Another Reported Case - AH
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Perhaps, the true test and hallmark of a genuinely first class system, particularly of the govt and its bureaucracy, is not whether the correct and proper procedures/processes are in place BUT, and this is a gigantic BUT, whether such laid down procedures and processes actually were seen to work and produced the desired outcome and results.
Let me give an example, a true personal example, using the MOH/Civil Defence Ambulance system. Basically, the SOP or MO (take your choice how you want to call it) is that ambulances will answer calls and despatch the patients to the respective tertiary hospitals predesignated by a SOP/MO. Eg, if a patient resides in Queenstown, the ambulance would send him/her to the Alexandra Hospital and norwhere else.
Several years ago, this was exactly what happened to my late mother. She suffered a stroke in the wee hours of the morning. The ambulance driver/staff ABSOLUTELY REFUSED TO TAKE HER TO THE SGH WHERE SHE HAD BEEN RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR HER CONDITION.
When I received the call about her I naturally rushed to SGH thinking that that was where she would be sent. But no, she was not at the SGH A & E but sent to AH by the ambulance. When my siblings and I rushed from SGH to AH, we found her unconscious and strapped to the stretcher by the side of a room, completely UNATTENDED by a doctor sitting in the room apparently minding his own business. (In retrospect, we surmised that he must be a lowly duty houseman unsupported by any other doctors or other medical staff.)
When we questioned him about what is being done, we only got silence. Sensing the urgency, we created a ruckus demanding what is happening. This brought a senior nurse into the room from whom we demanded that our mother be quickly transported to the SGH where her records and doctors were. Only when we raised our voices, did she finally relent, but the ambulance driver who had apparently gone back to sleep, had to be awakened to do it!
As you might have guessed, at the SGH, we were told by the consultant that it was too late. A brain scan showed a lot of swelling had already occurred by the time she was brought to SGH, from a burst blood vessel, and we were told that she would be a living vegetable, even if she was operated on AND we were adivsed to make a very very agonising and painful decision to 'let our dear mother go'.
Subsequently, when I related this to a friend, he told me a shocking story about how new doctors/housemen were chastised by their supervisor when they fought to revive a serious case! Ostensibly, the message to the young doctors was not to waste their efforts and resources and facilities on such 'hopeless' cases!
So, I think Singaporeans like us, may be forgiven when a few years ago the MM (at that time SM) extolled the virtues of the Singapore Medical system on the occasion of his wife's illness whilst they were in London. For us ordinary citizens, even getting an ambulance driver to divert to another hospital had proved an impossibility. But when you are a Singapore VIP, even an 747 jumbo jet would be fitted and staffed with medical personnel to fly you half-way round the world! And had there been any public announcement on when or whether the SIA bill for the specially made flight have been settled as promised by the MM?Posted by: commentator_sc at Fri Apr 18 13:16:23 SGT 2008 -
Haiz.
These days they are more interested in building more hospitals and using more resources to cater to the ultra wealthy people around the world.
Soon hospitals will be another luxury good that only the rich can afford.
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I challenge any of you to tell me the answer to this:
If a man is suffering from pain , and he has no money to register with the hospital,
do you think he will be attended to by a doctor and receive a bed in a ward?
or he has to wait and wait and wait.
hospital. so much luv.
so caring for human lives.
ya.
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Yes, public hospitals in singapore should not go down the slippery road of over commercialization. we need it so the rich to pay for the poor u say? remember corruption happens if there is money involved.
If a man is suffering from pain , and he has no money to register with the hospital,
do you think he will be attended to by a doctor and receive a bed in a ward?
He must be.... but pray sir, tell me not the reality.
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Yup. He will be attended to by the hospital and doctors, and receive a bed in ward if he needs to be warded. Basic healthcare and treatment will still be given to him. I dread to think he will be turned away, even if he had no medishield or medisave. I had to convey a destitute(beggar) to hospital once after arresting him (Police nsman). He was serious enough to be warded. Needless to say, he had no medisave. They warded him anyway. when I chatted with the hospital staff about cases where patients with no money walking in for medical treatment, they told me they will still be treated. If they can't pay upfront, the bills will be mailed to their homes. Guess that's where the bad or doubtful debts comes in. You may want to write in to newspapers forum for MOH's or the hospital's reply. That will clear doubts too.