That's not how it should work. Is everyone entitled to healthcare or only the rich is entitled to it?
Having worked as a doctor in both Singapore and Canada, I'd say there is no pleasing everyone. It is actually a very Asian mentality to want things done immediately. Eg MRI, CT scan, specialist consult. The rich would say I can pay for it so why can't I see the specialist today? (In Canada there is no private health care arm so everyone is queued according to need). In Singapore the poor would accuse doctors of being money minded and only see the rich and don't give two hoots about the poor, leave them with foreign trained doctors etc.
Can't please everyone. As a doctor I do believe that rich man or poor man, we doctors should treat both the same. In that sense Canada's system suits me best. But yet I end up having to explain (sometimes heatedly) with rich obnoxious PRC or Hongkie patients about why they cannot have their CT scan tomorrow.
On the other hand, it is true that in general NOBODY wants to pay for healthcare. They want great healthcare but nobody wants to foot the bill. Not the government, not the patients. So in Singapore they try to leave it to the free market to dictate prices. MOH forced the Singapore Medical Association to scrap the Guidelines on Fees which was actually meant to set a LIMIT to how high fees go and not set a minimum. Let them compete........ah....but with Dr Susan Lim's case the courts have rule that there is an "ethical limit". So that tells you, they hope free market equals cheaper and cheaper.....sorry in healthcare it doesn't work like that. When you are worried about your loved one you would do anything to get them back. Do Singapore doctors fear monger to get patients to pay up? Have you heard any friend or relative recount how an oncologist would say "Try the chemotherapy there is a chance. 1% is still a chance. Don't do chemo means ZERO chance. You don't try means you let your father die". With that kind of talk, little wonder why people get pissed with doctors and feel guilty about not being able to "afford" to save their loved ones.
The reaility is that certain treatments are worth trying. Some aren't. Who is best to know? The doctor.
Hence the best way to make doctors work impartially is the universal health care system. However the rich hate it for obvious reasons. At the same time, serving the rich is actually more lucrative and less work.
Then there is the whole "Medicine is a vocation" debate. Ie doctors should not be in this for money they should be more charitable etc.
Then people say Pay peanuts get monkeys for doctors.
There is no end to this.
Medical Tourism is purely for profit. I have suggested before that Public Govt Hospitals in Singapore NOT compete with the Private sector for Medical Tourism or private patients. Why do they want to compete? For what? Money? I say have a tax on all Private hospitals. The tax helps fund the public hospitals. No longer ask public hospital CEOs about profits (yes public hospital and every polyclinic also got to show PROFITS believe it or not).
Public don't compete with private lah. Otherwise might as well NTUC it.
Public serves the people, the poor. Private fleeces the rich (they have no qualms paying anyway) and they know how to do it. Govt Tax the private hospital to get $$. Win win. I think Beng Teck Liang is trying to say Public please don't fight with Private lah. Doesn't make sense right? It is like Singapore govt opening NTUC Hotels to compete with Shangrila, Marriott etc. Why you want to do that?
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