My friend (a retiree but not a pioneer) who has diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol (Yup, he lived off the hog) told me of a recent visit (I’ve had to do a lot of editing, even if I report it as if he were talking):
Every four months, I go to the Marine Parade Polyclinic for my blood test, checkup and medicine.
I usually go around 11 am on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurday or Friday because there is no crowd at the blood testing laboratory at this time. There is no waiting time at the lab at that time unlike at between 8-10 am.Also the waiting period to see a doctor is usually only about an hour.
On Tuesday I was there at about 10.45 am and the crowd at the lab was big, as was the crowd waiting to see the doctors. It was like 8 am on Tuedays to Fridays.
There were 20 people ahead of me at the lab. So I went to register to see a doctor (within the usual ten minutes) and then waited to take the test. I waited for about 40 minutes before I could be tested.
I then waited to see the doctor and after waiting an hour (the average waiting time), I was examined by the doctor. I told her that the size of the crowd at 11 am surprised me. She said it was the pioneers coming forward to use SingHealth. I asked if it was less crowded in the aftrenoon. She said no.
I said, “Looks as though before the ‘benefits’, many of the Pioneer Generation found it too expensive* to use the SingHealth system: only using it when they die-die needed medical care.” The doctor didn’t saying anything. She just smiled.
If the Marine Parade Polyclinic can be so crowded, places at Sengkang must be just about coping. A doctor who is usually based at Sengkang once told me that comingto work at Marine Parade is a bit of a holiday for her: less people. A doctor in private practice told me that the Marine Parade Polyclinic is a gd one to use because many in the catchment area prefer to visit the private doctors. in the area.
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*Actually it could be juz stinginess. My mum has always talked of making a new set of dentures. But never got round to do so because it was ‘so expensive” even though she has plenty of $ in the bank. But now, she is planning to make a set.
Cynical Investor
*The writer blogs at https://atans1.wordpress.com/