3/17/2016

No more A Class ward for me

Still reminiscing the good old days when life was good, when many things were free. Dental and medical treatments were free for children. And as adults working in the civil service, hospitalization entitlement was free even for the wife, and in A Class ward. Many retired civil servants that opted out from the old medical schemes are kicking themselves silly today when the cost of A Class ward today is like paying for a Presidential Suite in a 5 star hotel.

 

Just a few decades ago, practically every Singaporeans, technicians and taxi drivers, would opt for A Class wards on admission to a hospital. A Class was affordable to the average Singaporeans with their large savings in their CPF. Today, you no longer hear the average Singaporeans asking for A or even B1 wards in privatized public hospitals. They know that one admission would make them a bankrupt or in debt forever. I have made up my mind that C Class is what I could afford should I ‘sway sway’ get admitted to a private public govt hospitals. And I am not even sure if I could afford to pay the medical bills even with subsidies and with the MediShield Life Scheme.

 

Below are a couple of comments from bloggers posted in TRE in an article by Phillip Ang titled, ‘PAP should not disguise a subsidy as a grant’.  But let me quote a para from Phillip, ‘The more citizens are assisted by the govt the worse off we are.  If our economy was really on steroids, why should we need an ever increasing amount of handouts? Something is very wrong here.’ And here is a comment by a Tuck Wan and a Oxygen.

 

Tuck Wan:  Phillip Ang, You are 100% right. I was billed $900+ after 80% subsidy for 3 days stay (C class). No surgery just medication, blood test and microprobing the stomach. If no subsidy then bill should be $4,500+.  Still scratching my head why so expensive…

 

Oxygen:  Quality of healthcare in C class care risk aggravation of patient’s health recovery from major surgery. The tragic result, if not eventuating in the death of the patient through breakout of infectious clusters, could prolong the stay of patients adding to their cost of hospitalization stay. Less in class C could well ended in a lot more for the unfortunate few – after hospitalization stay complication arising from lower quality care.

 

The hospital bill for a C Class ward has been inflated to such a huge sum that even after a 80% subsidy, the amount still comes to a substantial sum. And the people are not really paying for the services of world class doctors and nurses but those from the 3rd world countries where the medical training and standard are sub par from our very own medical professionals. And as Oxygen mentioned, and had happened several times, there is now a higher risk of getting infected in a breakout of infectious diseases due to lower level of medical standard. We had hepatitis C breakout that had never occurred before, then TB affecting children and babies and what else.

 

Everyone should be praying not to get sick, not just because of the hefty medical bills after subsidies and after Medishield Life but also the fear of the unknowns. How have we progressed? How many are still opting for A Class wards in privatized public govt hospitals? How many can afford this luxury?

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

The saying for the common man is that in Sgp, you can die but do not fall into prolonged illness - outpatient or otherwise.

Anonymous said...


Yes! Yes! Yes!

Everyone should be praying not to get sick n hospitalised!

How many can afford? How many can afford?

Please stop turning our govt hospitals to hotelpitals!

Yes! Hotelpitals! Hotelpitals! Hotelpitals!

Yes! Govt hospitals are fast becoming hotels!

The patients no need the extra luxury!

The patients need medical tender care!

Sincerely hope the top top in the govt really heard what
patients on the ground singing the "song-of-sorrows"!

Why do we ended up like that?

Sad. Very Sad! Very Very Sad!

agongkia said...

Its those rich ngeowchee in the past with entitlement mentality that like to go A but still complain till it become unaffordable today.
But who cares?My lakopi kaki prefer to stay at normal C or D class even when he can afford to stay at A.
Becos C got more room mates to boast about his batam experiences and more different foreign female health worker to see and kaypoh.
Money save from A class can go for more Batam trips or like my idol Virgo ,loitering above the cloud to exercise his fingers,get himself pampered by massage mei mei or going for his favourite asam fish head.

Anonymous said...


Anonymous 9.59 am, very glad to hear your wonderful and
juicy stories.

Very happy for you and your lakopi kaki.

All the BEST!

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Today, those who go for private hospital or A-class in restructured hospital are:
1) Govt pensioners, or
2) those with private medical insurance, or
3) super rich with more than $10M.

Even normal millionaires are now opting for B1 or even B2 class. This is because the followup checkups with specialists and outpatient clinics are charged at the class you were in when you stayed in hospital.

A hospital stay for a surgery or a medical problem may be just once, but the followups and 3-monthly / 6-monthly reviews can be for years.

Anonymous said...

Daft and poor sinkies should just resigned to their fate, lakopi and used C class wards. That is what they deserved.

And yes, can share all the achievements in Batam since they can't do anything better. This is a good philosophy for living for daft and poor sinkies.

Anonymous said...

It's good that agongkia and friends prefer to stay in C or D class.
With so many hospital beds next to each other.
Do you think there is more chance for different types of diseases to spread from one patient to another?
Do you think this gives our 3rd world medical talents more opportunities to practise their medical skills and knowledge on Singaporeans?

Do you think a disease outbreak in a hospital ward will teach Singaporeans the health benefits of single bedded hospital rooms (and voting Opposition).

Was there any disease outbreak in Singapore hospitals recently?
Could the severity been reduced with single bedded hospital rooms?

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with collecting more money from sick Singaporeans?

Anonymous said...


(correction)

Agongkia 9.50 am pls note...........

Very glad to hear your wonderful and
juicy stories.

Very happy for you and your lakopi kaki.

All the BEST!

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

'With so many hospital beds next to each other.
Do you think there is more chance for different types of diseases to spread from one patient to another?'

They no worry lah. They everyday go and la the hole in the bottom happily, fearless.

Anonymous said...

If there is a disease outbreak in a C class ward.
Do you think the patients in an A class ward is automatically safe because they got more money?

Do you think Millionaires are just as stupid as everyone else?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I've had good experiences using Singapore's public health system. It's now one of the world's best... better than Australia.

The subsidies help, and I happily pay the difference.

It's much better as a wealthy society to pay for safe high quality health care than the "just OK" healthcare of pervious times.

Virgo 49 said...


Ahgongkia, no need stay in "C" or "D" class in Matland.

Can opt for "A" or "A+".

Somemore can use Medisave and IP Insurance. Three hospitals in KL and Malacca under Sin MOH approval.

That's why smart sinkies chose to stay in Mat Land whence retired.

Best of both worlds.

One sin to 2.9 RM

Cheers.



b said...

Everywhere is the same, gov trying hard to plunder the people. Some tried harder than others.

Anonymous said...

Singaporeans are sure a molly-coddled lot. The PAP government has provided the best medical facilities for ALL Singaporeans with fantastic susbidies and all some disenchanted Singaporeans can do is to bitch about cost and services provided by the fantastic medical team. Singaporeans are seldom satisfied. Give them an inch and they demand a mile. The PAP government is both caring and generous and most of all efficient. So please do not complain too much. Redbean is forever trying his best to sow dissatisfaction amongst his readers. Shame on you RB.

Anonymous said...

"Singaporeans are sure a molly-coddled lot."
March 17, 2016 5:43 pm

PAP Millionaires are also Singaporeans.
And yes indeed, the PAP Millionaires are a molly coddled lot.

Molly coddled with;
- multi million dollar salaries
- sub-judice laws
- defamation laws
- Harrassment laws

No wonder these PAP Millionaires will never emigrate away from Singapore.
- not even a sex scandal will shame these Lee-ches away

Anonymous said...

Just look at the brutal attacks Hilary Clinton has to face:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqWQ2ykC0C4

Do you think our molly-coddled PAP Millionaires can tolerate such attacks without suing?

Virgo49 said...


Poor Sinkies.

Got to tolerate non stop brain washing and propaganda from the PAP.

Tak boleh habis. Now got Founders Memorial Hall or Garden.

Soon Exhibition of the gone Founder. Maybe have to line up same route again and cried once more of HIS past funeral again for HIS anniversary.

Goh Keng Swee, Hon Swee Sin and many others not Founders meh???

Tak gelak???

Pathetic

Anonymous said...

Singapore to impose penalties for not according Lee Kuan Yew’s name with dignity and respect

http://statestimesreview.com/2016/03/17/singapore-to-impose-penalties-for-not-according-lee-kuan-yews-name-with-dignity-and-respect/
....................................................

More examples of molly coddling of PAP Millionaires.

Is a "Lèse-majesté law" going to be implemented in Singapore soon?

Anonymous said...

JOKE - Proposed welcome banner to arriving tourists at Changi Airport
.........................................................................
" Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the LEE he is God; there is none else beside him.
Mortals of Earth, know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LEE he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. "

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ "silencing citizen dissent is BAD", 543:

»The PAP government is both caring and generous and most of all efficient. «

The is no OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE to support your outrageous claim that the PAP is either "caring" or "generous". However, there is plenty of objective evidence and consistency in performance, that despite a cock-up or two now and then, the PAP is undeniably EFFICIENT.

Don't be a doofus and expect your govt or any authority to be "caring" or "generous". That is not their JOB.

If you claim that "Singaporeans are molly-coddled" and "demanding", then you are behaving in that stereotypical way by DELUDING YOURSELF into thinking that your govt actually cares about you, when there are over 5 million people on the island. Get real: you don't know all of them and they don;t know you.

Save your sentiments of "care" and "generosity" for the people you actually know and share relationships with; because you can objectively make a case for their "moral attributes" (and they can judge you too) because you know each other.

»So please do not complain too much. «

On the contrary. Although Singaporeans are champion complainers---on that we can agree---it is the QUALITY of the complaints that are the issue. Many Singaporeans are not effective communicators. They don't teach that in school, most parents are fucked communicators themselves, and after school few even bother to hone these "soft skills". So kids grow to be adults and muddle through life lacking in such a necessary skill.

=====

Some years ago, I flew in to Singapore from my work in Bangkok in a very bad shape. Long story short, I ended up in Tan Tock Seng quarantined for suspected bird flu, which luckily turned out to be a false alarm. And after a short stay was released, though still quite ill, and thoroughly medicated.

In TTS, I was put through a whole array of tests---full blood work, x-rays etc., the works. When it came to paying the bill, I was quite surprised that after the subsidies, the cost wasn't so bad. Never for a moment did I resent paying up for quality healthcare. I will gladly pay again, although I don't look forward to checking in as a patient in any hospital!

I cannot offer enough praise and gratitude for the professionalism of the staff. They were top class. Everyone knew what they were doing, and my queries were answered courteously and to the point. As a patient---I was very ill, barely able to walk---this is what I needed---the feeling of security and real hope that things were going to be ok, because the people in-charge knew their jobs and duties and performed them excellently.

Although my account here is anecdotal, in my mind Singapore's public health system is as good as anywhere in the world, better than even Australia which has a public healthcare system respected around the world.

Anonymous said...

What Matilar has stated is fair from the perspective of upper middle income class. The government hospital is quite TOP class if you have the money and the charges are half of the private hospital using Govt A class ward comparison.

However if you are below that income class I am afraid you are toast. It's a matter of how toast you would be. So in the u die your business country, u better strive to earn as much as you can so u can enjoy all the sinkie land goodies not only in health care but all other areas.

Matilar how come u don't write rubbish any more?😀😀😀😀

Anonymous said...

We conducted a free health screening for the senior citizens in a constituency. Only a few turned up. So some went to the homes to ask the seniors in the neighbourhood to come forward.

They said no. They could not afford the medication and after care if diagnosed to have sickness. The rather not know what medical condition they had. They did not have deep pockets like Matilah to pay happily for good service, and to give tips some more.

Virgo49 said...

Matilah, Bangcock bird flu??

More like warded for HIV.

TTSH Communicable Dieases Ward.

After relief still got two more screws to coffin sang praises for Sin medical.

Luckily not in Cannot Go Home and SGH.

There died Hep C.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ "not-a-doctor" virgo 49:

» Bangcock bird flu??

More like warded for HIV.
«

Suspected bird flu was the diagnosis of the ER docs at TTS.

These are REAL doctors, not like you who doesn't even possess the requirements to be a wart on a doctor's arsehole. 😜 The extent of your medical training is putting 2 koyok on the bengkak injuries you sustained after your latest altercation with a drunk mat saleh. 😹😹

»After relief still got two more screws to coffin sang praises for Sin medical. «

Why not? They played a crucial part in me recovering and not dying (that day). Plus they treated me professionally and courteously.

Unlike you, whose parents probably neglected teaching you good manners, I lavish gratitude praise on people who do excellent work. 👍🏽👌👋

Have you ever in your life said "thank you" to anyone? I bet you never do. Rude cunt. 💩