All about Cancer

[starlight1968sg]

what I can’t understand or accept is subsidized patients often face "ops theatres full" while private patients can be accepted promptly in the same hospital.

both are patients except one pays much more.
so the only difference is $$ paid.

[zbear]

hercules:

Friend's dad, age 80+, was having stomach pain and so went to hospital for a check.


The doctor suggested a scope and scan and so needed to stay for a day if they didn't want to re-book a date (they went in as an A&E case).

The dad was reluctant to stay for a night as he said the public ward very noisy and he probably would be OK after taking med. He wanted to go home.

Friend managed to convince him to stay for a night in a private 2-bedded ward (dad has no private IP plan and friend thought OK to just spend for a night as a non-subsidised patient).

The next day, dad had his scan/scope. Results showed Stage 2 stomach cancer and a review was set in a week's time to see the oncologist.

Oncologist suggested keyhole op to remove part of the stomach.

As friend's dad was admitted as a private patient, she would be billed as one. Estimated bill was about $20,000.00 subject to no complications and all subsequent follow up treatments if required will be on a non-subsidised rate. If friend wanna admit her dad as a subsidised patient, she had to go to some office to appeal and that process may take 2 weeks. Furthermore, her dad was likely to need to wait further for an operation date as the op theatres were full (seem like always full for public hospitals).

Doc told friend her dad's cancer cells were the 'aggressive' type and advised her to operate asap.

Friend bit tongue and the op was schedule two days after.

Doc keyholed into the stomach. Saw the monstrous growths inside. Stitched the dad back. Told my friend no need to op anymore as the spread seemed to be everywhere and the cancer is in late stage. Given her dad another 6 more months. Asked her whether wanna try chemo etc.

------------------------

See what lessons you can draw from the above 'common' happening.

Can share which hospital is this?

[hercules]

zbear:

Can share which hospital is this?

Hi zbear

Sorry cant share coz I don't wanna be specific . Basically my experiences with SGH and TTSH also the same so far.

Money aside, the thing that is troubling me is the first diagnosis of a Stage 2 and then after keyhole said is a Stage 4. If my friend, her family, and her dad would have known it's a Stage 4 from the beginning, then the whole decision made might be different as in they were likely to skip the op altogether (prognosis of a Stage 4 stomach cancer is very poor esp we are talking about a 80+ old man here).

I am just wondering why the discrepancy and feeling sad about it (and further wondering if the case was taken care in a private hospital, would the diagnosis be more 'accurate' from the beginning). I didn't share my doubt with my friend as what was done was done and no point 'sowing discord' which can be just false alarm.

[hercules]

starlight1968sg:

what I can't understand or accept is subsidized patients often face \"ops theatres full\" while private patients can be accepted promptly in the same hospital.

both are patients except one pays much more.
so the only difference is $$ paid.

Have to accept lah coz private patients paying so much and so they are under priority queue (for wards, machines, op theatres, etc), esp in SGH when many foreigners also visiting and so unfair to get them to pay full prices and yet have to queue with all the subsidised patients.

Need to give service to these private patients, charge them, then got money to subsidise others.

So now the dad is given a 'six months sentence'. I advised my friend to go and appeal for a downgrade to subsidised patient. She isn't 'rich' (with life saving of maybe $200,000) and these six months may entail in and out of hospital with later stage can be in for weeks. If further ICU is required, then the bill will just balloon to don't know what number. So my next thought is 'what's the value of life in monetary term'? (My friend is 50+ and is very very close to her dad. Can see how heartbroken she is even though at age 80+, it's quite a ripe age to kick the bucket without regrets.)

[starlight1968sg]

Docs treat patients regardless poor or rich.

[hercules]

starlight1968sg:

Docs treat patients regardless poor or rich.

For our public hospitals, they will treat but there will always be priority.

Other than subsidised or non-subsidised patients, if two subsidised patients with similar condition need to queue for life saving procedure, the younger one will get the priority over the older one (again, my personal experience which i think it's 'fair' even though my old man was the one who was put far behind the queue then).

[starlight1968sg]

So when we are old, it is better to die than struggling to remain alive

[hercules]

starlight1968sg:

So when we are old, it is better to die than struggling to remain alive

I am someone who is contented to have a lifespan of about 75 to 'enjoy' 赖活不如好死, praying don't let me live till too old else likely to need to face this situation of 好死不如赖活.

We are getting 'abnormal' with our lifespan getting longer and longer and medical facilities just cannot keep up with the 'demand'.

[lee_yl]

starlight1968sg:

what I can't understand or accept is subsidized patients often face \"ops theatres full\" while private patients can be accepted promptly in the same hospital.

both are patients except one pays much more.
so the only difference is $$ paid.

Earlier I shared about DH's colleague who passed away and the family was laden with a bill of $500K after whatever they could claim from insurance. Yes, the deceased was warded in a private hospital.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer but was actually on the mend (recovered!) only when he suffered a secondary infection which turned fatal.

Just wondering aloud; if by spending $500K, you can potentially save your loved one from cancer stage 4, will you do it? Or will you rather save up the money as a legacy?

[starlight1968sg]

Lee_yl

There is no answer to your qn. Seeing your loved one suffering, would you not spare no effort to save him or her, knowing all of us will eventually die, just a matter of when?