Thanks to SGH doctors who put patient before payment
LAST Wednesday at 2.45pm, I took my wife to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for her second operation. When we arrived at the admission office, the SGH staff gave us a file to be admitted to the ward. On the way to the ward, I received a call from the admission office and was told my wife could not be operated on until we settled our bill.
The officer asked us to meet the supervisor to settle the bill, which was $14,000. The supervisor told us we would have to pay in cash or my wife would not be operated on. I told him my wife was insured by Great Eastern, which had settled the bill for my wife throughout the whole procedure during my wife's admission, but to no avail.
At around 5.20pm, I called my insurance agent and asked him to come to SGH to settle the matter. At around 6.15pm my wife and I went with the insurance agent to OCBC Bank in Toa Payoh to withdraw at least $7,000, but the bank was closed. My wife told me to cancel the procedure and she would call the doctor tomorrow, when we received a call from SGH asking why my wife had not been admitted yet. The doctor asked us to come back to the ward and they would handle it. He said my wife was supposed to be admitted at 3.30pm for a medical check-up, before tomorrow's operation by Professor Eu Kong Weng.
My wife was warded at about 7.15pm. Dr Wee and the nurses gave her a check-up and found she had a slight fever.
I explained to Dr Wee and he told us to forget everything, and said he and the professor would settle for us. Prof Eu always said his patient was more important than money and told us not to worry. My great compliments to Prof Eu and Dr Wee for giving my wife a good and happy feeling.
I feel very proud and want to say a big thanks to SGH for having good doctors with a good heart.
Rayduwan Hassan
LAST Wednesday at 2.45pm, I took my wife to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for her second operation. When we arrived at the admission office, the SGH staff gave us a file to be admitted to the ward. On the way to the ward, I received a call from the admission office and was told my wife could not be operated on until we settled our bill.
The officer asked us to meet the supervisor to settle the bill, which was $14,000. The supervisor told us we would have to pay in cash or my wife would not be operated on. I told him my wife was insured by Great Eastern, which had settled the bill for my wife throughout the whole procedure during my wife's admission, but to no avail.
At around 5.20pm, I called my insurance agent and asked him to come to SGH to settle the matter. At around 6.15pm my wife and I went with the insurance agent to OCBC Bank in Toa Payoh to withdraw at least $7,000, but the bank was closed. My wife told me to cancel the procedure and she would call the doctor tomorrow, when we received a call from SGH asking why my wife had not been admitted yet. The doctor asked us to come back to the ward and they would handle it. He said my wife was supposed to be admitted at 3.30pm for a medical check-up, before tomorrow's operation by Professor Eu Kong Weng.
My wife was warded at about 7.15pm. Dr Wee and the nurses gave her a check-up and found she had a slight fever.
I explained to Dr Wee and he told us to forget everything, and said he and the professor would settle for us. Prof Eu always said his patient was more important than money and told us not to worry. My great compliments to Prof Eu and Dr Wee for giving my wife a good and happy feeling.
I feel very proud and want to say a big thanks to SGH for having good doctors with a good heart.
Rayduwan Hassan
