Horrendous start to a crucial PET Scan.
Today is the crucial PET Scan at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
I woke at 7am, left the house at 7.45 to catch a taxi.
My Appt was suppose to be at 8am.
Waited more than 30mins but there weren't any available cab in sight! (Frustrating!!)
Decided to take the MRT..........
I reached Nuclear Medicine of SGH at 8.50am and took a queue number that read 'No. 39'.........
It was a long wait.............
When it was my turn at the counter to settle the administration papers & payment,
I told them I have a grant from LLF to cover the cost of the scan.
She asked me for documents but I told her I was not given any from NUH, as I was told about it verbally.
I was only given a faxed copy of a blurried Map of SGH with my name & IC no. on it
and told to fast the night before, & show up on that day & time.
Without giving me any other documentations, I would have thought that both parties would have communicated!
I was passed like a baton, from one staff to another..........
They told me I can't have the scan unless I make payment!
It was already 10am by then......
I repeated myself for the umpteenth times that
"I AM COVERED BY LLF for this PET Scan!!"
"Look! I don't wanna waste time here. Why don't you scan me 1st, and we'll settle the papers later.
It's not like I'm not gonna pay up or anything! Even if I don't have a grant, my family can still pay for me!"
"I'm sorry, we can't."
All this red tape was getting to my nerves...........
I stomped out of the dept and screamed
"I DON'T NEED A SCAN TO TELL ME I'M HEALED!!
I AM NOT GONNA WASTE MY MONEY!!
I DECLARE MYSELF HEALED!!
BY FAITH I AM HEALED!!"
Few minutes later, my Nurse-Clinician of NUH called me.......
I went "Ratatatata........tatatatata..............."
She tried to calm me down and asked if I would like to proceed or reschedule the scan.
I said I fasted since last night, am hungry, tired & frustrated.........
But I have been anticipating this for weeks, so since I am here, I might as well get it done!
She managed to convince SGH to let me thru the scan and that I did have a grant from LLF to cover 90% of the Scan,
while they try to get the papers sorted out & faxed over.
By this time, I was told there were 3 patients ahead of me and each scan may take one to three hours!
Therefore, to add to the day's misfortunes, I had to be rescheduled for a later slot at 1pm!
Changed into robes just before the scan....
Don't I look like a suchi chef? ; )
My PET scan actually took 3 hours and ended almost about 4pm.
The physical pain of the scan (liquid injected into the IV plug, & the plug itself, etc) was much more bearable
than ALL the pain of the "administrative" red tape!!
This encounter is more or less like many others I've experienced in most of its departments in the local hospitals.
There never seems to be a smooth flow from one dept to another, one doctor to another, one diagnosis to another etc.
If only they can start to speak one languange, we as patients will have less stress & maybe start to concentrate on getting well, which is utmost on our agenda.
My only concern now is a clean report that I am ALL clear.
I woke at 7am, left the house at 7.45 to catch a taxi.
My Appt was suppose to be at 8am.
Waited more than 30mins but there weren't any available cab in sight! (Frustrating!!)
Decided to take the MRT..........
I reached Nuclear Medicine of SGH at 8.50am and took a queue number that read 'No. 39'.........
It was a long wait.............
When it was my turn at the counter to settle the administration papers & payment,
I told them I have a grant from LLF to cover the cost of the scan.
She asked me for documents but I told her I was not given any from NUH, as I was told about it verbally.
I was only given a faxed copy of a blurried Map of SGH with my name & IC no. on it
and told to fast the night before, & show up on that day & time.
Without giving me any other documentations, I would have thought that both parties would have communicated!
I was passed like a baton, from one staff to another..........
They told me I can't have the scan unless I make payment!
It was already 10am by then......
I repeated myself for the umpteenth times that
"I AM COVERED BY LLF for this PET Scan!!"
"Look! I don't wanna waste time here. Why don't you scan me 1st, and we'll settle the papers later.
It's not like I'm not gonna pay up or anything! Even if I don't have a grant, my family can still pay for me!"
"I'm sorry, we can't."
All this red tape was getting to my nerves...........
I stomped out of the dept and screamed
"I DON'T NEED A SCAN TO TELL ME I'M HEALED!!
I AM NOT GONNA WASTE MY MONEY!!
I DECLARE MYSELF HEALED!!
BY FAITH I AM HEALED!!"
Few minutes later, my Nurse-Clinician of NUH called me.......
I went "Ratatatata........tatatatata..............."
She tried to calm me down and asked if I would like to proceed or reschedule the scan.
I said I fasted since last night, am hungry, tired & frustrated.........
But I have been anticipating this for weeks, so since I am here, I might as well get it done!
She managed to convince SGH to let me thru the scan and that I did have a grant from LLF to cover 90% of the Scan,
while they try to get the papers sorted out & faxed over.
By this time, I was told there were 3 patients ahead of me and each scan may take one to three hours!
Therefore, to add to the day's misfortunes, I had to be rescheduled for a later slot at 1pm!
Changed into robes just before the scan....
Don't I look like a suchi chef? ; )
My PET scan actually took 3 hours and ended almost about 4pm.
The physical pain of the scan (liquid injected into the IV plug, & the plug itself, etc) was much more bearable
than ALL the pain of the "administrative" red tape!!
This encounter is more or less like many others I've experienced in most of its departments in the local hospitals.
There never seems to be a smooth flow from one dept to another, one doctor to another, one diagnosis to another etc.
If only they can start to speak one languange, we as patients will have less stress & maybe start to concentrate on getting well, which is utmost on our agenda.
My only concern now is a clean report that I am ALL clear.