2/28/2014

A case for opulence

The mansion of Dr Michael Lim that was splashed across cyberspace and the media is a testament of the good life of our rich and famous. The scale of the mansion and the furnishing say that Dr Lim is very rich and living a very comfortable lifestyle that the heartlanders and even many private property owners could not dream of. This is the meaning of rich. Good for him and his success story.
 

In the 60s and 70s, the medical professionals were living well and many lived very well practicing their trades. The opulence in the class of Dr Lim’s was an exception though some did achieved that level of grandeur then. No medical professionals was complaining and people could afford doctors making home visits at very affordable fees.
 

And the best part, many medical services in govt hospitals and govt clinics could be had for free or for a song. There was no fear of unaffordable medical fees and no fear of getting sick and unable to pay for treatment. There was no fear of being bankrupt by a terminal disease. There was a nice balance between what the people can afford to pay for medical services and providing the medical professionals a good life. Many medical professionals could afford landed properties and the Mercedes Benzes.
 

Those were the good old days. Today we have medical insurances, the 3 Ms and now the 4th M in Medishield Life and the people are still living in fear of being struck by a serious illness that they cannot afford to have. Even minor outpatient treatments are not cheap and unaffordable to many. There is no such thing as FREE! What on earth is that thing called FREE medical services?
 

Today, medicine and medical services are all about money and how much to pay, and about affordability. And many are asking how did we arrive at this state of affair when medical fees are so prohibitive that you need so many fanciful schemes and insurance to try to make them affordable but still unaffordable to many? What have these things got to do with opulence?
 

Have we progressed or regressed in this life and death services that the people cannot do without? Several decades back we were looking in astonishment and awe at the excesses and abuses of western medicine and medical services. Today we walked right into the same trap and try to outdo the western medical industry in everything, especially the prohibitive cost of medicine and medical treatment. We never seem to want to avoid the same pitfalls of the outrageous medical practices of the west. We simply aped everything, lock stock and barrel, fearlessly doing what the west have been doing.
 

Would the Medishield Life help to reduce medical cost and the anxiety of the people? Would medical cost be really affordable or be as affordable as our property prices under the same definition of affordability preached by the govt? Or would Medishield Life help to increase and spread the level of opulence?
 

How did our medical cost get to be so expensive?

Kopi Level - Yellow

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

U sure Dr Michael Lim's wealth is only through his medical practice?

True, medical cost is very expensive but not all doctors are very rich.

But then hor, among PMEs, I have not heard or came across taxi drivers who got MBBS. Have u? Engineers? Yes.

oldhorse42 said...

Why did Dr Lim splashed his wealth in public for every body to see? Inferiority complex? surely not
I am a subsidized patient. So every time I go to polyclinic or specialist clinic, I got to see only FTs like indian, Burmese or viet doctors.

Only paying patients can see higher grade doctor.

Some people said that good and expensive local doctors are looking after tourist and rich foreigners who they can charge sky high prices.

Anonymous said...

Take dental care for example, last times when go for simple dental check up, dentist will scale, polish teeth, filling and extract decay tooth all at the same appointment and we pay reasonable fee.
Now they will tell you, the allocation time can only do scaling & polish (fee is rated minor or complex, may need another appt. to complete scaling) or extract decay tooth. You have to pay consumable charges and GST at each visit. You have to made appointment few months in advance and a simple check up will cost you more than $100.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

In Malaysia, the elite and royalties only see doctors that were foreign trained. The local trained doctors treat the poor.

In Sin, the local trained and western trained doctors treat the rich elite and foreigners. The poor are treated by doctors trained in the 3rd World. Just pray they vet their qualifications and degrees properly and none are fakes.

Anonymous said...

"In Malaysia, the elite and royalties only see doctors that were foreign trained."
RB

Not really lah. I read that Dr Mahathir had his heart operation done by a local (Malaysia) doctor and even with a Malay name.

Anonymous said...

"The poor are treated by doctors trained in the 3rd World."
RB

Not really lah. I was a subsidised patient and got treated by a local doctor who has a medical degree from a university ranked top 3 in the world and in a govt hospital!

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

There is a difference between generalisation and specifics and also a general trend and a new normal : )

Anonymous said...

The crime of capitalism is that the rich keep piling more and more on their table at the expense of the poor.

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates don't need to be paid more. But many of the super rich still want more and keep taking from the poor.

Anonymous said...

Medical doctors are blood suckers.

There is this spinal surgeon's clinic who warns that charges will be timed according to the time spent in the consultation room. Almost like one of the big five legal firms, billing by the seconds!

It's all about money, money and more money. Hippocratic Oath? What the fuck is that?

Looking at this doctor's mansion makes me believe that he is very proud to have arrived by building himself a very frenchy looking mansion. Very rare in Stinkapore! You can count such buildings with the fingers of your two hands. Outstanding achievement. Maybe he is a very successful investor of his money earned from medicine, in which event, congrats. Can I become your disciple?

Anonymous said...

Profiteering Laws does not apply to professional services la.

Anonymous said...

They were blessed with the Midas touch.

Anonymous said...

He is former PAP MP.
Is it true?
If you serve two terms as a Member of Parliament.
Afterwards, no need to pay income tax anymore?

How many terms did Dr Michael Lim serve as MP?
Does he pay any income tax?

b said...

If this medical doctor is so rich, how much do you think the lee empire is worth? probably will take 100 years to compute. We need a Putin, Hitler or Mao to arise and confiscate all the sinful monies that they exploited legally or illegally from the general public.

Anonymous said...

Money will change hands, it is just a matter of time.

Anonymous said...

The gov should tax the rich much higher since all the defense budget are used to protect the assets of these scumbags. Why should defense budget be paid by the general public when most profits are privatised and most wealth are only in few hands?

Anonymous said...

Seah Chiang Nee's Saturday column


[A sweetener for the Pioneer Generation -
Recently announced healthcare measures could be targeting senior votes,
which are badly needed to offset declining support from young Singaporeans]

"The consensus, however, is that it will gain the party some elderly votes,
but not enough to stem its spreading loss of popularity.

There are several other unhappy issues that will impact the 2016 election."


http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Insight-Down-South/Profile/Articles/2014/03/01/A-sweetener-for-the-Pioneer-Generation/

Anonymous said...

The Pioneer Generation is not a universal healthcare policy for the elderly.
It is only targeted at the Pioneer Generation.
If you are 35 years old now, there is nothing in the PGP for you when you are 70 years old in 35 years time.

Vote out the vote buying, slime sucking. pro alien party.