Singapore hospital offers discount to emergency patients who see GPs first

A hospital in Singapore started offering a 50 percent discount on Monday to emergency patients who see a general practitioner first.

The emergency department of Changi General Hospital, located in the eastern part of Singapore, sees 400 to 500 patients a day, keeping its doctors busy.

It is hoping to reduce the traditional flood of patients that sought help during the Chinese New Year holiday season in Singapore, where more than 70 percent of the population are Chinese descendants.

More than 130 general practitioners in the nearby areas are part of the scheme. A patient who came to the emergency department of the Changi General Hospital with a referral from them will enjoy a 50 percent discount off their 100 Singapore dollars (80 U. S. dollars) emergency department fee.

The online edition of local daily Straits Times quoted doctor Muhammad Iqmal Abdullah as saying that neighborhood clinics can deal with small injuries, too.

"When it comes to small cuts, a GP can deal with it easily. We don't even need to suture it anymore, we just use glue," he said.

Some of the doctors said that the scheme removes a perceived disincentive to patients who now feel it is cheaper to go straight to hospital, as they can end up paying both the GP and the hospital if they go to the GP first.

Dr. Lee Chien Earn, chief executive officer of Changi General Hospital, said it might prove cheaper for patients to see a GP, as most can be treated there and need not go to hospital.

At the hospital, however, non-critical patients can easily wait four hours or more for treatment. If they truly need hospital treatment, a referral from a participating doctor will give them priority, Lee said.