Inhumane and Discriminating Policy of Clinic

I have never experienced such inhumane and discriminating POLICY dished out by local clinic here. I visited the Mediline Wei Min Clinic in Marine Parade Central yesterday. All was well and good as this is a GE Life panel clinic and this was my first visit to this clinic which enabled me to use the GE primecare card. The doctor in consultation was very friendly and attentive. I had flu and was running a fever, but because I would be travelling the next day for 5 days, I requested for MC for 1 day only. 

The next morning, I felt a bit nauseous and was still running a fever and was definitely not in good condition to travel. In fact the night before, I felt some heart palpitations but thought nothing of it and slept early. 

I decided not to travel and cancelled my trip. I went back to the clinic the same morning to request for additional MC to help me recuperate for the next 2 days but in my haste and state of mind, I forgot to bring along my GE Primecare card.

This was when everything came to light about this clinic. 

I tried to register with the counter person with my ID card but was abruptly told that I had to show my GE Primecare card. I said that all I needed was additional MC days which would have been given to me if I had not told the doctor that I was travelling. I wasn't going to seek further treatment or medication. This person, a Miss Richel Gavaran, I believe a Philipino, rudely insisted that it's the clinic's policy and flatly refused to register me and clearly did not want to speak to me further. 

I had no choice then but to walk back to my apartment 1km away and walk back, so in all it was a 2 km journey under the hot late morning sun, to retrieve my card and comply with the clinic's policy. I leave it to the readers whether this clinic could have been more flexible with its policies since they already have my GE Primecare card and personal ID registered in their system the day before. 

After presenting my GE Primecare card to Ms Gavaran, she again rudely told me to look at the small print behind the card for the T&Cs. To my disgust she asked if I would like to see the doctor or just get the MC. I decided to see the doctor even though it was a 1 hour wait, so that I could raise my concerns over this kind of inhumane treatment from Ms Gavaran.

To rub salt to the wound, when I told the doctor what had happened, he seemed supportive of his staff, and repeated that it is the clinic's policy. To my horror he had the audacity to add that if I had wanted to see him on a private basis ( I take this to mean a paying patient), he would have been more than happy to see me. This is a Dr Sanjay Doshi. Fortunately or unfortunately this was'nt the doctor who attended to me yesterday. 

I then asked Dr Doshi 2 simple questions, 

1. Is this the way the clinic treat patients who are on insurance cards as compared to other paying patients? 

2. What if I were to collapse while walking the 2km distance under the hot sun, since I had some heart palpitations the night before? Who would be responsible?

I sensed that he was starting to change his stand after I questioned him. He replied that I should have informed Ms Gavaran that I had heart palpitations. Would it have made any difference to Ms Gavaran? I doubt so. He then asked if I would like for him to look into my heart palpitations.

At that point I was already too frustrated with his attitude and I told him that I intend to visit another clinic with or without my GE card as I could well afford to pay for my own medical fees. I was'nt going to let him or his clinic treat me like a second rate patient.

By the way, I have no complains about GE, and in fact they were very understanding when I informed them of what happened. GE will be putting up my case to their board for review.

Rgds

TST