I previously already mentioned that I went through polyclinic to get an appointment at NUH. Why a restructured and not a private hospital?
Cost
Cost wise, some people have argued that the difference is not significant. Just a simple comparison – my cousin gave birth at Thomson Hospital in 2017 and stayed in a 4 bedder room for 2 nights. She paid around $8K for her stay. Whereas for me, I gave birth in 2020 at KKH A1 ward, single bedder and I stayed for 2 nights. My bill was around $6K.
I spoke to a few other colleagues and those who stayed in private hospitals consistently paid more than those who stayed at restructured. All of us had vaginal births.
After talking to a colleague who had emergency C-sec at Parkway Health, I cemented my decision to go to a restructured hospital. Her final bill was around $15K. My husband and I decided that it was not worth spending so much on the delivery when we probably need a lot more money after the baby comes out.
Private hospitals usually offer a maternity package that cover the costs of all the appointments and medications starting from around the 24th week till delivery. NUH also offers this package, but KKH does not. The prices of these maternity packages are actually very attractive and affordable – in the range of $2K – $3K, and there is not much difference in the cost of packages between NUH and private hospitals. However, the delivery fees and ward charges between private and restructured will differ greatly.
For NUH, as I went to the subsidized clinic, the charges were a lot lower and GST was absorbed. When I switched to KKH as a private patient, the charges were higher as I was seeing a senior consultant. And yes, I had to pay GST.
Do also keep in mind that after giving birth, your child would also be charged for his/her stay at the hospital and the charges would be in accordance to your ward class. My son’s bill came to $1K+.
You can estimate your charges using the bill calculator on MOH’s website. You can also search for different conditions e.g. cesarean birth, or vaginal delivery with forcepts to see the difference in costs.
My bill of $6K is higher because I had to use forceps. Any extra procedures (including forceps use) would be chargeable. For those who intend to stay at A class, you will have to pay a deposit using cash prior to the stay. At KKH, I was asked to pay $2, 670 cash deposit. Subsequently I had to pay another $109.27, and the remaining $3, 275 was paid using Medisave. Hence, total out-of-pocket expenses for me was $2, 779.27.
Cost was but one factor of why we decided to go to a restructured hospital. Another extremely important factor to me is because of what will happen in the event of emergencies.
Emergencies (Touch Wood)
I have prior working experience in a hospital, and a nurse colleague advised me then that restructured are always better than private hospitals, because private hospitals are focused on profit and therefore may not have the latest medical equipment. Whereas for restructured hospitals, the government is always very willing to invest in the latest medical technologies and equipment.
I have also heard from other medical colleagues that in the event of a medical emergency, if private hospitals cannot cope, they will divert the mother and baby back to a restructured hospital for follow up. If that is the case, why not go to the restructured hospital from the beginning?
Do keep in mind that these are only my personal opinions, gathered from conversations with ex-colleagues. Because of these two factors, my husband and I decided to go with a restructured and not private hospital. However, if you can afford to, and prefer the service given by private hospitals, it is really your choice to deliver in one.
| Summary | Restructured Hospital | Private Hospital |
| Emergencies | Can assist with emergencies | May refer you to restructured hospital |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |