Mount Elizabeth Hospital rejects critically injured worker
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don't be surprised if :
1. it was his company/boss who refusesd him to be admitted to mount eliz.
2. his company's insurance does not cover private hospital admissions.
wake up and face the reality, somethings are beyond the hands of the doctors there too. they can probably apply some basic first aid (even for free), but eventually the real issue is the payment for the definitive treatment. -
I wonder where have the TS disappeared to. From his nick, it appeared that he've posted once and disappeared while he was being 'fired' at by forumers.
I strongly encourage others to get certain facts right before posting such remarks as the hospital can take it as a court case against the TS.
At the same time, I'm glad that many forumers here are able to see the bigger picture of this situation and make responsible comments. -
It is not true that Mount E does not attend to emergency cases. I remember very vividly an incident about a decade ago where the sister of my filippino auntie suffered a massive stroke while with her friends at lucky plaza. Like my aunt, her sister was a domestic worker working in a Singaporean family. Her friends, seeing her condition, rushed her to the nearest hospital which is Mount Elizabeth (it's just behind Lucky Plaza). The doctors did not hesitate for a moment to treat her and she was admitted to the ICU at Mount E after her employer willingly took up the responsibility of footing the medical expenses. Sadly, due to the severity of her condition, she passed away a few days later.
I believe that your friend got the wrong information or for that matter the workers' condition was deemed safe enough to be treated at a government hospital. Furthermore, most insurance policies do not cover private hospitals. I think we have to find out more information before we come to any wild conclusions of our own on this matter. -
Originally posted by quarkz:
In Singapore, it is MONEY and the ECONOMY that the systen saves....
Hi,
Just would like to highlight something which happened this Monday (29/1/7) around noon time. My friend was working in Tan Tock Seng hospital (TTSH) at that time and he saw a critically injured construction worker being rushed into the A&E department.
He was "transferred" from Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Mount E). The construction worker had fallen from 7th floor to 5th floor and then to the ground floor. His college rushed him to the nearest hospital, which was Mount E.
However, instead of treating this serious injured guy, he was simply put on drip and transferred to Tan Tock Seng hospital.
[b]Why wasn't he treated or operated immediately? It's a matter of life and death. The transfer from Mount E to TTSH could take anywhere between 20mins to 40mins or even longer depending on traffic condition. This time difference meant that he may lose his life.
Well, the reason is actually quite simple - He is a lowly paid construction worker from China. He will not be able to pay the hefty hospital bill ... so why give him treatment?
To Mount E, it seems that these ppl's lives are not worth saving! It's better to use the resources available to treat the rich ppl! I don't know who made the decision to transfer the serious injured guy but I believe it's a common practice over there.
It's really sad, disappointing to see such things happening. Should the motto of a doctor or hospital to try their very best to save lives, no matter who they are?
I'm posting this because I feel that such things 've to be made known. I wonder how ppl feel after reading this? Ignorant, indifferent ....?
PS: The construction worker is now in the high dependency ward (ie bet normal & intensive). It seems that his life is still NOT out of danger yet.[/b]
...not lives.
Private hospitals and private healthcare are for the Elites and Rich, common folks goes to public hospitals and polyclinics where the WAIT for medical attention itself, kills people..... -
Based on experience, the longest I've treated a bleeding finger was 10 minutes, and it's a deep cut.Originally posted by QX5216J:Depending on the condition of the bleeding.
if it keep on bleeding fro a prolong period (15-30mins), its time to hail a cab or call 995 before dying of Loss of Blood.. -
ShutterBug, that I would beg to differ.Originally posted by ShutterBug:In Singapore, it is MONEY and the ECONOMY that the systen saves....
...not lives.
Private hospitals and private healthcare are for the Elites and Rich, common folks goes to public hospitals and polyclinics where the WAIT for medical attention itself, kills people.....
While Singapore does care about the money, lives are important as well. Mount Elizabeth is a private hospital, the worker is foreign which compounded the whole issue.
The threadstarter has never been clear, with no facts or whatsoever to back up.
Furthermore, it's his/her friend who witnessed it. There are lots of people working in Tan Tock Seng who aren't trained nurses/doctors and could easily jump into conclusions based on the people arriving at A&E, especially those in ambulances.
Seen a tad too many cases on this. -
hi,
Thanks for your valueable comments. Maybe some ppl 'll think tt I'm just jumping to conclusion and accusing Mount. E. The fact tt I waited 6 days before I post this is to get as much info as possible. Even the nurses shaked their heads when they saw tt.
FYI, I've fax a memo to the Chinese embassy to look into the matter.
Just to point out a few points....
1. Mount E do 've A&E department. However, compared to TTSH, the doctors there are not as good cos they do not encounter some many cases daily. But they do 've sufficient facilities to treat the injured person. "Treat" of cos does not mean simply to set plug and put the person on drip and then transfer him to another hospital. If a person is seriously injured, doing the above does not stablized his condition. More can definitely be done.
2. One good point is that the employer could 've called the friend who sent the injured guy in, telling him to transfer his injured friend to a govt hospital. Even so, Mount E should not 've allowed tt because the person is in a life threatening condition. In any case, the responsibility cannot be shifted.
3. A&E treats patients according to the seriousness of their condition. It's not 1st come 1st serve.
4. Complaint letter to Mount E? Sorry I believe it 'll just end up in the rubbish bin.
5. The injured person was initially in a intensive care. He is now in high dependency ward becos his condition is better now. Simple as tt. u try falling from 7th to 5th floor and then to ground floor. see how tt feels.
6. If u 've bought insurance, u should know there's lots of "terms and conditions". there are also special restrictions. depending on the cost of premium, it may only cover the basic. I'm sure some of u may 've the experience of not getting your claims from the insurance company. Moreover, I don't think there are many employers who 'll be willing to spend a lot of money on their workers' insurance. usually, just the basic 'll do. -
"Treat" of cos does not mean simply to set plug and put the person on drip and then transfer him to another hospital.
I'm afraid that in Singapore's context, it does mean this. Depending on the seriousness of the injury, basic first aid might be applied first before transferring to another hospital which has the facilities. -
Mount E has A & E dept. My grandfather died there in A & E.
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i saw before a rolls royce car in MEH... i think the doctor there earn money like siao
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That's the point: he did not have a life threatening condition that precluded his transfer to TTSH. Let the real doctors make the assessment...Originally posted by quarkz:But they do 've [b]sufficient facilities to treat the injured person. "Treat" of cos does not mean simply to set plug and put the person on drip and then transfer him to another hospital. If a person is seriously injured, doing the above does not stablized his condition. More can definitely be done. [/b][/quote]
Are you a doctor? Do you have any idea what is appropriate treatment for him? It is true that TTSH has the best head trauma unit in Singapore for years before they set up the Neuroscience Institute there (now moved to SGH). If he had head injury, he may require surgery to evacuate a blood clot and Mt E may not have a neurosurgeon on duty at the time capable of doing the operation. In that case, Mt E will have to weigh the risks of suboptimal treatment at Mt E with the risks of transfer for appropriate intervention at TTSH. On the other hand, the nature of the brain injury may preclude operation. One thing is for certain, there will be brain swelling and the treatment is to inject medication (mannitol, vasopressin etc.) through the drip, which was probably done as he was transferred. That is appropriate treatment to stabilize his condition unless he had an expanding subdural or extradural haematoma that required urgent surgery. He did not have to undergo surgery at all, did he? That proves the management of Mt E was correct and that he was fit enough to be transferred. A good call..
[quote]Originally posted by quarkz:
One good point is that the employer could 've called the friend who sent the injured guy in, telling him to transfer his injured friend to a govt hospital. Even so, Mount E should not 've allowed tt because the person is in a life threatening condition. In any case, the responsibility cannot be shifted.
That is true. Would you rather demand that all employers should purchase the most expensive medical insurance for their workers? That will be a sure way to kill off SMEs and scare off investors.Originally posted by quarkz:If u 've bought insurance, u should know there's lots of "terms and conditions". there are also special restrictions. depending on the cost of premium, it may only cover the basic. I'm sure some of u may 've the experience of not getting your claims from the insurance company. Moreover, I don't think there are many employers who 'll be willing to spend a lot of money on their workers' insurance. usually, just the basic 'll do.
Mt E is right to send away cases that are fit to be transferred where the patient is unable to afford the fees of private medical care. Otherwise they will end up with losses which will have to be passed on to other patients or erode shareholder's profits. Mt E is a private hospital. They are in this line for the money. In life-threatening cases, they have to answer to a higher moral obligation but apart from that, they should be allowed to operate their business within the relevant rules and regulation. -
True. Doctors in private hospitals earn more than 3x as much as specialists in public hospitals. But it is the doctor in the public hospital that will have to look after this patient. More work for less payOriginally posted by stooki:i saw before a rolls royce car in MEH... i think the doctor there earn money like siao
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Yes, ineed there are many intervening counter-facts in this regard, but I feel that a hospital being what it is (to save lives) should do what it is SUPPOSED to do regardless of nationality or income capacities. Otherwise they can very easily be construed to be practicing Racial & Status Descrimination.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:ShutterBug, that I would beg to differ.
While Singapore does care about the money, lives are important as well. Mount Elizabeth is a private hospital, the worker is foreign which compounded the whole issue.
The threadstarter has never been clear, with no facts or whatsoever to back up.
Furthermore, it's his/her friend who witnessed it. There are lots of people working in Tan Tock Seng who aren't trained nurses/doctors and could easily jump into conclusions based on the people arriving at A&E, especially those in ambulances.
Seen a tad too many cases on this.
And Singapore's World Machine, is only tuned to Make & Preserve money/economy, and little functionality has be integrated into it to recognize humanity until just lately....
Baby steps, are afterall better than no steps taken towards this end of the system here. But I just hope, the steps taken aren't half-assed ones - like the STUPID $300 per year Medisave scheme!!!
Now that's a God Damn lamer, and pure Half-assed!!! -
Wait til you see arterial spurts .....TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE!Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:Based on experience, the longest I've treated a bleeding finger was 10 minutes, and it's a deep cut.
10 minutes of arterial spurting .......is enough to get a blood transfusion up for a person or kill them.
I hope I never see it again . -
Originally posted by quarkz:
I think you will be laughed at as a busy body . Even China has privatised healthcare systems which leaves alot of people out - guess china is not as communist as we like to think it is . No money no doctor.
hi,
Thanks for your valueable comments. Maybe some ppl 'll think tt I'm just jumping to conclusion and accusing Mount. E. The fact tt I waited 6 days before I post this is to get as much info as possible. Even the nurses shaked their heads when they saw tt.
FYI, I've fax a memo to the Chinese embassy to look into the matter.
Just to point out a few points....
1. Mount E do 've A&E department. However, compared to TTSH, the doctors there are not as good cos they do not encounter some many cases daily. But they do 've [b]sufficient facilities to treat the injured person. "Treat" of cos does not mean simply to set plug and put the person on drip and then transfer him to another hospital. If a person is seriously injured, doing the above does not stablized his condition. More can definitely be done.
2. One good point is that the employer could 've called the friend who sent the injured guy in, telling him to transfer his injured friend to a govt hospital. Even so, Mount E should not 've allowed tt because the person is in a life threatening condition. In any case, the responsibility cannot be shifted.
3. A&E treats patients according to the seriousness of their condition. It's not 1st come 1st serve.
4. Complaint letter to Mount E? Sorry I believe it 'll just end up in the rubbish bin.
5. The injured person was initially in a intensive care. He is now in high dependency ward becos his condition is better now. Simple as tt. u try falling from 7th to 5th floor and then to ground floor. see how tt feels.
6. If u 've bought insurance, u should know there's lots of "terms and conditions". there are also special restrictions. depending on the cost of premium, it may only cover the basic. I'm sure some of u may 've the experience of not getting your claims from the insurance company. Moreover, I don't think there are many employers who 'll be willing to spend a lot of money on their workers' insurance. usually, just the basic 'll do.
[/b]
So what is the point of your Memo ?
Anyways , are you even a doctor to make an assumption that Mount E did not try and do anything about it? Did your friend even see what type of drip it was?
Sometimes doctors cannot operate until the patient is stable enough and even so , certain specialists in government hospitals might be better at certain specialised procedures to increase the chance of survival for the patient ,than private hospitals
If I remember right - doctors do phone the doctors in the other hospital to hand over the case directly . So that will get him immediate medical attention when he transfers over.
Even in Singapore- some hospitals do transfer patients with conditions they cannot deal with to major hospitals with the specialty expertise through ambulances . Who says Mount E is not doing the same in the interest of the patient? -
Updated: I was too harsh in my accusation initially so I have edited my post. The hospital has contacted me and told me that they'll investigate the matter. However, before that, I should not be accusing them. I apologize for that. I was also told that it is current policy in Singapore to have the Singapore Civil Defence Force and re-structured hospitals' Accident and Emergency services attend to all trauma and accident cases, instead of private hospital.
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yea but I think last year I went China they changed the law... that hospital must treat first before getting $. Furthermore their medical are quite heavily subsidised by the government.Originally posted by F.raon.I.R:horrible treatment...blacklist them
sounds like those china hospitals we see in tv...no $,no treatment for u -
Government should do something lor...
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Hospital does allow transfer once they have contacted the other hospital which they're transferring the patient to. Moreover, MEH might not have the available facilities or surgeons to carry out immediate operation as compared to a Public Hospital which Civil Defence Ambulances send victims to.Originally posted by quarkz:... One good point is that the employer could 've called the friend who sent the injured guy in, telling him to transfer his injured friend to a govt hospital. Even so, Mount E should not 've allowed tt because the person is in a life threatening condition. In any case, the responsibility cannot be shifted. -
I supposed you're still ignorant about the system in Singapore. The patient got to be transferred with a reason and not just because they see the patient as being a Chinese National and hence given sub-standard healthcare.Originally posted by ShutterBug:Yes, ineed there are many intervening counter-facts in this regard, but I feel that a hospital being what it is (to save lives) should do what it is SUPPOSED to do regardless of nationality or income capacities. Otherwise they can very easily be construed to be practicing Racial & Status Descrimination.
And Singapore's World Machine, is only tuned to Make & Preserve money/economy, and little functionality has be integrated into it to recognize humanity until just lately....
Baby steps, are afterall better than no steps taken towards this end of the system here. But I just hope, the steps taken aren't half-assed ones - like the STUPID $300 per year Medisave scheme!!!
Now that's a God Damn lamer, and pure Half-assed!!!