http://statestimesreview.com/2015/09/13/my-sister-died-from-waiting-3-months-to-see-a-specialist-in-singapore/
My sister died from waiting 3 months to see a specialist in
Singapore
I lost my younger sister three weeks ago to depression, three days
after I took her to the polyclinic to get a referral for medical
attention from a specialist at the restructured hospitals.
She could not wait three months for her appointment with a
psychiatrist at the Singapore General Hospital, or even three weeks
for an alternative appointment to see a specialist at a clinic
conducted at Outram Polyclinic.
Photo from SGH
There have been other complaints in letters to the press and on
social media about the wait of up to three months or more to see
the specialists at the hospitals.
Singapore has prided itself as being rated among the top few in the
world for its healthcare system in terms of efficiency. But is it
really up to the mark?
Patients seeking referral from the polyclinics should be given top
priority, especially patients suffering from depression, to be
assessed by specialists as soon as possible instead of being put in
the normal three-month queue.
I hope my sister’s death will not be in vain. I know she would have
liked to make a difference, and I hope her death will be able to
help others who might go through the suffering she did.
Linda Cheng
This letter first
appeared on Todayonline on Sep 11.