750000 Singaporeans have no health insurance

From: "truth"

Subject: 750,000 Singaporeans have no health insurance

the health situation in singapore is worst
than the usa and yet somehow lky managed to con the
americans into believing that singapore has a better health
system. in america it is an open society so their problems
are on the surface for all to see. in singapore it is a closed
and non-transperant society, so all the problems is hidden
underneath the nice and highly police veneer.

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Sickness in Wealth and Poverty....

The story about Tang Wee Sung's kidney transplant over the weekend[Link] probably helped the public to understand the pain that Mr. Tang had to go through before he received his kidney. The full story itself is an interesting one and can used to illustrate various aspects and features of our system.

In June 2008, Mr. Tang was caught trying to buy a kidney for transplant from an Indonesian. He was jailed for one day and fined $17,000 for that offence. The case involved one of our top private hospitals. Following the case, the law was changed to allow people who donate their kidneys to get monetary compensation from the recipient or a voluntary organisation. A similar case involving a liver transplant in one of the 2 Slim 10 victims did not trigger such a debate or change in 2002. There were 2 victims of the side effects Slim 10 - an actress known as Andrea De Cruz and another woman called Selvarani Raja. Raja's family found a willing donor[Link] but the MOH refused to allow the transplant. There 500+ patients waiting for kidney transplants every year but only 80 transplants are done in Singapore. It is an open secret that richer kidney patients have been going to China & Phillipines for kidneys. The poorer ones on dialysis die earlier because they can't afford to go overseas. ..and this has been going on for many years. Somehow, it is only when the same tragedy befell on Tang, a retail tycoon, that the govt felt motivated enough to change the laws. In an incredible twist of fate, Tang received the kidney of one of Singapore's most notorious criminals, former triad leader, Tan Chor Jin aka One Eyed Dragon who was executed for murder.

There is only country in the developed world where the income inequality is higher than that of America - that country is Singapore. In Singapore, there are 750,000 uninsured citizens this number is far higher per capita than the number of uninsured people that trigger the healthcare crisis in America[Link]. In Obama's health care plan, there will be coverage for those with pre-existing conditions - this problem remains unsolved in Singapore - thousands of people with pre-existing conditions cannot get insurance and face the risk of financial distress and ruin. Under Obama's health care plan, there will be limits to what a person has to pay at hospital out of his own pocket. In Singapore, we are all painted this beautiful picture of a wonderful health care system that is the envy of the world - one that works and is affordable. Many people believe this because they have not gotten ill or have fallen through one of its cracks.

More...
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2010/01/sickness-in-wealth-and-poverty.html