Poor service at SGH
-
For the most part of the past 40 years of nation building, the government has been able to use their publicity and propaganda machinery which are under their control to their advantage by pushing away problems after problems to the people instead of proactively solving problems by following properly supervised and checked professional standards to equate to the best practices in the world.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Nah... wrong.
For one, I believe a huge part of us is in the wrong. We call the ambulance for every minor issue. Once I was in the A&E department because my grandma had some serious health issues.
Guess what? A girl arrived in ambulance for a wound (and the wound isn't a gaping wound) that doesn't stop bleeding, and cut the queue and demanded that she be attended first. For goodness sake, this sort of issues should be sorted in polyclinic or just any clinic, not the A&E department.
I've seen a Bangladeshi waiting behind, with his head bleeding non-stop, but due to that lady, his treatment got delayed. The nurses can't do anything, in the name of good service. I could see from their faces that between ethics and services, they are stuck. It's very saddening to see their faces.
Also, given the constraints of our land space, A&E counters are packed with people who refused to clear the area for the paramedics. In my whole day there in the A&E department, I hear the paramedics shout "Excuse me!" more than anything.
Yes, I know we are concerned about our family members, but what about others? They too are concerned. By blocking the way, it wastes a lot of time and every second wasted might cause a life. And it's not first time that I've seen one died because they get in the way of paramedics. One that I've seen, lost too much blood and had soaked the hospital bed thoroughly. Died because couldn't move into the A&E department.
My reasoning for increasing prices is to just get the people away and stop wasting the time of A&E departments, since Singaporeans are so kiasu.
Therefore many mistakes and shortcomings remain uncorrected today but were quickly blamed on people.
Blaming on people appears to be so skillfully done such as quoting some incidences of abuses of ambulances as if there were frequent occurrences and at the end the real problems were sidelined and left unsolved with raising of A&E fees instead.
Today such a protectionist system of running public services has led to inefficiencies. As compared to emergency treatment fees of S$45 by Mount Alvernia the S$70 (for common ailments on holiday when most private clinics are closed) currently charged by TTSH is exorbitant.
Considering that lands and infrastructures were already funded by taxation and there were a lot budget and off-budget surpluses, the government is making tons of monies every year even in recession years such stinging on emergency health care is really a big turn-off for any thinking citizens.
So the government has been practising denials in solving real social health and medicare problems and even though some elements of society may be irresponsible, uncaring and anti-social, it is immoral to use these as excuse to cover up urgent problems and solutions.
If anything happened in A&E the quick way out is to point out abuses of public facility or ambulances even though such people may turn to ambulances sometimes for the wrong illness but do not condemn the whole population by openly publicizing such minor abuses as if they are frequent abuses to get away from attacking fundamental reforms to overcome inherent shortcomings/
Over time, people have been brainwashed into blaming fellow citizens and delaying real solutions to hidden causes of shortcomings.
Citizens pay taxes which are supposed to be used efficiently to provide services so let the CEOs and Ministers who are paid millions or peanuts to face the music instead of blaming any complaints on fellow citizens on selective statistics which postpone solutions to real problems.
There is no need to be over-defensive of ministers or CEOs who fail to solve problems especially persistent delays in treating sick people in hospitals. Use a bit of imagination many real problems would be exposed and fundamental solutions found without any more excuses. -
I know what you're driving at with regard to the post about your experience with your grandmother at an A&E. However, let's be clear about something - there's a thin line between charging for the sake of profiteering and charging to cover the cost of operations. What good is it to increase charges when the cost itself isn't the main problem to begin with? Let's face it : no billionaire who had an extra bob and a couple of hours to spare would actually turn up at an A&E for fun, would he? Afterall, it's not an amusement park we're talking about here.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:In my opinion, yes. Though it will not deter all.
From my first-hand observations of how things work at a NHS hospital (the observation was made in a NHS hospital during John Major's premiership, which seems a lifetime ago compared to the gross improvements that have taken place under Tony Blair's Labour government), the sort of issues you witnessed aren't alien to Singapore. Having said that, the efficiency and service of its A&E, for all its undue delays, was still lightyears ahead of Singapore's and the hospital essentially operated on the premise of providing medical care that is free to Britons.
If the NHS can adopt a free public healthcare system that caters to a population of 60 million and still be more efficient than a paid healthcare system provided by the fascists, what indications are there to suggest increasing charges is actually a solution to the root problem? Typical of this megalomaniac regime, the biggest irony of its charge-levying measures stems from the fact that it doesn't necessarily address the problem in question - afterall, it's not hard to see ERP tolls haven't exactly improved traffic conditions considerably, is it? -
Ethics? I don't think they know this word...Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Nah... wrong.
For one, I believe a huge part of us is in the wrong. We call the ambulance for every minor issue. Once I was in the A&E department because my grandma had some serious health issues.
Guess what? A girl arrived in ambulance for a wound (and the wound isn't a gaping wound) that doesn't stop bleeding, and cut the queue and demanded that she be attended first. For goodness sake, this sort of issues should be sorted in polyclinic or just any clinic, not the A&E department.
I've seen a Bangladeshi waiting behind, with his head bleeding non-stop, but due to that lady, his treatment got delayed. The nurses can't do anything, in the name of good service. I could see from their faces that between ethics and services, they are stuck. It's very saddening to see their faces.
Also, given the constraints of our land space, A&E counters are packed with people who refused to clear the area for the paramedics. In my whole day there in the A&E department, I hear the paramedics shout "Excuse me!" more than anything.
Yes, I know we are concerned about our family members, but what about others? They too are concerned. By blocking the way, it wastes a lot of time and every second wasted might cause a life. And it's not first time that I've seen one died because they get in the way of paramedics. One that I've seen, lost too much blood and had soaked the hospital bed thoroughly. Died because couldn't move into the A&E department.
My reasoning for increasing prices is to just get the people away and stop wasting the time of A&E departments, since Singaporeans are so kiasu.
From what I see, it's basica sense of PRIORITY, and the cock ups are Basic Poor Management. That's all... not public's problem
People misused Ambulances - who is better to think up ways to curb it?? US??? The poorly paid public>????
The people from the general public, are least inspired people to think up solutions compared to the mulit-million dollar salaried government White Horses! -
I spend more time in the hospital more than the time I spend at home. They are frequent occurrences, not infrequent.Originally posted by robertteh:Blaming on people appears to be so skillfully done such as quoting some incidences of abuses of ambulances as if there were frequent occurrences and at the end the real problems were sidelined and left unsolved with raising of A&E fees instead.
Solving real social health and medicare issues aside, who are those that visit the hospitals? It's humans. The government is just a dead entity, it itself is not in any way practising self denial.Originally posted by robertteh:So the government has been practising denials in solving real social health and medicare problems and even though some elements of society may be irresponsible, uncaring and anti-social, it is immoral to use these as excuse to cover up urgent problems and solutions.
If anything happened in A&E the quick way out is to point out abuses of public facility or ambulances even though such people may turn to ambulances sometimes for the wrong illness but do not condemn the whole population by openly publicizing such minor abuses as if they are frequent abuses to get away from attacking fundamental reforms to overcome inherent shortcomings/
It's the people in the government who are practising it.
While not all are irresponsible, uncaring and inconsiderate, there are just too many.
The government has attempted to educate the public on which issues that require immediate help, which not to. The booklets have been distributed to all families, so it gives no excuse on citizens to abuse them.
Hospital side: TTSH doesn't have clear instructions on not to block the paramedic's way in the A&E department, so I think it's not just the citizens' fault. Can't comment on other hospitals, I haven't spent enough time there.
Not exactly. If one really spend a lot of time in the hospitals, especially in the A&E department, you will understand why. Society plays a huge role, not just the government or hospital's practices, though they each has a part to play which resulted in today's problems.Originally posted by robertteh:Over time, people have been brainwashed into blaming fellow citizens and delaying real solutions to hidden causes of shortcomings.
By the way, A&E department handling of cases are efficient, it's just external factors that resulted in what we see as inefficiencies. -
Rising of fees paid probably won't cover much of operation costs, there is simply is just too much to cover.Originally posted by walesa:I know what you're driving at with regard to the post about your experience with your grandmother at an A&E. However, let's be clear about something - there's a thin line between charging for the sake of profiteering and charging to cover the cost of operations. What good is it to increase charges when the cost itself isn't the main problem to begin with? Let's face it : no billionaire who had an extra bob and a couple of hours to spare would actually turn up at an A&E for fun, would he? Afterall, it's not an amusement park we're talking about here.
From my first-hand observations of how things work at a NHS hospital (the observation was made in a NHS hospital during John Major's premiership, which seems a lifetime ago compared to the gross improvements that have taken place under Tony Blair's Labour government), the sort of issues you witnessed aren't alien to Singapore. Having said that, the efficiency and service of its A&E, for all its undue delays, was still lightyears ahead of Singapore's and the hospital essentially operated on the premise of providing medical care that is free to Britons.
If the NHS can adopt a free public healthcare system that caters to a population of 60 million and still be more efficient than a paid healthcare system provided by the fascists, what indications are there to suggest increasing charges is actually a solution to the root problem? Typical of this megalomaniac regime, the biggest irony of its charge-levying measures stems from the fact that it doesn't necessarily address the problem in question - afterall, it's not hard to see ERP tolls haven't exactly improved traffic conditions considerably, is it?
Actually, I would rather wish the billionaire is really too free. He needs to see the state of public hospitals and not take everything for granted. But of course, not call an ambulance for fun and see how it's being handled.
Rising fees is definitely not a solution to the root problem... it won't deter them anyway.
NHS is definitely a great example to study. -
ehh...
i dun wish to talk abt SGH...
i will choose private hospitals over public hospital -
Because your case is not life-thretening ma......... so can wait one lor......
-
i have seen with my own eyes when went on there...Originally posted by :Because your case is not life-thretening ma......... so can wait one lor......
i will not comment
i will choose to go to private -
Err... they know, just that they aren't in position to offend, especially the nurses at the front line.Originally posted by ShutterBug:Ethics? I don't think they know this word...
From what I see, it's basica sense of PRIORITY, and the cock ups are Basic Poor Management. That's all... not public's problem
People misused Ambulances - who is better to think up ways to curb it?? US??? The poorly paid public>????
The people from the general public, are least inspired people to think up solutions compared to the mulit-million dollar salaried government White Horses!
When the situation turns ugly, doctors are actually called down and explain to them. Seen it done a few times, when those at the A&E simply don't understand why they aren't given priority.
I don't think the public is able to think up of ways to curb it, those who closely with hospitals are. SCDF did come up with educational talks to educate the public, distribute booklets and teaching them which are emergency issues, which are not, how to handle them and if it gets out of hands, where to look for help.
On the hospitals side, some areas have been reconstructed to better handle the flow of traffic. Some areas are widen so that two or more hospital beds can go through (technically, without people blocking).
The white horses only came up with a brilliant scheme of increasing fares.
-
Life threatening or not, at least give some basic first aid and not ask him to handle himself.Originally posted by :Because your case is not life-thretening ma......... so can wait one lor...... -
Guess what? A girl arrived in ambulance for a wound (and the wound isn't a gaping wound) that doesn't stop bleeding, and cut the queue and demanded that she be attended first. For goodness sake, this sort of issues should be sorted in polyclinic or just any clinic, not the A&E department.
I believe that doctors are very highly trained,but its not the doctor that comes outside when you arrive in an ambulance to welcome you to the hospital.Its the other staff like the nurses.They should be able to see for themselves what is serious and what is not.Just cos you arrive in an ambulance it is not necessary that you see the doctor first.They should remember the other number,1777 and what is for.But sadly,not many Singaporeans know about 1777.Now don't go saying 'how the nurses know what is serious and what is not?' Dude,they did a year 3 course before starting life as nurses and some have already spent enough time at a hospital.Like you,i don't know if you're a healtcare professional or not but you just said you saw a Bangladeshi waiting behind whose head was bleeding non-stop.
I've seen a Bangladeshi waiting behind, with his head bleeding non-stop, but due to that lady, his treatment got delayed. The nurses can't do anything, in the name of good service. I could see from their faces that between ethics and services, they are stuck. It's very saddening to see their faces
And,IF there is some sort of system,the serious cases should be seen first.Sad to say,there isn't.Absolute nonsense that you come in a Civil Defence ambulance means you are serious.By the time you wait for the ambulance to arrive,you would had already departed,15minutes to arrive,another 15 to get to the hospital.
And,of course i have seen that your nationality plays a part as well.I bet if the Bangladeshi was some white dude (no offence),chances were high that he would had been rushed for treatment.But to them a Bangladeshi is someone illiterate and perhaps not important? But they may think 'Oh what if the white guy gives poor say about the country?'.See. Blame it on the Lee dynasty.I have seen it happen.We just want to give a 'good perception' to the foreigners,but sadly not to the foreign workers.Also, given the constraints of our land space, A&E counters are packed with people who refused to clear the area for the paramedics. In my whole day there in the A&E department, I hear the paramedics shout "Excuse me!" more than anything.
Dude,land constraints? They are building a god damned ferris wheel,the biggest.Perhaps it is too big for a small country.Screw land constraints.So if we are saying that healthcare is poor due to land constraints,it means one thing,the government dosen't give a f about the healthcare about the people,it just wants to generate profits.
Yes, I know we are concerned about our family members, but what about others? They too are concerned. By blocking the way, it wastes a lot of time and every second wasted might cause a life. And it's not first time that I've seen one died because they get in the way of paramedics. One that I've seen, lost too much blood and had soaked the hospital bed thoroughly. Died because couldn't move into the A&E department.
My reasoning for increasing prices is to just get the people away and stop wasting the time of A&E departments, since Singaporeans are so kiasu.
Its not as if there is a waiting room built to let people wait in.Don't go saying land constraint,look at the size of SGH,when they built it,couldn't a room the size of a 3 room flat be built?Fuk man,i don't see that happening at private hospitals and they don't have as much space like SGH does,its Management my friend.
So what you do is very simple.Increase the prices so that the public thinks 'woah so expensive now plus must so long,screw them,lets go to a private hospital,at least the service there is much better'.Actually it ain't a bad idea.It can save us further pain and frustration.And screw the media as well.Read somewhere on the forums its ranked 154th in the world.They should do some coverage and give the government a wake up call.Sadly,we are slaves to the government.So much for Singapore being a democratic country. -
Solving real social health and medicare issues aside, who are those that visit the hospitals? It's humans. The government is just a dead entity, it itself is not in any way practising self denial.
People as a collective noun is just as dead an entity as the government.
It's the people in the government who are practising it.
While not all are irresponsible, uncaring and inconsiderate, there are just too many.
The government has attempted to educate the public on which issues that require immediate help, which not to. The booklets have been distributed to all families, so it gives no excuse on citizens to abuse them.
Hospital side: TTSH doesn't have clear instructions on not to block the paramedic's way in the A&E department, so I think it's not just the citizens' fault. Can't comment on other hospitals, I haven't spent enough time there.
It is quite clear to the people after all these years' of complaints about poor services and long waiting time there will continue to be fee increases instead of solutions to problems.
One wonders what are all the talents and scholars doing if they cannot solve such basic problems as waiting time or efficient services.
It is always a case of people's being too demanding or abusing facilities instead of acknowledging problems and solving them fundamentally.
Hospitals have gone through many restructuring exercises but costs have always gone up instead services.
If we look at the all the direct and indirect taxes and all the double charges collected on lands and infrastructures by HDB, LTA. JTC, URA and all the corporatized GLCs by the government, Singaporeans is one of the most heavily taxed people and yet with such taxing and profiteering going on the government is still relentlessly seeking to tax and increase fees instead of providing better services or solving problems.
If Singaporeans are to be so naive to believe their own fellow citizens are the problem, then they will at the end only have themselves to blame if their government continues with the practices of denying problems and increasing GST, ERPs or hospital fees without accountability or services to the people. -
That just sums it up. Rather than pinning the blame on those folks whose conditions are perhaps exaggerated, it's easy to overlook the fact the criminals in-charge of public healthcare have effectively been sleeping on their jobs when they should be tackling the problem at its root.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Rising of fees paid probably won't cover much of operation costs, there is simply is just too much to cover.
Actually, I would rather wish the billionaire is really too free. He needs to see the state of public hospitals and not take everything for granted. But of course, not call an ambulance for fun and see how it's being handled.
Rising fees is definitely not a solution to the root problem... it won't deter them anyway.
NHS is definitely a great example to study. -
And,of course i have seen that your nationality plays a part as well.I bet if the Bangladeshi was some white dude (no offence),chances were high that he would had been rushed for treatment
I can't say if the same thing happens all over Singapore, but I'm pretty sure it has not happened in the hospitals that I've visited.
I don't know what gives you this idea. I'm against anybody who judges based on nationality. Just because he's a white, it doesn't mean he has to be given higher priority, unless his injuries are more serious than the others in queue.Dude,land constraints? They are building a god damned ferris wheel,the biggest.Perhaps it is too big for a small country.Screw land constraints.So if we are saying that healthcare is poor due to land constraints,it means one thing,the government dosen't give a f about the healthcare about the people,it just wants to generate profits.
Even if it's true, I will still give credits to the doctors and nurses who work in public hospitals. They are the ones helping us, not the government. The government merely gave permission to set up the hospitals, and probably to expand it when more issues arise.Its not as if there is a waiting room built to let people wait in.
There is, but I wouldn't say it applies to all hospitals. Some hospitals do have, and that's what irks me most.Don't go saying land constraint,look at the size of SGH,when they built it,couldn't a room the size of a 3 room flat be built?
No doubt. But a hospital isn't a flat. A flat's path is wide enough for wheelchairs to go past, but not hospital beds. They need to be as spacious as possible for things to go on smoothly. Doctors and nurses aren't just rushing patients to the A&E department, they also have to wheel them out. If it's smaller than the size of a flat, I don't see how it can be moved freely without some twisting and turning.
Private hospitals may not have as much space, but the space is still reasonable big enough. -
Singaporeans isn't just the problem, for as long as a problem exists, there are internal and external factors.Originally posted by robertteh:People as a collective noun is just as dead an entity as the government.
It is quite clear to the people after all these years' of complaints about poor services and long waiting time there will continue to be fee increases instead of solutions to problems.
One wonders what are all the talents and scholars doing if they cannot solve such basic problems as waiting time or efficient services.
It is always a case of people's being too demanding or abusing facilities instead of acknowledging problems and solving them fundamentally.
Hospitals have gone through many restructuring exercises but costs have always gone up instead services.
If we look at the all the direct and indirect taxes and all the double charges collected on lands and infrastructures by HDB, LTA. JTC, URA and all the corporatized GLCs by the government, Singaporeans is one of the most heavily taxed people and yet with such taxing and profiteering going on the government is still relentlessly seeking to tax and increase fees instead of providing better services or solving problems.
If Singaporeans are to be so naive to believe their own fellow citizens are the problem, then they will at the end only have themselves to blame if their government continues with the practices of denying problems and increasing GST, ERPs or hospital fees without accountability or services to the people.
Internally, I won't comment. That's the hospital's issues, they sort it themselves.
Externally, there is the society and the government. While one may not agree with the government's doing, it doesn't mean we as the citizens should worsen the whole situation.
As seen, rising fees won't help in resolving such issues, rather, if everybody could play their own part, the world will be better. It takes just one person to warm the hearts of many. Look at those who have received transplants. One willingness to help out saved a life, and not just the person who received it is happy, their family members are happy too. -
One of the fundamental assumptions of the government is that we must avoid welfare and people can understand this policy. However in implementing such a policy, the government has gone to the opposite extreme of taxing and recovering all possible costs leading to rising costs of living, loss of economic competitiveness since 1980s.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Singaporeans isn't just the problem, for as long as a problem exists, there are internal and external factors.
Internally, I won't comment. That's the hospital's issues, they sort it themselves.
Externally, there is the society and the government. While one may not agree with the government's doing, it doesn't mean we as the citizens should worsen the whole situation.
As seen, rising fees won't help in resolving such issues, rather, if everybody could play their own part, the world will be better. It takes just one person to warm the hearts of many. Look at those who have received transplants. One willingness to help out saved a life, and not just the person who received it is happy, their family members are happy too.
There is a lot of profiteering by the government in selling people's assets and infrastructures to GLCs pocketing people's properties while leaving to the GLCs to double-charge on lands and assets driving the costs of living and doing business.
Such double charging on lands and assets under the corporatization schemes has led to PSA losing out to port palepas or SIA losing out to budget airlines.
However, the government has no choice but finally to give way to bigger fishes in the ocean and PSA at the end has to relent on its original market-value land cost charge by lowering fees to shippers while SIA/Changi airport to the Budget Airlines.
Medical cares for the aged and sick is one of the most basic and essential government services for which citizens pay taxes which should have been financed partly or substantially by taxes paid by the citizens.
Yet despite all the direct and indirect taxes and double charges on lands and assets paid by the citizens, the government is still stinging in providing affordable health care as PSA has been doing until confronted by the bigger Pelepas threat.
Why govern the country in this manner- bullying the weaker citizens and giving way to bigger fishes and the foreigners. -
I've got nothing against nationality either man,it is happening.Everyone seems to say that foreign talent being given better opportunities but i wish to say again that i hope i am wrong.I also do not wish to see that happening in Singapore.
Even if it's true, I will still give credits to the doctors and nurses who work in public hospitals. They are the ones helping us, not the government. The government merely gave permission to set up the hospitals, and probably to expand it when more issues arise.
Well they are funding the hospitals that is for sure.They are under the government which makes those hospitals like SGH known as government hospitals and like Gleneagles as private hospitals.Yes there are doctors and nurses who do their jobs well,i agree.But a system of some sort must be put into place to increase the efficiency. -
I agree with you that a system of some sort e.g. Toyota Production System has to be put in place in order to assure taxpayers of proper and sustainable efficient use of all the capital, land, infrastructure and manpower resources we do have.Originally posted by eggprata:I've got nothing against nationality either man,it is happening.Everyone seems to say that foreign talent being given better opportunities but i wish to say again that i hope i am wrong.I also do not wish to see that happening in Singapore.
Well they are funding the hospitals that is for sure.They are under the government which makes those hospitals like SGH known as government hospitals and like Gleneagles as private hospitals.Yes there are doctors and nurses who do their jobs well,i agree.But a system of some sort must be put into place to increase the efficiency.
We are a very top-heavy system where the fullest attention is given to grooming the top academic talents at the expense of implementation efficiency at the middle management without which the society cannot attain real competitiveness and excellence.
Look at all the announced economic restructuring plans supposedly to upgrade our lower-based manufacturing to value-adding upstream industries. Here and there ad hoc plans are added with no one really fully orchestrating all the implementation processes to gel them into consistent actions and results.
All these grandiose plans are still not efficiently implemented to this day except a few ad hoc projects here and there to catch world attention. There is no consistent and coordinated developmental process managers to carry them out fully over time with periodic review and actions to realize goals except on ad hoc instructions.
Singaporeans have already used such systems to increase efficiencies and productivity like the process management which will allow all workers to excel with motivation and knowledge application far outdoing the Toyota but because they are not world-famous the government agencies like Spring are not interested in them so far. -
Singaporeans. Always having to queue for everything, even things that aren't cheap. I haven't actually been to SGH's A&E, although I've heard some not-so-good comments before this one.. so I can't really comment on it.
But if TS's experience is typical of SGH's service, it's truly shameful. That, for a paid service.
I was brought into a Melbourne public hospital once by ambulance. I was still new to the country at the time, so despite my level of disorientation I kept anxiously asking every nurse I could find about the charges, but I kept getting weird looks I was attended to within 3 hours although it was busy, and then hospitalised for about 2 days.. when the doc discharged me, I still kept asking for the bill.. the amused & puzzled doc said "It's free, didn't cha know? The beauty of public health service *wink*". I -did- have to foot the ambulance bill though, but even for that they let me take my time to pay.. something that increased my appreciation of their system because I was a struggling foreign student at the time.
Now that's what I call world class. -
Still remember that I once visited NUH while my chic-pox were brewing... They left me waiting in the air conditional waiting area for 2 hours to see the doc.
It was until then they sent me out to the tent to continue the consultation... -
3 Nov 2003Originally posted by mistyblue:be realistic. This is Singapore and you are going to a public hospital.
'Today' newspaper
by Val Chua
Emotions ran high on a balmy Sunday night as the normally stoic Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew nearly broke down while recounting the ordeal his wife went through in London recently.
The troubles that the couple faced - including joining a queue in a free hospital - when Mrs Lee was hit by stroke two Sundays ago, revealed how differently two systems worked.
"I cannot tell you how restless and unhappy we felt," he said at a community event in Jalan Bukit Merah yesterday.
"We run a (healthcare) system where you have to co-pay ... but you get the attention. There, no attention, just join the queue," he said grimly.
The first sign of trouble was that there was no private hospital with CT scan facility at night in London, he told residents and community leaders.
So, Mrs Lee had to go to the NHS hospital nearest to the Four Seasons Hotel where they were staying - a free facility called the Royal London Hospital - and join the queue.
"We waited 45 minutes for the ambulance for a 10-minute drive," said Mr Lee in his first public appearance since the couple returned on Friday.
"In Singapore, within half-an-hour, you would be in SGH (Singapore General Hospital), TTSH (Tan Tock Seng Hospital) ... and within one-and-a-half to two hours flat, you'd know what went wrong."
When Mrs Lee reached The Royal London Hospital at 12.30am, it happened to have three cardiac arrest patients.
Mr Lee was told his wife's brain problem was "not as important" as the cardiac arrest cases, he recounted solemnly. She would have had to wait till 8am the next morning for her CT brain scan if 10 Downing Street had not intervened to get her early attention. High Commissioner Michael Teo had sought help from 10 Downing Street at 2am on Sunday and she received treatment at 3.30am on the night itself.
"Once upon a time, it was a wonderful hospital. But after 40 plus years ... the system cannot deliver. There's no connection between those in the system and the patients," he said.
But it's the way free healthcare systems work, he added, noting that Singapore must not go down that path, even though there are calls for free C class wards in public hospitals here.
"It's how the system works ... They did not discriminate against us," he noted of his London experience.
This contrasted sharply with how quickly Singaporeans - including national carrier Singapore Airlines - reacted to the situation.
Even though doctors initially advised that Mrs Lee stay put in London for three weeks, Mr Lee decided fly her back once her condition stabilised.
And then there was the big worry that she would get a spasm onboard, he recounted.
But he needn't have worried. Within 48 hours, SIA had fitted out SQ321 with medical support of oxygen tanks and other fixtures for a drip.
"No other airline would have done this," Mr Lee said, looking visibly touched.
wonder if the airline would do this for anyone who is not a minister?
On board were also two Intensive Care nurses from Changi General Hospital, two doctors, as well as officials from SIA who made sure all the equipment worked.[/b] -
Please lor... which hospital tell you the problem within 2 hours flat in Singapore?
Which hospital in Singapore no need to queue???
If he is not who he is today, SIA would not had prepared such facilities on board.
He tasted what it is like for us to seek treatment in our very own hospital in Singapore that he claimed to be efficient...
-
Erm... 2 hours?
Hell, even TTSH doesn't promise me this timing. Within 2 hours I get results, sure, no problem. 2 hours to get treated, whoever tells me this, either you are freaking rich like Senior Lee, or you are just freaking lucky.
2 hours only if you are in a neighbourhood clinic. -
Originally posted by Jontst78:
As with my first post in this thread, that's a classic account by a fascist disconnected from reality.
3 Nov 2003
'Today' newspaper
by Val Chua
Emotions ran high on a balmy Sunday night as the normally stoic Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew nearly broke down while recounting the ordeal his wife went through in London recently.
The troubles that the couple faced - including joining a queue in a free hospital - when Mrs Lee was hit by stroke two Sundays ago, revealed how differently two systems worked.
"I cannot tell you how restless and unhappy we felt," he said at a community event in Jalan Bukit Merah yesterday.
"We run a (healthcare) system where you have to co-pay ... but you get the attention. There, no attention, just join the queue," he said grimly.
The first sign of trouble was that there was no private hospital with CT scan facility at night in London, he told residents and community leaders.
So, Mrs Lee had to go to the NHS hospital nearest to the Four Seasons Hotel where they were staying - a free facility called the Royal London Hospital - and join the queue.
"We waited 45 minutes for the ambulance for a 10-minute drive," said Mr Lee in his first public appearance since the couple returned on Friday.
[b]"In Singapore, within half-an-hour, you would be in SGH (Singapore General Hospital), TTSH (Tan Tock Seng Hospital) ... and within one-and-a-half to two hours flat, you'd know what went wrong."
When Mrs Lee reached The Royal London Hospital at 12.30am, it happened to have three cardiac arrest patients.
Mr Lee was told his wife's brain problem was "not as important" as the cardiac arrest cases, he recounted solemnly. She would have had to wait till 8am the next morning for her CT brain scan if 10 Downing Street had not intervened to get her early attention. High Commissioner Michael Teo had sought help from 10 Downing Street at 2am on Sunday and she received treatment at 3.30am on the night itself.
"Once upon a time, it was a wonderful hospital. But after 40 plus years ... the system cannot deliver. There's no connection between those in the system and the patients," he said.
But it's the way free healthcare systems work, he added, noting that Singapore must not go down that path, even though there are calls for free C class wards in public hospitals here.
"It's how the system works ... They did not discriminate against us," he noted of his London experience.
This contrasted sharply with how quickly Singaporeans - including national carrier Singapore Airlines - reacted to the situation.
Even though doctors initially advised that Mrs Lee stay put in London for three weeks, Mr Lee decided fly her back once her condition stabilised.
And then there was the big worry that she would get a spasm onboard, he recounted.
But he needn't have worried. Within 48 hours, SIA had fitted out SQ321 with medical support of oxygen tanks and other fixtures for a drip.
"No other airline would have done this," Mr Lee said, looking visibly touched.
wonder if the airline would do this for anyone who is not a minister?
On board were also two Intensive Care nurses from Changi General Hospital, two doctors, as well as officials from SIA who made sure all the equipment worked.[/b][/b]
Actually, in accounts I read from other free press - and I literally mean media free from control by the fascist in question - 10 Downing Street actually did not intervene in his case at all. The above account's just some embellished bollocks churned out by his pet mouthpieces to cultivate his "cult" status.
Oh, has that thug actually accounted for the charges incurred by the public for that makeshift SIA aircraft which he'd been pledging to pay from his own pocket for lightyears? -
yeah, u what u pay is what u getOriginally posted by Mospeada:ehh...
i dun wish to talk abt SGH...
i will choose private hospitals over public hospital dun expect too much from garmen hospital