has encouraged market competition and has no objections for GP to charge at $8.Originally posted by PRP:Actually the issue is not about fees,it is about whether docs advertised in the intenet improperly.
The issue is GP is not allowed to advertise, promote or provide discounts their services.
In Zaobao's report, it was reported that some GP even charge $1 per consultation for some companies staffs.
Again it was reported that each patient in polyclinics enjoyed a subsidy of $20. That is without subsidy one could have paid $28 per GP consultations.
So in your next visit to polyclinics, you must not accept whatever services that is below par than those by private GPs. You must tell yourself that you are paying $28 and not $8 for your visit. -
offtopic: no , mine was quite good, actually i really like my cookhouse cooking, but for my broOriginally posted by lwflee:As said, standards can be maintained through regulations, criminal sanctions and civil liabilities. imo, this is just the profession protecting itself.
Offtopic: Seriously, army food is really pretty good overall. The problem comes with the lack of imagination in the menus, and in the fact that they dun use enough msg.
he was having cauliflower for lunch and they over cooked it till it became cauliflower soup -
Doctoring accounts is called creative accounting, Doctoring information creative thinking. Doctoring the doctor's prices is : creative medicines ?Originally posted by oldbreadstinks:offtopic: no , mine was quite good, actually i really like my cookhouse cooking, but for my bro
he was having cauliflower for lunch and they over cooked it till it became cauliflower soup
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I remember it was a very senior government minister who said that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. That was referring to justifying higher pay for ministers. The argument went on to say that if you don't pay them well, they can become corrupt. The same argument can go for any profession, from the street cleaner to doctors.
If a GP charges 8 dollars, he needs to have more clients in order to break even. One way is to give you half the course of antibiotics or a cheaper but less effective medication, one pill instead of two, 4 days' medication instead of a week, medicine 3 times a day instead of 6 hourly....things like that. He will tell you to come back if you don't get better....he knows you will not get better after 3-4 days. So you have to return, and he earns the the other $8 from you. The other way is to sell MC to healthy blokes who want a day's rest after partying hard on Sunday night. Just diagnose migraine for a hangover...you get the gist? $8 for one MC...you happy, he happy.
I am not a GP but I do know life is getting difficult for them. Don't forget they leave medical school nowadays with a huge debt (fees are about $18,000 a year for 5 years), and they have to serve 2 years of army and one year of housemanship with little pay. Like the rest of us, they have the same problems with car and housing mortgage, as well as a girlfriend who needs a diamond ring soon. I would not advise my children to become GPs...if you want to do medicine, do eye surgery. Better still, join the PAP and be a minister. -
The best is to be an eye surgeon then go on to join PAP and become a minister => Vivian BalakrishnanOriginally posted by oxford mushroom:I remember it was a very senior government minister who said that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. That was referring to justifying higher pay for ministers. The argument went on to say that if you don't pay them well, they can become corrupt. The same argument can go for any profession, from the street cleaner to doctors.
If a GP charges 8 dollars, he needs to have more clients in order to break even. One way is to give you half the course of antibiotics or a cheaper but less effective medication, one pill instead of two, 4 days' medication instead of a week, medicine 3 times a day instead of 6 hourly....things like that. He will tell you to come back if you don't get better....he knows you will not get better after 3-4 days. So you have to return, and he earns the the other $8 from you. The other way is to sell MC to healthy blokes who want a day's rest after partying hard on Sunday night. Just diagnose migraine for a hangover...you get the gist? $8 for one MC...you happy, he happy.
I am not a GP but I do know life is getting difficult for them. Don't forget they leave medical school nowadays with a huge debt (fees are about $18,000 a year for 5 years), and they have to serve 2 years of army and one year of housemanship with little pay. Like the rest of us, they have the same problems with car and housing mortgage, as well as a girlfriend who needs a diamond ring soon. I would not advise my children to become GPs...if you want to do medicine, do eye surgery. Better still, join the PAP and be a minister.