Indonesians flock to S'pore for better health care
Indonesians flock to S'pore for better health care
SINGAPORE (JP): It is no secret that Indonesians have for many
years flocked to Singapore to shop. What is often overlooked is
that many go to the island state for medical care.
Slowly but surely, Singapore has built a reputation as one of
the finest medical treatment centers in the region.
Mount Elizabeth Hospital is among the best known infirmaries
for Indonesians.
The numbers speak for themselves: Mount Elizabeth admitted
6,120 Indonesian patients last year, and 4,440 more in the first
eight months of this year.
Another leading private hospital, Gleneagles, registered
nearly 4,500 Indonesians in 1996. It has treated more than 2,500
this year.
The main treatments sought by Indonesians are general
medicine, general surgery and cardiology, according to Tan-Hoong
Chu Eng of Parkway Group Healthcare, one of the largest private
health care organizations which handles about 75 percent of
patients in private hospital health care in Singapore.
Others include gynecology, gastroentorology, urology,
orthopedic surgery and cardio surgery.
Parkway Group runs Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles and East Shore
from Singapore's six main private hospitals, and about one-third
of all patients are foreigners.
Indonesians make up about half of these.
Among reasons for the popularity is the quality and long-term
experience the hospitals promise.
With the most developed economy in Southeast Asia, Singapore
has been able to develop an advanced health service.
The medical technology available is on the cutting edge, and
most is still not found in other countries in the region.
Heart lasers, a cytotoxic laboratory for anti-cancer drugs,
MedX equipment for spinal rehabilitation and equipment for
stereotactic neurosurgery are just a few of Singapore's
facilities which are unavailable to doctors in neighboring
nations.
Mount Elizabeth and East Shore are the first hospitals in the
Asia Pacific to receive ISO 9002 international quality
certification.
But is sophisticated medical technology the main attraction
for Indonesians?
Tan said modern technology helps, but believed it was the
overall health care approach which counted most.
She said technology can help in medicinal aspects, such as
shorter recuperation periods.
An open heart surgery patient can be out of hospital in eight
to 10 days, while a gall bladder patient needs only overnight
admittance.
All this helps to cut down on the patient's costs, she said.
"State of the art equipment adds to the patient's trust, but
most important is the personalized clinical care," she said,
adding that this was more therapeutic in the long term.
"Basic good nursing is a priority. We try to take a holistic
approach."
It is true that many of the plush amenities at Mount Elizabeth
and Gleneagles could have visitors wondering where they were.
Missing are the antiseptic odor or commotion which many in
Indonesia identify with hospitals.
Cost
Like everything in life, quality comes at a cost; so would
heart surgery end up costing an arm and a leg?
"As long as you take into account the quality, then it is more
economical," Tan, head of Parkway's Physician Relations,
responded diplomatically.
Non complicated heart surgery costs S$22,000 (Rp 50.6
million), inclusive of physician and hospital fees, about the
price of a good sedan in Indonesia.
An angiogram is S$3,000 to S$4,000.
Four weeks of radiotherapy for cancer, excluding the doctor's
fee, would cost between S$2,000 to S$3,000.
Stereostatic neurosurgery runs to about S$10,000.
Dr. Aulia Sani of Harapan Kita Hospital in West Jakarta said
heart surgery at its cardiac center cost about Rp 30 million.
Like anywhere else in the world, public hospitals in Singapore
are cheaper than the private ones.
Recent Singapore Ministry of Health data showed the average
inpatient bill per day for surgical specialities was around S$720
to S$825, including doctor's fee, for someone staying at a Class
A room in the National University or Singapore General Hospital.
The average cost in Gleneagles is about S$1,900.
Foreigners must pay a surcharge of up to 30 percent in public
hospitals, but there is no additional charge for them in private
hospitals.
For Indonesians, the currency crisis has made deep inroads
into their spending power.
Tan said Parkway's hospitals would provide 10 percent
reductions, thereby allowing patients to pay at the exchange rate
of three months earlier.
"Many doctors are supportive in reducing the cost to the needy
Indonesian patients," she said. "The group believes in assisting
foreign patients who need the extra help." (mds)