Getting started on your medical journey to Singapore is probably the most difficult part. Which Singapore hospital is best equipped to treat me? How do I contact them? How much will it cost? What documents do I need? Should I use an medical travel coordinator?
These are some of the questions you will ask yourself. The good news is the answers are readily available, either online or with a phone call. In organizing a trip of life-changing implications, you do not want to skip details, no matter how minor. The Singapore government is actively promoting the country as a medical hub and has therefore made it easy for international patients to access relevant information.
With its world-class medical facilities, affordable medical care, high standard of living and leisure attractions, Singapore is one of the world's most popular destinations for medical tourists. More than 400,000 people traveled to Singapore for treatment in 2006, and, for the majority of them, the journey started online.
Research Treatment Options
Faced with tough decisions about treatment, it's difficult to keep your emotions out of the decision making. You are upset about the diagnosis, upset that you need to make these kinds of decisions, fearful that you will make the wrong choice, and even more fearful of the potential for choosing the wrong option.
With continuous advancements in the medical field, treatments options are becoming more and more specialized. Unless you are in an emergency situation, you should take some time to research treatment options before you start exploring the suitable medical facilities in Singapore. Internet and your local doctor are the two primary and excellent resources to accomplish this task. Your choices may include surgery, drugs, physical therapies, even complementary or alternative therapies.
It's very important to explore treatment options in the context of your own unique condition. The choice of most suitable treatment option might vary significantly depending on your age, gender, family history, general health, and your specific medical diagnose. Make a list of the pros and cons for each option. Learn about the duration of the treatment, how long recovery might take, the estimated financial cost, short and long-term side effects, possible outcomes, and the probability of success.
Eliminate the options that provide side effects or possible outcomes unacceptable to you. Make a tentative decision and share it with your family and your local doctor. If your primary doctor does not agree with you, talk to other doctors that specialize in your medical condition. Don't be shy to get second and third opinions; no one else besides yourself can or should make this most important decision.
Organize Your Medical Records
All Singapore hospitals will require your details about your medical history and the specific medical condition before they can reply to your request for information. Typically, the medical facility in Singapore will need to know the following:
Local Doctor's Referral Letter
Proper medical treatment often hinges in part on adequate and timely information exchange between treating doctors. In general, studies of referral letters have consistently reported that specialists are dissatisfied with their quality and content. The concerns most often expressed are the frequent absence of an explanation for referral, medical history, clinical findings, test results and details of prior treatment.
You should obtain a detailed referral letter from your current doctor that at a minimum shall include diagnosis, reason for referral, test results, clinical findings, prior treatment, current drugs, and proposed treatment.
Medical History
The referral letter given by your local doctor might not include your detailed medical history. Often such a task is left to you. Knowing your prior medical history is an important part of fine-tuning the treatment options and providing you with an accurate estimate of the treatment cost.
When documenting your medical history, you should include childhood illnesses, surgeries, immunization history, pregnancies, significant short term illnesses, longer-term conditions, and other diseases that affected you in the past or active at present.
Medications
Make a list of all medications you are currently taking, as well any medications you recently stopped taking. This list should include not only prescriptions but also over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements and vitamins.
Family History
Write down your family's medical history so that the doctor is aware of the conditions that run in your family. Include the cause of death and age for deceased members of your family.
Initiate Contact
As you sort through your treatment options and consider the right course of action, you will want to learn as much as you can about your medical condition. The more you know about your medical needs and treatment options, the more confident you will be when communicating with Singapore hospitals, and the better response you will get from your potential service providers.
Once you have decided what treatment you are seeking and that Singapore is the right medical destination for you, the next step is to review the various Singapore hospitals and medical facilities that are equipped to handle your unique medical treatment needs.
Many healthcare providers in Singapore provide one-stop International Patient Service Centres to attend to the needs of international patients. These centres can help you with preliminary exchange of information, getting a price quote, setting up medical appointments, assisting with admission and interpretation services, travel and visa arrangements, transportation, and accommodations. The following medical facilities in Singapore have International Patient Service Centres:
Singapore General Hospital The Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is the public sector's flagship hospital. Established in 1821, the SGH is Singapore's oldest and largest acute tertiary hospital and national referral centre. A multi-disciplinary approach to medical care affords patients to ready access to a wide range of specialties and support services. International Medical Services Tel : (65) 6326 5656 (24-hour hotline) Fax : (65) 6326 5900 Email : ims@sgh.com.sg
National University Hospital The National University Hospital (NUH) is a specialist hospital that provides advanced, leading-edge medical care. NUH is a major referral centre for specialist care including Cardiology, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Paediatrics and Orthopaedic Surgery. International Patient Liaison Centre Tel : (65) 6779 2777 (24-hour hotline) Fax : (65) 6777 8065 Email : iplc@nhg.com.sg
Tan Tock Seng Hospital Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), established in 1844, is the second largest public hospital in Singapore, with specialty centres in Rehabilitation Medicine and Communicable Diseases. International Patient Liaison Centre Tel : (65) 6779 2777 (24-hour hotline) Fax : (65) 6777 8065 Email : iplc@nhg.com.sg
KK Women's and Children's Hospital KK Women's and Children's Hospital, established in 1924, is the largest medical facility in Singapore in the specialised areas of obstetrics and gynaecology, neonatalogy and paediatrics. International Patient Services Tel : (65) 6394 8888 Fax : (65) 6292 5145 Email : international@kkh.com.sg
Changi General Hospital Changi General Hospital (CGH) is a lower-end general purpose public hospital with a long-term objective to serve as a healthcare hub in the east of Singapore. International Medical Services Tel : (65) 8125 8293 (24-hour hotline) Fax : (65) 6782 1353 Email : international@cgh.com.sg
Mount Elizabeth Hospital Part of the Parkway Healthcare Group, Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a 505-bed private tertiary, acute-care hospital that performs the largest number of cardiac surgeries & neurosurgeries in the private sector in the region. It's also well known for excellence in hematology and stem cell transplant fields. International Patient Services Tel: (65) 6735 5000 Fax: (65) 6732 6733 Email: ipac@parkway.sg
Gleneagles Hospital Part of the Parkway Healthcare Group, Gleneagles Hospital is a 380 bed private tertiary acute care hospital providing a wide range of medical and surgical services for the total management of patients. Gleneagles' key strengths include its patient focus, user-friendly services, quality care, specialists' expertise and proven technology. International Patient Services Tel: (65) 6735 5000 Fax: (65) 6732 6733 Email: ipac@parkway.sg
Mount Alvernia Hospital Mount Alvernia Hospital is a private acute care 300-bed hospital providing high-quality, affordable, and personalized healthcare services for over 45 years. The specialty areas of the the hospital include neurological procedures, cardiac procedures, minimally invasive surgeries, and sports medicine. International Patient Services Tel: (65) 9829 3647 Fax: (65) 6347 6632 Email: intpt@mtalvernia-hospital.org
Alexandra Hospital Alexandra Hospital is a 400-bed private acute care general hospital with comprehensive range of medical services except in the areas of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Historically the hospital was known as a hospital for the old and the poor and cheap. The hospital was restructured in 2000 to improve its facilities and clinical services. Alexandra Hospital benefited greatly from benchmarking sessions with the Kameda Medical Centre (Japan) and Mayo Clinic (United States of America). International Patient Services Tel : (65) 6476 8828 Fax : (65) 6379 5348 Email : ips@alexhosp.com.sg
Pacific Healthcare Pacific Healthcare group runs specialists centres, a day-surgery centre, and a psychiatric hospital. The core competencies of Pacific Healthcare include cosmetic surgery and aesthetic medicine, dental implants, and aesthetic dentistry. International Medical Assistance Centre Tel : (65) 6887 3737 (24-hour hotline) Fax : (65) 6733 5333 Email : customerservice@pachealthholdings.com
In order to establish a contact with any of the above medical facilities, it's best to send them an email describing your medical treatment needs and ask them if they have their medical facility has the expertise to handle your case. Normally, you will get a reply within 1-3 working days and the ones that might be able to take care of your medical treatment needs will ask you to send them your medical details. Once asked, you should send them comprehensive details including your doctor's referral report, medical history, tests of lab restuls, and other information as mentioned in the earlier sections of this guide.
Many of the International Patient Service Centres have representative offices in other countries. Check with the hospital of your interest to see if they have a local liaison office in your country. As you embark on your medical travel journey, you will find that patient is indeed a virtue, especially in the planning stages.
Be prepared to wait. If you don't get a reply, call the hospital, establish a personal contact and re-send your email. Most of the times, your medical information needs to be reviewed by a highly competent specialist in the relevant field and as you can imagine they are extremely busy doing their daily work of treating patients. By getting in touch with International Patient Service Centres, you can tell them your exact requirements and they can provide you with a fairly accurate cost schedule.
In Singapore, you would normally pay around a fraction of the cost of what it would cost in the United States, though it depends on the care you require and whether you choose cheaper public hospitals or private institutions. The quality of care is excellent in both cases.
Once you have started a dialog with one or more of the International Patient Service Centres, you have successfully taken the first steps to getting your treatment done in Singapore - a place that's known for affordable yet world-class healthcare services. Subsequent reports on this website will help you accomplish the remaining tasks of a successful medical travel journey to Singapore.
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