Wednesday, 14 January 2009

• Choosing a Gynae and Hospital for delivery

  
  When choosing our Gynae, we were faced with the decision of going with one in a public hospital or one in a private hospital. I was in favour of looking for a Gynae in a private hospital because I strongly believe "What you pay is what you get", and thus the service quality in private hospitals should be topnotch. However, because Annie (my wife) sister's children were all delivered by a Senior Consultant Gynae (Dr Han How Chuan) in the biggest public delivery hospital in Singapore - KK Woman's and Children's Hospital, Annie suggested going back to the same Gynae and thus KK hospital.
  

  Initially I in particular was apprehensive about KK Hospital because of the many horror stories about lousy services in public hospitals. However, it soon turned out that all my worries were unduly, as KK Hospital has come a long way since its old days, and has developed into a major hospital in Singapore that specialises in woman and children's healthcare. As a fully government funded hospital, KK Hospital has the best medical equipment and medical staff available. One important consideration is that if there should be any complications arising during the delivery process (touch wood!), KK Hospital definitely has all the resources available to react to the situation. That cannot be said for some of the more prestigious private hospitals in town.

  There was a real case that was published in the local papers, that a newly-born baby developed fatal heart complications soon after birth. Because the private hospital that delivered the baby did not have the necessary equipment and expertise to operate on the baby, the parents had to transfer the baby to KK Hospital urgently for operation. In the event, the parents incurred huge medical bills (up to S$300K) because of all the hassle.
  
  KK Hospital even has a so-called "Private Suite" to cater to people that are willing to pay a little bit more, to enjoy some convenience such as one-stop checkups (Urine test, BP test...etc) and faster waiting time. We were really satisfied with this Private Suite thing because the waiting lounge was cozy, and it really cuts down our waiting time.
  
  Whether Gynae in private or public hospitals, go with one that you are really comfortable with. Do not succumb to peer pressure and go for the prestigious private hospitals, just so that you can boast about it in front of your friends!
  

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