Tag: Pregnancy; Hospital

My subsequent appointments at NUH – I think I went for about 2-3 more before I switched to KKH – went about the same as my first appointment. I visited the same clinic G and was asked for a urine sample each time, and to take height and weight. I had to go to the pharmacy afterwards to get my multivitamins. Each visit took at least 1.5 hours and there was once it took up to 3 hours. I was taking an advance diploma then at NUS, so I had to rush off after the appointment to attend my class.

During one of the medical appointments, the doctor spoke to my husband and I about doing blood tests to check if the baby has genetic conditions, such as Down Syndrome. The tests are highly accurate. There are two types of tests. In general, the first one is a cheaper test ($100?) that can inform you whether there is a chance your child has these conditions. The second test (called Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)) is a more expensive test. And by expensive, I mean it is around $800+. The accuracy of this test is higher than the first test, and as an added bonus, it tells you in advance the gender of your child. The one that I took at NUH was from the iGene Laboratory, and the other one more commonly offered in Singapore is the Harmony test.

I had heard about these blood tests early on from my friends who gave birth a year earlier, and I was determined to take the expensive test to ensure that my baby is healthy. Knowing the baby’s gender in advance is really just a bonus to me.

Both tests involve taking a blood sample and waiting about two weeks for the result. The result would be communicated to you via the doctor, so it is necessary for you to make an appointment. Take note that this may differ between private and restructured hospitals – my friend took the expensive test at a private hospital and the doctor called her to inform her of the baby’s gender. However, for me I was told to make an appointment.

Also, do note that the cost of the test would not be subsidized just because you are a subsidized patient. I was informed by the nurse that there are no subsidies for the expensive test, and I paid the full amount despite being a subsidized patient at NUH then.

I collected the results during my last appointment at NUH. The results were placed neatly into a folder and passed to us. The first page showed that my child was at low risk of all the listed genetic conditions, and the last page informed us that the child is likely a male.

I was really happy as I was hoping to have a son first then a second daughter. Although my husband said he is ok with either gender, he then started talking excitedly about teaching our boy all the different sports – badminton, skating etc.

At this appointment, I informed the doctor that I was keen to switch to KKH. They did not ask any questions on why, which I found comforting. I asked them for a copy of all the test results and the nurse was very prompt in photocopying everything for me.

It was a short journey at NUH, but I appreciated the care and concern of the nurses and doctors. It was also really a waiting journey though, and I was happy that my experience at KKH was different. Read on to find out more about KKH!

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 24^th 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