A health assessment can be daunting but some TLC helps, as Kenny Coyle explains in detail about his experience at Singapore General Hospital

lifestyleSingapore has established itself as Asia’s pre-eminent healthcare hub. Seeking treatment may be more expensive than some of its Southeast Asian neighbours, but it doesn’t seek to compete on price. Quality care and the latest in technology and expertise are more prized.

The Singaporean healthcare sector comes in both private- and public-sector clusters. The government-funded segment is divided into two parts, the National Healthcare Group and SingHealth.

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is part of this latter group. The SingHealth group is positioned to serve the eastern sector of Singapore through a cluster of three hospitals, five specialty centres and seven polyclinics.

The Singapore government’s aim has been to use the facilities and skills of the public sector to generate additional revenue, thereby alleviating the financial burden on the state and the Singaporean taxpayer. Aside from monetary considerations, there is also another reason why this city-state seeks to attract as many as one million health travellers within the next couple of years.

Since Singapore has a permanent population of just five million, this is not considered sufficient to maintain the flow and range of patients that can keep the country’s hospitals and doctors working at an optimum level. The more patients seen and treated, the greater the level of experience accumulated, and the broader and deeper the skills acquired by Singapore’s health professionals. One obvious area has been the field of medical check-ups, although the phrase “health assessment” is now the preferred term.

I booked in for a health assessment with SGH located on Outram Road.

 

THE PROVIDER

The SGH is the public sector’s flagship hospital and the island’s oldest. Established in 1821, the SGH provides a multi-disciplinary approach to medical care and its patients have easy access to a wide range of special support services.

SGH handles 600,000 patients at its specialist outpatient clinics.

The Health Assessment Centre functions within SGH under the Department of Family Medicine and Continuing Care.

The guiding philosophy of the Health Assessment Centre is to advocate health checks centred on evidence-based medicine. Before embarking on a whole battery of tests, doctors are expected to evaluate the patient’s specific needs and concerns and then recommend the tests most suited for them. Recommendations of tests are based on existing practice guidelines, and individual patient’s needs according to age, gender, personal and/or family history as well as physical examinations.

The aim is for the doctors to advise patients on their health risk as well as the risk and benefits of the various tests required for them to make an informed choice.

The centre also provides general medical care and follows up with patients where health problems have been identified. Appropriate referrals can also be made to the hospital’s specialists, where relevant.

 

THE PROCEDURE

I arrived at the centre in the early morning, having fasted overnight as requested. Entering the main reception centre, I filled in the requisite forms and had the process explained to me.

Then, I was led through to the changing area and popped on the hospital gown and slippers. I sat in the waiting area until my name was called.

lifestyleA nursing staffer took me to Dr Yuen Yih’s office, where again I was put at ease and had the centre’s philosophy outlined to me.

Dr Yuen stressed that there was no intention of forcing me to take every test and that the key to the assessment was evaluating genuine high-risk areas which needed to be tested, while placing less stress on the least probable risks.

Part of this process is identifying both personal lifestyle issues as well as family medical histories. Knowing that there was an issue of diabetes in my family, for example, it was sensible to check my blood-sugar levels for any sign of that disease. Fortunately, I proved to be clear.

Likewise, having a sedentary occupation can raise the likelihood of heart disease, so Dr Yuen was keen to check out my cardiovascular performance.

After 20 minutes or so, Dr Yuen had talked me through the various tests and had helped me decide on which ones were most relevant. Some cancer marker tests are of marginal use, so be sure to listen to your doctor’s advice on whether they are really necessary. For example, the physical examination of the prostrate is often a better guide than some non-physical tests as prostate cancer develops slowly. Dr Yuen reassured me that “more people die with prostrate cancer than of it”. In any case, the uncomfortable examination ended and I was relieved to find that all was normal.

Following the talk, I went for a chest X-ray to check heart and lung size and to check for any lesions.

After this, I had my blood pressure taken and was given a blood test. The nurses were friendly and chatted and were keen to put me at my ease.

Then I had my body mass index (BMI) measured, which correlates weight and height to determine levels of obesity. I wasn’t too surprised to find that I needed to shed some kilos and improve my diet and exercise levels.

Ultrasound scans came next. These check liver and kidney size and can spot problems with the major internal organs. Again, while nothing life-threatening was spotted, I was told to improve my diet and watch for fatty deposits around my liver, a sign that cholesterol was too high.

Finally came the dreaded treadmill. Nurse Foo wired me up to the electro-cardiagraph machine and then began the treadmill, first at normal walking pace, then at increasing speeds and also with changes in the gradient. While it was hard work, I was pleased to be able to reach my target heart rate. The tests showed normal responses, which again was reassuring.

The final, and always the most ignominious, tests were to provide stool and urine samples to check for a variety of potential ailments. Luckily, the lab tests again showed little to be immediately concerned about.

With all the poking and prodding over, I was invited to put my feet up and take a light breakfast.

After getting dressed, I was told that I would receive my full results and assessment in a few days, posted to my home. Alternatively, they could be emailed.

 

THE VERDICT

SGH’s facilities are certainly among the most comprehensive in Asia, and the friendly and communicative staff make the experience a great deal less nerve-wracking than it might have been. Nonetheless, as a result, it’s muesli and sit-ups from now on.
Pricing for a health assessment varies depending on an individual’s needs, risk factors and family history. Prices start from S$300 (US$210) for a consultation and basic tests for common conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. For more information, call 65 6321 4123 or email [email protected]