Public hospitals need better queue system

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Dec 8, 2007

Public hospitals need better queue system
THE queue system in public hospitals needs to be improved.
My child was born with a congenital health condition and needs to go for regular check-ups at KK Hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, we have to take a queue number but the queue system is a random one so we never know how long we need to wait and how many patients are ahead of us.
Despite having a scheduled appointment, each visit would still require half an hour to more than two hours of waiting. We have to avoid going for food or toilet breaks in case we missed our turn.
A month ago, my father went for a check-up at the SingHealth polyclinic at Singapore General Hospital on account of chest pain. He was scheduled to undergo a physical examination and scan. Fortunately, the check-up showed that there were no major health problems.
However, the whole process took more than five hours. He arrived at the hospital about 10am and could not take his lunch as the queue system was also a random one and he didn't want to miss his turn.
Upon obtaining the scan results, he had his final consultation with the doctor after 3pm and was prescribed some painkillers.
My father was faint from hunger by then and he rejected the prescription as that would mean another wait at the pharmacy.
Most patients at hospitals are sick and may need rest but they have to queue for hours. It is especially tough on old folk and young children who are sick as they cannot afford to wait for hours in the virus-filled environment.
Since the Government has put so much money and effort into improving public-hospital standards, I hope it can look into a better queue system to enhance patients' experience.
Jessica Tan Pui See (Mrs)

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_184722.html

Home > ST Forum > Story
Dec 10, 2007

Have we lost the humanity to say 'sorry'?
WHY is it so hard to say 'I am sorry', or 'We apologise' when you make a mistake that vexes others?
It would seem that this inexcusable lapse in common courtesy is widespread, even among the highly educated.
Let me illustrate by sharing an experience of a close buddy of mine.
John (not his real name) went to a renowned hospital one Friday morning for a blood test. Later that day, his doctor asked him to go back for a retest. Reason: an abnormally high level of potassium in his blood that could spell trouble.
Concerned, John made his way back to the hospital after lunch and was made to wait at the A&E unit until 6.30pm (almost four hours) for the result.
The 73-year-old retiree was clearly upset about the painful wait as he recounted his experience.
It turned out that his blood profile was normal after all. Poor John was unceremoniously discharged - no explanation for the discrepancy in the first lab result, no acknowledgement of mistake, and not a word of apology for the false alarm, anxiety and inconvenience caused.
This is odd, especially for a hospital that prides itself on the provision of high-quality patient care. One would think that, as a complement to its excellent medical expertise, the mission of this hospital (or for that matter any decently run hospital) would be better served by the graciousness and sensitivity of its staff.
What happened to John may seem trivial but it is not. Neither is it an isolated incident as the word 'sorry', sad to say, is rarely heard these days when it should be a natural and spontaneous response in such situations.
Perhaps it is the hectic way of life here that has over the years inured many Singaporeans to the point of abject apathy on how decent folk ought to treat one another.
That is sad but we must not find excuses for our shortcomings. This innate and instinctive part of ourselves that makes us human need not be lost forever if we, first, don't allow ourselves to live in denial and, second, make a conscientious effort to change for the better.
The change will take time, but it will be worth it for, if nothing else, we could at least say with some pride (and without apologies!) that we are truly a 'developed nation'.
Lee Seck Kay
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_185124.html

ST: Man who pushed girlfriend onto MRT track gets 2 more years

"'Who is the real Mr Kwong?' Justice Rajah asked at least three times"
-This is a bad joke... how can prosecution take >1yr to file appeal, resentencing someone after his release from prision? Has criminal justice system become a circus, waste of $$$ n wayang show?Any decent defence lawyer should cite:
http://consumer-protection1.blogspot.com/2007/10/police-at-fault-so-discount-for-convict.html as a mitigating factor and totally embarass the police/ justice system!!!

Home > Latest News > Courts and Crime
Nov 13, 2007
Man who pushed girlfriend onto MRT track gets 2 more years
Court of Appeal ups his jail term from one to three years after prosecution appealed. By Selina Lum THE man who had been handed one year in jail in May for pushing his former girlfriend into the path of an oncoming MRT train
on Tuesday had his sentence upped to three years after an appeal by the prosecution. But 26-year-old Kwong Kok Hing, a permanent resident who returned to Malaysia after being released from prison, was not in
court to hear his increased sentence.
Kwong now has up till Dec 3 to surrender to the authorities, failing which the prosecution can apply for a warrant of arrest
to be issued against him.
The Court of Appeal - Justices Andrew Phang, V. K. Rajah and Tan Lee Meng - will deliver detailed reasons for their decision
at a later date.
One issue that is likely to factor in their judgment is how two different pictures have been painted of Kwong - but the High
Court judge who sentenced him appeared to have been influenced only by one.
'Who is the real Mr Kwong?' Justice Rajah asked at least three times.
On Sept 14 last year, Kwong pushed Ms Jenny Low Siew Mui, 26, off the platform just as a train was pulling into the Clementi
MRT station.
She had ended their turbulent two-year relationship a few days earlier but he wanted to patch things up.
Ms Low narrowly escaped death when she made a dash for safety just a split second before the train hurtled past her. Her feat
of agility was captured by a closed-circuit television camera and played in court .
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Courts%2Band%2BCrime/STIStory_176392.html

Penalised for delay caused by CPF Board

"By not taking responsibility for its actions, there is nothing to keep the CPF Board from making the same mistake again. "

Home > Free > Story
Oct 22, 2007
Penalised for delay caused by CPF Board
WITH the current property craze, I want to share with other home buyers my experience when dealing with the CPF Board. In May last year, my husband and I bought an apartment. I wanted to use my CPF funds as part of the first 20 per cent payment.
My lawyer, Drew & Napier (D&N), assisted us with the paperwork, including requesting the release of my CPF funds to the developer. All went well and we waited in anticipation as our dream apartment is being built.
A week ago, we received a letter from the developer charging us interest on late payment of the instalment under our sales and purchase agreement.
After much investigation and clarification with D&N, it has been determined that while all papers were prepared and handed in on time, the CPF Board did not release my CPF funds to the developer in accordance with the payment schedule.
The payment was made two days late and as a result, we were charged interest at the base rate of 6.75 per cent.

RESPONSIBILITY DENIED
When D&N contacted the Board, its response was that there is no service-level agreement in place so the CPF Board will not be held responsible.
As a consequence, we were penalised for its lack of due diligence in handling my CPF funds.
By not taking responsibility for its actions, there is nothing to keep the CPF Board from making the same mistake again.
Jennifer Ho Shu Yun (Ms)
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_169173.html