So, tonight is my first. We've had a bit of excitement since I wrote last. Ryan had some back problems, three herniated discs. We thought he might get to have surgery on them, but after three weeks of muscle relaxers and a few other prescriptions, the numbness in his leg and foot all but disappeared! We were thrilled. With that experience, though, came new knowledge of the medical world in Singapore.
So, he went in and saw an orthopedic specialist at a hospital somewhere. He had an MRI, and was diagnosed with three herniated discs. The re-check was at Mount Elizabeth, so I went along because it is about six blocks from our condo. (Ok, I admit it...I kind of feel like I am in a soap opera when I hear or go to Mt El- The halls look like the ones you see, and come on- Mount Elizabeth? A perfect name for a TV hospital.) We walked into the lobby and, wowza, there are a gajillion doctors there! I swear there are hundreds and hundreds listed on the board in the lobby. So, you have to know who you are seeing (which is difficult for us because they are mostly mandarin names. Yun Chee Ju and Ju Yun Chen are completely separate names, and you need to know the difference!) And, yes, you guessed it...Ryan' had not written down the name of his dr! But, his memory carried us through this time, and he got it right the first try. So, we went up to the floor and suite.
The clinic itself is very much like in the US. But, once we went into the exam room, the difference was apparent. The doctor actually has one exam room, and his desk is in the room (like with his phone, paperwork, computer, etc.) There is no nurse greeter, there is just the dr. Same with the one Ryan was seeing for his prescription. He walked in, and there she was at her desk.
With all of the people Ryan has seen, he does think that the medical care here is comparable to what we are use to back home. One thing that seemed different to him was that the dr suggested yoga repeatedly (and maybe that's common back home too- he's never been seen for back pain before..) And, the dr. also prescribed a vitamin supplement with the muscle relaxers. Again, in all of his ortho stuff back home- knee, ankle, shoulder, finger, he's never been prescribed vitamin supplements.
Oh, one other thing, chiropractors are looked upon as wacky here- basically, a joke. They are combined with massage and reflexology places that are on every corner, and I don't believe any of those places are regulated in any way. I mean they are all pretty sanitary as most public places are in Sg, but no standards of care at all.
One other cultural difference that Ryan has realized here is that many Asians do not approve of being on medication. When he's taken meds for his asthma or this back condition during the day, multiple Asian co-workers have inquired and cautioned him to get whatever it is taken care of and get off that medication.
I know Mount Elizabeth hospital pretty well because Chloe and I had been visiting the pharmacy there every two weeks. One of Ryan's prescription medications from home was controlled in Sg, so he had to go to the dr in his work building every two weeks for a new prescription until he got in to see a specialist who gives out the prescription medication. Yes, that's one of the odd things about medicine here. You don't just go to any old pharmacy wherever with your prescription. You use pharmacies when you are just looking for an OTC controlled medication, like Advil (Nurofen)-similar to what we need to do at home for cold meds. (Interestingly enough, you can get pseudoephedrine OTC not through a pharmacist here.) For pharmacist controlled meds, without a prescription, you can go into any Guardian (drug/personal care store).
For most other prescriptions, you need to either go to the hospital pharmacy or you get the drug right from your doctor when you have your appointment. In the Mount Elizabeth pharmacy, you enter into about an 8 X 10 waiting room, put your prescription in the basket and ring the bell. One of about 15 pharmacists (mostly women, all in the same polyester uniform) comes and gets it. It takes 20-30 minutes to be filled; then they call you up. You get to squeeze through the other people waiting in the tiny room, to go up and pay for your drugs. Drugs are not any cheaper here. Because of the small space, there is no privacy. People pay a TON for their drugs. ($300-1200 were prices Chloe and I saw. Luckily, we have great coverage here!)
Any questions? The quiz will be on Wednesday!
