Category Archives: Health

Health

Circuit breaker day 01

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Today is the start of the Singapore Circuit Breaker to fight the Covid-19. For the first time in my life, I am seeing all eating outlets accepting takeaway only. This is unprecedented and hope that this epidemic do not come back again.

Secondary school students took their last lesson at schools before it close until 04 May 2020. The students will begin their home based learning tomorrow.

It had also disrupted and affect the livelihood of a lot of Singaporean’s. Non-essential companies need to close and employees need to take their own leave. There are also worst case where they are laid off as their bosses are unable to sustain the business.

The government had to draw on their reserve in order to ensure their livelihood are protected during these rough times. This will allow them to keep their jobs and business can sustain during the Covid 19.

Health

CoroNAvirus self check

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The new NCP Coronavirus (COVID-19) has a latency period of 0 to 24 days. As there may be no sign of infection, one will not know if he is infected. By the time they have fever and/or cough and goes to the hospital, the lungs is usually 50 % Fibrosis and it’s too late!

Taiwan experts provide a simple self-check that you can do every morning :
Take a deep breath and hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you can complete it successfully without coughing, without feeling discomfort, stuffiness or tightness etc.) congratulations! It proves that there is no fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicating no infection.

In critical times, please self-check every morning in an environment with clean air!

  • Deep inhalation for 10 seconds in the morning, no cough, depression, tightness, discomfort, etc. * It proves that there is no fibrosis in the lungs, which means that pneumonia has not attack, but it must be tested continuously every day.

I am not sure you believe the above but there is no harm in trying it out. We are living in a world of FEAR but life must goes on.

Health

Coronavirus fact

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The Coronavirus is spreading and affecting people lives worldwide. People are panicking and snapping up surgical face mask in the retail stores. Let’s look at the Coronavirus fact and how it might infect you.

Coronavirus Fact

We should stay calm and adhere to the local authority advisory in your country of residence.

Health

NHGP Waiting Time

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It is good that you can know how many patients are waiting before you see a doctor. You can plan your time at the PolyClinic.

You will see a QR Code at the bottom of your attendance slip. Scan using your camera or QR Code reader. It will inform you how many patients are waiting before you.

Use the HealthHub to book your same day appointment before you visit the PolyClinic. 95% of the time, you will see a doctor within one hour.

Health

MiHealthCare Shut Down

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MiHealthCare will shut down on 28 Feb as updated by the NHG call centre. They do not want to reply my email but informed me through the phone.

You can still book your appointment through it until 28 Feb 2018. A link to HealthHub app is also present for you to use the new app.

There is a bug in the MiHealthCare where OTP will not be generated within 5 minutes. This usually occurs after 12am and there are customers who login trying to get a early appointment. This will not occur on HealthHub.

From 01 March 2018, all polyclinic Appointments will be carry out using HealthHub. You will need your Singpass account to book the appointment.

Parent will need to book the appointment for their children as they do not have the Singpass account.

Health

National Heart Centre Clinics Self Payment Kiosk

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There are self payment kiosk available for the specialist clinics. This will speed up your payment process as compared with depending on human.

But for getting of appointment, you still need to queue and get serve by a staff. They still do not have an online system for you to book. It is either available over the counter or through the appointment contact centre. This might change in the future as productivity is the key to our success.

Health

SGH ENT Clinic Patient Experience

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Registration using the automated registration machine is fast and convenient. You can scan your IC/ID card and it will generated the slip if you have a schedule appointment. The slip will show you the clinic and room to proceed for your consultant review.

Of course, seeing the consultant still take some ample waiting time. I see this is a major improvement as you can skip the registration counter.

But now the lag is at the payment and appointment counter. Just imagine, there are at least 20 consultant rooms but only 2 staffs to serve your payment and appointment needs. You need to wait at least 30 minutes on a normal day for them to serve you. It can be quite frustrating as they use a very manual method and that is by calling name instead of utilizing the queue number.

It is time SGH looks at how NHG Polyclinic is resolving this issue. At the poly clinic, you can proceed to made payment using the automated counter or back at home using AXS or internet banking. You can then queue at the appointment counter to book your appointment.

We should learn and adopt best practices in the healthcare sector for the benefits of the patients. There is no need to re-invent the wheel but sharing among each other to improve the services together.

I will email SGH and let’s see what is their comment on the payment and appointment counter issue.

Health, hospital

Subsidy Patient in distress

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I bought my mother to Singapore General Hospital Clinic A (ENT) for a specialist follow up on her Thyroid. She will need an operation after they had seen her CT scan on the neck.

I saw a old male patient in around 50s in distress and need to see a specialist. He had an appointment to see the specialist but only in Jan 2017. But he obviously know what type of medical attention is require and insist on seeing a doctor and do not mind waiting till 6PM onwards.

The operations staff advised that he cannot see a specialist without an appointment. He need to go A&E if medical attention is require.  But he does not want as he cannot afford the charges of $125.

The operations staff had update that none of the specialist was able to help him. He mention that there are so many specialists in the clinic and nobody can help him on a 5 mins procedure which he had done before. It is indeed sad that the healthcare system is rigid and nobody can assist him.

A patient associate assure him that the charges will be waive if he go over to the A&E with the operations staffs. With the assurance,  he left the clinic towards the next destination.

We may not have the medical attention required just like him if we do not have enough money. Staffs may be eager to help him but still have to abide by the rules and procedures. In Singapore,  this is the hard truth and unless you know the channels that can help. We really had to work till death to continue surviving. What are your views?

Health

Wisdom Tooth Surgery@Raffles Dental

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I have impacted wisdom tooth and have been feeling pain on my left side of the jaws. The wisdom tooth had been pushing my next molar and affecting it. This is the first time I am doing a wisdom tooth surgery and I choose Raffles Dental.

Raffles Dental@Causeway Point had a very clean and sterile environment. The rates are very competitive when compared with the neighbourhood clinics and hospital. Wisdom tooth prices will vary from$200 to $900 depending on the complexity of the procedure.

I advise you to refrain from looking at the YouTube videos which will only made you more worry. The procedure for my one is quite simple as the dentist need to remove the impact wisdom tooth (left) and the tooth next to it which is damage also.

My dentist for the procedure is Dr Simon who is an ang moh. He update me on the procedure that he is going to perform for my surgery which is removing the wisdom tooth and the tooth next to it. He apply the numbing cream on my gums and then follow by injection for local anesthesia.  The anesthesia takes full effect after 10 mins. You will feel the sensation and even stretching up your face to the eye lids.

The dentist proceed to remove my first damage tooth within a minute. It was follow by my impact wisdom tooth which took less than 5 minutes also.  Then the dentist start to stitch my gums and the thread is dissolvable. It is really fast and painless due to the medication effects.

As the complexity is low for my case, the total charges was $320 excluding medication and GST. I am unable to claim Mediasave as the fee is too low and thus I have to pay in cash. It is fine as I can claim from my company plan.

For those reading about wisdom tooth surgery, take my advise not to see the YouTube videos. Find a good dentist with a clean and sterile environment and get ready for the procedure.