A Singaporean In Australia

Despite the popular tongue-in-cheek Chinese notion of "在新加坡可死不可病"，many of us regard Singapore as a world class medical hub. Hmmmmmm. As if we Singaporeans do not know how things in Singapore works. Let's take a look at a couple of aspects in life before coming back to the medical system.

Education. Singapore has a very good record of producing youth winners of international maths competition and what nots. You have to have an impression at least, because each time we do the prostitute press will spread her legs and show everyone her red panties marked 'Singapore, maths champions!' Singapore has also maintain a relatively strong standard in other academics. So what does that make us, a world class educational system? Strangely, every single Singaporean with kids that i met in Perth told me they came because of their kids. Why are we downgrading our kids from a world class education to well, a not so world class one? Isn't parenting about giving our kids the best that we can? Mystery.

Jobs. Open your eyes and look around you. How many CEOs of MNCs are Singaporean? Do not name me the military croonies heading a GLC as an example. We know very well what is going on there. Chances are, finding a Singaporean CEO is like finding a needle in a haystack. That isn't pertaining to the top man only. Look further down the hierachy, you will find it is rare that Singaporeans hold top management postitions in big companies. What does this tells us about our vibrant job market people all over the world are flocking to, in the country with the highest GDP in the world? Are Singaporeans not capable enough to run the shows after emerging from almost 2 decades of world class education? What are we missing here? Whatever it is, yes, there are big money to be made in the vibrant job market of Singapore. If you are reading this, chances are you are not one of them with access to it.

In a few years' time, a large percentage of Singaporean drivers see their COE expiring. It will be decision making time then, to choose between purchasing a license close to 6 figures to drive their next car for the next 10 years and hopping on the other segment of our world class transport system. By then, it will be clearer for all to see who are the users of our world class infrastructure enjoying our world class roads, tarred thick, smooth and nice as the facial foundation of the office ladies who chope their seats with tissue papers.

Ok you got my point. So we have surgeons separating Siamese twins, geniuses who transplant livers blindfolded while juggling his handphone with his tongue, physicians who can perform miracle healing to foreigners. In short, WORLD CLASS medical system. Well, if someone tells me that, I will not dispute it at all. Simple because, I do not know a shit about any medical system anywhere in the world. Let me give you an example what kind of noob I am.

I remembered asking my friend Grace, working as a nurse in Perth for more than 4 years, about how her hospital class their wards. She wrinkled her face and gave me a puzzled look and retort, "When there is bed, we give it to the patient lah! There is no class A, class B or whatever crap." That night I consulted my good friend Tucky via whatsapp and told me about my conversation with Grace. He exclaimed,"Wah lau, you don't know class system only applies to Singapore? Which cave were you hiding in?"

Hmmm.

Let me share a tale of a very unfortunate commoner in Singapore. This account may be true, but not a representation of the general Singapore public because he may very well just be an unusual suay kia. 

The first time Suay Kia saw a specialist was during his NS days where he developed a skin condition he had never encountered in his life. He was referred to a skin specialist in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was diagnosed with Eczema at the back of his knees, all over his neck and the of his scalp. Very often the affected areas oozed clear fluids. It was extremely itchy all the time. He was prescribed steroid creams after the end of each visit. The specialist said there was no cure for this condition and could not offer any other solutions than steroid creams. After 1 decade of suffering from Eczema, Suay Kia decided that the steroid cream made the wounds swell with increased itchiness and decided to stop using it. Till today, most of his affected areas disappeared except for the scarp, which may be plaguing him to his death bed.

Suay Kia was a avid soccer player in his youth. Due to accidents, he injured both his ankles on different occasions multiple times. He was referred to the specialist in SAF school of medicine where he was given painkillers and ultrasound treatment each visit. The condition didn't improve. Eventually his ankles were treated by a random Chinese sinseh from somewhere and recovered.

Suay Kia was pretty good in his chin ups during NS days, clocking up to 25 before he hurt his shoulders. At first it seemed like it was a normal neck sprain. But he got worried as he kept injuring the same location very often in his later mandatory chin up sessions in the army. He was referred to the Orthopedic at 'K' clinic of Alexandra Hospital where he underwent 2 years of physiotherapy and muscle gel prescription. After 2 years of faithful belief in the specialists, he got fed up and demanded for a serious review of his problem. The specialist reluctantly ordered for an MRI scan on his neck. The result revealed Suay Kia suffered from a slipped disc in his cervical vertebrae. The specialist hurriedly wrote a letter to the SAF MO to have him downgraded at his third year of reservist. 

Later in life, Suay Kia was married and got his wife pregnant. Their excitement soon turned into a nightmare with KK Hospital. Read about it here. [link]

It's another hit and miss case for Suay Kia [link] who was told his blood in the bladder was due to exercising.

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So higher class, better medical treatment? Mean testing? Let me tell you, brothers and sisters. I don't care how they coined it. This is so wrong. They can commercialise whatever they want and fatten their pockets but medical MUST be left out of the game. Who's gonna pay? Who's gonna pay? The morons in white will scream. That tells you a lot about millionaire ministers asking the citizens the question they are paid to answer. As a citizen, I don't give a fuck how you do it. You can jolly well shut off all the thousands of street lights at night to fund a free medical system for every single Singaporean to receive an equal access to excellent medical attention if you need to. I am very sure there are much less radical, sustainable solutions. The fact is, the government does not have the intention to do this at all, not because there is no solution to support it.

So do we have to go to exclusive doctors to get ourselves probably healed? Is it Suay Kia's fault for putting faith public medical practitioners? If you just a commoner and not a rich Indonesian, what kind of medical standard will you receive? A doctor is a doctor is a doctor. But no so in world class Singapore. Is that the fate of the Singaporean under classed to receive medical attention as cheap as their lives?