WE ARE sorry about Mr Thomas Lim's experience ('Glacial pace:
Such service standards are unacceptable at Singapore's most
established hospital'; Monday).
On the morning of March 22, the Ear, Nose and Throat Centre
experienced an exceptionally heavy workload and despite additional
staff being deployed, registrations took longer than usual.
Consultation times can range from a few minutes to more than
half an hour, depending on the complexity of the case. When a case
takes longer than usual, other patients in the queue invariably end
up waiting longer. Furthermore, Mr Lim's doctor had to perform a
procedure for one of the patients, which resulted in longer waiting
times for those in the queue.
Patients' access to care, which includes their follow-ups by
specialists in a timely manner, is a priority to us. So we do, as a
norm, schedule more appointments to buffer any 'no-shows' by
patients.
Our staff have since contacted Mr Lim to arrange another
appointment.
Yeo Han Seng
Assistant Director
Specialist Outpatient Clinics
Singapore General Hospital
