Singaporean saddled with expensive hospitalisation bill, even after opting to stay in C-ward

A Singaporean, who was hospitalised for two days at Khoo Teck Huat, has lamented that he was saddled with a large hospitalisation bill amounting to nearly S$1,500 that he had to pay out of pocket, even though he opted to stay in the C-class ward of the hospital.

C-class wards, which see several beds in a non-air conditioned room that is ventilated by fans, offers the highest subsidy levels of 65 to 80 per cent of the hospitalisation bill.

Facebook user Julius Chen revealed this week that he was left with a S$2,482.41 bill after he was hospitalised for two days at Khoo Teck Huat’s C-class ward. After Government subsidies, Mr Chen had to fork out S$1427.85 in cash since his Medisave withdrawal limit had been exceeded.

Lamenting on the high cost of living in Singapore, Mr Chen wrote on social media: “I am being charged S$1427.85 for staying 2 days in C wards at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital…The cost of living even when we, Singaporeans, are sick we have to pay so much. The original bill was S$2482.41,before subsidies.”

According to the Straits Times, demand for C-class wards have been increasing over the years due to the higher subsidies that are offered.

In an interview with Singapore Press Holdings-run AsiaOne, Alexandra Health’s former group chief executive officer Liak Teng Lit that demand for subsidised beds at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital “is always above 100 per cent”.