Hospitals in Singapore
Hospitals in Singapore are of two types – government and private hospitals. All hospitals have a 24-hour accident and emergency unit to treat emergency cases. To seek admission in a hospital, a patient needs to bring an identification letter, a doctor’s referral letter, and a guarantee of payment. The government hospitals offer treatment in various types of wards. Foreigners and long-term visitors to Singapore who seek treatment in government hospitals have to pay more than natives of Singapore in these hospitals. In private hospitals, the rates of treatment are determined by the hospitals and are generally more than the rates of public hospitals. A single-bedded ward costs S$280, a two-bedded ward costs S$220 daily, while a four-bedded ward costs S$80 daily. Private hospitals include Gleneagles, Mount Elizabeth, and Thomson hospitals. Government and government restructured hospitals include: Kandang Kerbau, National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng and Ang Mo Kio.
Medical Tourism in Singapore
Singapore is one of the top medical tourism centers of the
world. It attracts about 200,000 medical tourists every year. The
hospitals in Singapore are extremely well equipped and are staffed by
highly qualified doctors, many of them with international
qualifications. The Singapore government is aiming to attract 2 million
medical tourists to its country by the year 2010. Singapore is known for
its cleanliness and is a close competitor of Thailand and India for
medical tourists. One well-known case demonstrating the expertise of
Singapore doctors is when in April 2001 Singapore doctors successfully
separated Nepalese twins, Ganga and Jamuna, who were joined at the head
in a 90-hour operation. More than 200,000 international patients come to
Singapore each year. Some of these patients seek heart surgery, some
brain surgery, and yet others seek cancer treatment. Whatever, type of
treatment they seek, they are guaranteed world-class medical treatment
in hospitals equipped with the latest equipments and maintaining
cleanliness and safety standards, which are world-class.
The Health
Sciences Authority (HSA) maintains standards of excellence in
healthcare. To cater specifically to the international patients, many
hospitals in Singapore have established international departments. These
departments assist international patients with appointments to top
specialists, hospital transportation, accommodation, and services such
as translation services, visa assistance, and currency exchange, etc.
Costs of medical treatment in Singapore are considerably cheaper than
developed countries. For example, stem cell transplant would cost USD
72,000 to USD 90,000 per person, compared to USD 235,000 for the same
procedure. Treatment in Singapore costs a fraction of the treatment
expenses in the United States and other western countries. But,
treatment costs in Singapore are higher than treatment costs in
Thailand, India, or Malaysia. In order to improve their medical
expertise, both private and government hospitals in Singapore regularly
collaborate with reputed western hospitals such as John Hopkins
University Hospital, Pennsylvania University Medical Center,
Massachusetts General Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente to keep up with
the latest medical innovations and procedures. In addition to providing
world-class medical care in all branches of medicine, Singapore has
developed expertise in procedures such as organ transport, reproductive
and fertility issues, limb reattachment, and joint replacement.
Visa to Singapore
Nationals of the following countries require a visa to enter into Singapore. These countries are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (PR), CIS, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam, Yemen. Nationals of all other countries require a Social Visit Pass, which is issued on arrival. To obtain this pass, the traveler needs to hold a passport, which is valid for 6 months beyond date of departure, confirmed onward or return travel documentation, and sufficient funds to cover expenses for the duration of stay. For British and Irish nationals, the maximum length of stay is 30 days. Other nationals can stay a maximum length of 14 days. If the stay extends for over 3 months, then applications must be made for a Long Term Social Visit Pass, for which a local sponsor (such as a Singapore national or organization) is required. The maximum extension of stay that is granted is 90 days per 12 months.