Made my occasional visit to my work place last week. As a tour of duty, i started from my class and ended with the OT Rooms. Crapping with the OTs always tends to seize the apprehensions about my job and my seemingly bleak prospects.They give me the "Dun worry, all will be alrite" feel.Anyway, one of them informed me of the contemplations to seek medical treatment in a foreign country ( which by the way is a growing trend now days) and as usual this set me off thinking.
Singapore, a nation with accreditations in medical breakthroughs and R&D. Young, vibrant and on par with first world countries. Yet why do i see more and more people seeking medical attention for their ailments in other countries.... what's lacking here?
A pseudo survey with friends and two coffee(s) later at the coffee shop, i managed to collate their enthusiastic replies.
1) It's too expensive to seek treatment for major illnesses in Singapore. The middle class people seem to be the most affected. Not rich enough to afford the expensive treatments and not poor enough to qualify for any subsidies. This predicament acts as a push factor to fly to developing nations where treatments can be sought for much lower fees thanks to difference in currency.
2) Quite weirdly, some felt that the medical services here are over-rated. Some of my conspiracy theorists buddies felt that for every high-profile medical breakthrough published on national newspapers, there are many screw-ups that are swept under the rugg and kept out of mention.
3) This seems the most logical to me... Red Tape. Our doctors have become intuitive when treating the common colds and knee injuries but they tend to lack confidence and knowledge when they are dealing with potentially fatal illnesses. They want to play safe and follow protocols when diagnosing these illnesses. Though i welcome this move, i just feel that our doctors have become too caught up with procedures and playing safe that they sometimes over look the fact that certain illnesses are time critical.
Classic example would be Cancer. When detected in its earliest stages, can be treated to full recovery. But somehow i just do not understand why the doctors schedule the scans months away... Don't they realize that the waiting period itself is sufficient to mature the cancer? Why does one have to go through so many check ups ( and these are ordinary check ups where the patient is told to wait a few weeks before returning for another check up) before being sent for a scan. Just to be told that he/she has cancer.
But who is really to blame for this ridiculous practice. The doctors? or us, the Singaporeans? Have we become so accustomed to complaining and being picky about even the slightet mistakes that we left the doctors no choice but to follow all these ridiculous procedures.They are human too. They are not born doctors or specialists. If we do not provide the room for them to learn, how are they going to improve?
I feel its a vicious cycle actually but i will elaborate on it in the next entry.. now too tired to continue.
2 comments:
In regards to the 'friend' who recently had told you his "contemplations to seek medical treatment in a foreign country", I think his reason is not so much of the list you had mentioned. It's more of Spore Drs not up to standard compared to his own country where ALL Drs, therapists any medical professionals offer the BEST standard in the whole world. Best standard is due more to cleverness and intelligence of the Drs in his own country. That has been his usual remark whenever he has to visit a Dr. Honestly, I'm sick and tired of hearing it most of the time. In my heart, if it really is that bad, then go home and stop complaining. No one stopping him to go back to his nation of pride and joy. *eyes rolled. You know, it is really hypocritical to be saying such things...sigh.
relax la seeker.. his comments were just a topic opener... haha.. wat i mentioned was based on my own pseudo surveys.
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