Polyclinic : Most God Damned excuse I Have ever heard!!!

last SG · 2007-01-01T08:14:20+00:00

its partially true. when this news came up at last night's news. I was amazed that they credited Pasir Ris polyclinic for their good work in "managing patien...

dragg SG

not true leh.

plus the medication the total bill is only around $13-15.

private clinics charge at least $23.

ditzy SG

If they dispense you fcuked up medicine, you can come back for more. Laughing

googoomuck SG

When GCT was PM, the Government set a quota on the number of medical students who can be admitted to the local University.

Singapore always has more qualified applicants than there are places.
The governments approach was to select a few on the basis of academic results and leave the rest to end up in some other profession.

Some who can afford to go overseas also faced restriction as more overseas medical schools are added to the list of institutions NOT recognized in Singapore.

The 'fear' was that too many doctors would create artificial demand for their services, charging patients for unnecessary tests or treatment.

But now I think his view was very misplaced.

We face now severe doctor shortage because somebody cooked numbers to support a move that was obviously wrong. This is a desperate situation. The government needs to act now because it takes a long time to train a doctor.

Meanwhile, reverse the policy - expand the list of overseas medical schools that Singapore will now recognize and invite more foreign doctors to curb the shortage.

fymk SG

If I am not wrong , they used to have an agreement with the recognised Australian universities on a restricted quota of Singaporean medical students. Not sure if they abolish it.

dragg SG

you are wrong. i have never visited polyclinics again after the first consultation.

but i cant say of private clinics.

ditzy SG

Of course everyone hopes it to be that way, the first and the last consultation. Who enjoys seeing the doctor so many times? Laughing

hiphop2009 SG

i always hav to wait damn long to see a doctor in a polyclinic...(i go to cck polyclinic)

i rmb i once had high fever n flu n cough n a bad sore throat....n i saw the waiting time: 3 hrs......i was already pissed off....so i went to see private doc instead....

n polyclinic doc do not give antibiotics if u had sore throat or mouth ulcer...damn it!

seriously, it is v sian to wait so long.....n the doctors are slow........

dragg SG

but bedok polyclinic is not that slow leh.

Shocked Shocked Shocked

ShutterBug SG

Wait 3 hours, and then not prescribed Antibiotics for sore throat???

Bluddy hell! The gov might as well not bother with providing this kind of Half-assed Healthcare!!!!

Xephone_xenon SG

Okay give me a flawless suggestion then. Shutter bug.
Every doctor see you for 1min? Anyhow checkup?

Poly clinic is damm cheap liao. If you cant wait go spend $20~30 at a family clinic.
If you are poor. Bo bian. The goverment setup polyclinic consider considerate liao
And people are already taking polyclinic for granted. Dun feel like going to work or school. Just spend $3 lo.
From what i see. There obviously students and adults just want to take mc skip sch and work. And from what i see this is 30% of the population that goes to poly clinic.
If the service better we just take things for granted. I ensure you there will be more students that happy happy just go there take mc.
Liddat Q time even longer.

ShutterBug SG

Flawless suggestion? I thought our PAP is so FLAWLESS! Should never make or provide flawed solutions like the decades old Polyclinic!
The problem with the long wait isn't the length of time the docs takes to examine a patient, it is the lack of doctors WILLING to work in Polyclinics! Why is there a lack of doctors in Polyclinics?? Our glorious gov should bluddy well know why! They made it such that very few docs wants to work there! They can improve circumstances so that docs will work there, but they either can't be bothered or too busy inflating their revenues to over-pay their own ministers!!!

People who go there to fake a sick leave to obtain MC; if many succeeded in obtaining MCs, then there are just too many UNQUALIFIED doctors who can't even tell a fake patient from a genuine one, let alone accurately daignose and remedy illnesses!!!!! WTF?!?!

Setting up a Polyclinic is considered considerate??

NO! It's their FARKING DUTY of a government the people voted for!!!!

M©+square SG

Seems like you're saying it is because of the considerate government, we have polyclinics and we should be contented or even be thankful with their service at present state?

Assume from what you 'see', these 30% of local population, on daily basis, apart from the 30%, how much of the percentage are those who goes to polyclinic just for the sake of taking medical cert?
This problem doesn't only encompass people who are not geniunely ill.

I feel that it should not be the case of 'if we improve, they will want more from us.' Instead of seeing the trying efforts from the clinics, the news article seemed to send the message of finger pointing at the patients.

There are people with real needs however, they are unable to afford medical/consultation fees.
I suggest not over blowing the proportion of patients who visit polyclinics for other reason to patients who truly needs attention.

Boy Stratus SG

Im sorry but you know how tiring it is to go see a doctor when you are sick, & to even wait for 3 to 4 hours for the doctor when you wanna just go home to rest is really $%$^@$%!

dragg SG

what talking you?

do you mean that the doctors also happy happy give MC?

sgheartland SG

it depends on how you want to look at it, half full or half empty.

CM06 SG

Actually one solution to alleviate the shortage is to bring in the nurses and/or pharmacists to be the front line of medical diagnostics. Most countries face a shortage of doctors hence the change of this system.

Frankly, if you are sick and just want medication, head down to your nearest pharmacy. All of our pharmacists are qualified to diagnose problems. It is just the common believe that only doctors know anything about health problems.

From personal experience, during my army days i got foot-rot from sharing showering facilities...(yeah i know my fault for not wearin slippers). i went to see my old gp... family doctor of dunno how many years...he gave me a steroid cream. 1 small container 30g, $32! The itching stopped...but heck the foot-rot play hide and seek with me for half a year. I got fed up with having to pay so much ( i bought 3 bottles over that period actually) that I walked into my nearest pharmacy, and tried to look for alternative and asked for advice from the lady at the counter. I recommended one "local" brand..mycoban...and now my foot rot problem solved(in 1 month)!

In another case i found out Panadol, or it's common name paracetomol cost only 3 CENTS PER tablet if you are willing to buy generic products....I never buy Panadol brand medication again after finding out i got cheated for over 10 years.

And dont look down on nurses. What they can observe/have in knowledge is comparable to a doctor with similar years of experience because they(nurses) work hand in hand with the doctors in addition to looking after the patients. In hospital, i dare say i put more trust in an experienced nurse say privately against what a newbie doctor anyday.

After this, i concluded

If you want MC/surgery then you have to queue at the polyclinic, otherwise a pharmacist is more than sufficient to look after your usual sickness IE you want to just get well.

Perhaps if the Medical COUNCIL is willing to open the health industry in this way then life will be better for us citizens. Cause for your information, the medical council is run by Docs(majority). In my personal opinion, they are in a way , unwilling to admit to the fact that they are not the only source of health information/treatment in the area of general ailments as it would lower prestige of the profession of "Doctors".

When you know friends who are pharmacists, nurses and talk to them about what they know vs what doctors know, you will understand their "plight" of being squeezed and looked down by "professionals"

EDIT: No i'm not involved in anyway medical profession myself...but after hearing whether my reservists buddies(pharmacists & nurse Yeah male nurse! I know, he's quite a nice guy actually Razz ) have to say, i feel i should speak up for them.

Dogtor SG

Wow!! You guys raise many points.

1. Polyclinic ----> government subsidizes. If you can afford you should not be there. Currently we don't have means testing so all subsidies are blunt, ie. if you are driving a mercedes (fully paid-up), live in a fully paid-up bungalow, have a thriving million dollar business, don't declare GST, and underdeclare income - you still get subsidies. And some still complain about healthcare costs.

2. Pharmacists have some knowledge of treating common ailments. But currently, Singapore Drs prescribe and dispense in the same clinic setting. This is convenient to patients but a second step of professional check for complex patients using many medications (polypharmacy) is not there. The pharmacists have for years been trying to get the government to stop this practice but unsuccessfully. If implemented -healthcare costs will triple. Reason - Docs in Singapore do not charge economic consultation charges (ie. about $100 to $200 for a 15-min consult) - so they make their money from selling the medications they prescribe (total package) - $25 to $30 for a 5-min cough and cold visit. Real docs elsewhere will have you strip down into exam gowns, the visit is 15-minutes. The clinic nurse weighs you, takes your BP, and temperature. What you pay is what you get.

3. By the way, you should even need to see docs for simple cough and colds - just get meds over the counter and call in sick. The problem is that some companies have a "policy" of only accepting government clinic issued MCs which is actually discriminatory - so far no one has brought such a charge towards these companies. A Singapore Medical Council registered Dr is the same and all MCs are and should be equal and legitimate, but companies actions are incomprehensible and increases healthcare costs - if you have cough and cold, and take medications, you are a danger to yourself and others (drowsy from meds, fever -?SARS/Bird flu). Just call in sick and stay at home for a couple of days - if not better, then see Dr. Straight away save $200 from having to see a doctor un-necessarily.

4. Common cough and colds are due to viruses - taking antibiotics do not help. All current clinical guidelines discourage the use of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infection. Because antiobiotics are priced too cheaply in Singapore - there is blatant abuse without adequate diagnostics. The commonest bacterial throat infection is Strep throat and you can get a quick throat swab but the kit costs as much as the antibiotics if not more - so Dr prescribe antibiotics when the patient wants it because they get "lambasted" for being "expensive", ordering "un-necessary" tests. So Singapore medicine gets set back to the stone age of rampant un-necessary antibiotic use and creation of super-bugs.

shade343 SG

Taken from today's TODAY.

Patients should not get upset if they have to wait

Letter from JEFFREY LAW LEE BENG

TODAY'S Singaporeans are becoming increasingly impatient and irrational; they are fastidious about services and facilities at public polyclinics and hospitals.

During the old days, nobody dared raise a whimper about poor service, long waiting times and other bugbears because they regarded the healthcare staff and doctors as special professionals who should not be doubted or questioned. Waiting patiently for half a day then to consult the doctor was commonplace.

These days, patients tend to feel upset and obnoxious when they wait for about an hour or so before consultation time. Perhaps they are better educated and aware of their rights and expectations. Also, various avenues of filing complaints are open at all times.

Due to the vast improvement in service and amenities, our polyclinics will continue to attract more people seeking medical treatment. Waiting for a few hours is really not too much, especially when you are in air-conditioned premises with medical literature and newspapers to while away your time.

Seeing the doctor is not a daily or weekly affair; we do so as and when the need arises, sometimes in three or four months. A little patience will go a long way towards making that trip to the clinic a worthwhile one.

After all, it is common for people to wait for hours to catch a glimpse of their favourite actors or camp overnight for a National Day Parade ticket, not to mention the two-hour queue for that famous barbecued pork come Chinese New Year.

Hogzilla SG

Obviously, the writer is another mouthpiece for the 146th. (Since 146th is the mouthpiece of Gahmen, the writer is the mouthpiece of a mouthpiece. What was that monster?)

charlize SG

He obviously thinks being sick is fun.

How do I know that? He equates waiting to see the doctor with queueing up for BBQ pork or waiting to see your favourite singer. Laughing

« Previous Page Next Page »