Do S'pore hospitals really give better health care?

Do S'pore hospitals really give better health care?

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore

We have heard all the talk about wealthy Indonesians getting
medical treatment at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, as
they prefer the better service and technology compared what local
hospitals can offer.

Managed by the Parkway Healthcare Group, the facade of the
hospital is actually not that impressive, just like any other
regular building. Inside, it is even a bit hectic with dozens of
busy people moving about the halls.

Yet, thousands of Indonesian people come to the hospital every
year, making them the highest percentage of foreign patients
treated annually.

For those who have had to have medical care in Indonesia,
which can be very slow, careless and overpriced, the organized,
accurate and attentive service in hospitals here can be quite a
welcome relief.

"The cost is indeed expensive, but the efficiency and
professionalism make it worth the price," said Indonesian Jimmy
Djimantoro, whose 71 year-old mother has just undergone heart
surgery at the National University Hospital (NUH).

"Here the equipment is better and the doctors are more
attentive than those in my hometown Surabaya. I've been told that
my mother will be allowed to go home after eight days in the
hospital, he added.

Due to the proximity, Mount Elizabeth, and other hospitals in
the city-state have long been the destination for people in this
country to receive medical services.

Data shows that among foreigners seeking medical treatment in
Singapore, Indonesian people have the highest numbers from year
to year.

Indonesian patients can even outnumber local patients, as
happened at the NUH a year ago. Out of the total of 30,000
patients admitted to NUH last year, 65 percent were Indonesian.

A visit to six hospitals in Singapore, did not actually reveal
anything so extraordinary, actually, with regard to the look of
the hospitals, except for the new hospitals like Raffles Hospital
with great architecture and interior design. Some private
hospitals in Jakarta look even better.

Could it just be prestige that draw Indonesians to pursue the
medical service here?

"Here in Singapore, the equipment is more complete. Maybe some
of it is similar to equipment at home, but what makes the
difference is the people who operate it. They're just better
here," Jimmy said.

According to cardiologist Budi B. Dharmadji from Dr. Sutomo
hospital in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesian hospitals are
actually not lagging behind in technology.

"With heart surgery, for instance, it's not that different
except for the price, of course. In Jakarta's Harapan Kita Heart
Hospital, heart surgery costs around Rp 80 million (US$8,888),
while here it can cost between Rp 200 million to Rp 250 million,"
said Budi, who is currently on a fellowship program at the
Singapore General Hospital.

There are, indeed, some technologies that Indonesia has yet to
provide, such as brachytherapy (radiation through veins to avoid
blood clotting) and intravascular sound.

"Perhaps it is the image that draws Indonesians here," Budi
said, adding that he did not see many Indonesian patients with
heart problems coming to the hospital.

Djoni, meanwhile, transferred his two year-old daughter with a
brain tumor to NUH as advised by neurologists in Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Jakarta.

"According to the doctors, there hadn't been any successful
treatment of such cases in Indonesia," he said.

The technology in Singapore hospitals is more sophisticated.
Doctors and experts are also more adept, as the country sets very
high standards for its medical professionals.

A specialist, for example, can only practice after 15 years of
successful tertiary education.

Nevertheless, it seems that the good service is what makes
people keep coming back.

"For the same price, we could get afford a luxury suite and a
better package in Jakarta's private hospital," said Jasmine, 33,
who had just given birth at Singapore's Thomson Medical Center
maternity hospital.

Jasmine has been living in Singapore for the past year,
following her husband's transfer to a multinational company here.
It cost her around S$3,000 to deliver her baby normally here.

"But the hospital staff are very attentive and caring. Ever
since I came back home from the hospital, a nurse regularly calls
me to check whether I have any problem with the baby or not."

Djoni agreed with Jasmine, saying that back home, it was often
difficult to meet or consult with doctors.

"While here, as soon as we arrived, a team of doctors and
specialists quickly came to meet us and discuss the ailment," he
said.

The good service is perhaps also a marketing attempt as the
competition for local market is tight. There are a total of 28
hospitals, with the an equal number of private and public
hospitals, serving a population of 3.3 million.

Despite the number of Indonesians or other foreigners who seek
medical treatment here, there has been a decrease in those
numbers in the past year.

Data shows that from 8,463 patients went Singapore in 2001,
and that figure went down to 7,275 in 2002.

Neurologist Keith Goh, who is famous for successfully
separating Siamese twins in 2001, said that the number of
Indonesian patients had been decreasing since the economic crisis
began in 1997.

"More people are going to Malaysia and Thailand since the
costs are cheaper," he said.

The cost of living in Thailand and Malaysia are roughly half
of that in Singapore, yet the hospitals are nearly as good.

In an attempt to get more foreign patients, earlier this year,
Singapore's government established a new department under the
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) called the Healthcare Services
department.

Program director of the department Chan Tat Hon said that the
STB had done a good job in reaching customers, and disseminating
information about the healthcare service in Singapore.

Chan denied, however, that the establishment of the new
department was merely aimed at business.

"We're not thinking just of the economy of it. Medical
treatment is something that you only want to do one time. Health
is about your body, not just a product. We take this seriously,
it is not just marketing. If in doing so it helps hospitals,
good. But that's not our main focus," he said.

However, the country does not only invite more foreigners to
seek medical treatment here, but also medical staff to work in
the city-state.

"Many hospitals are still short of staff, like radiologists,
neurologists and general physicians. We need a lot of resources
from Indonesia, and other neighboring countries," said Goh.