Many Indonesians actually prefer to go to Singapore for treatment. This small country is considered to have the best quality of medical treatment, not only in Southeast Asia , but even throughout the world.
You may often hear of public figures in Indonesia who seek treatment in the Lion Country , such as the late former First Lady Ani Yudhoyono to the famous singer Vidi Aldiano. This proves that the medical service there is indeed a champion.
How good is that anyway? And how much does it cost to go to Singapore for treatment? Check out the following reviews,
What is the rank of medical services in Singapore?
Singapore is a developed country in Asia with an area that is not even different from Jakarta. All public facilities and services in the Lion Country have international class quality, one of which is the hospital service facility.
When compared to medical facilities in developed countries in America and Europe, Singapore is not inferior in any way.
An analytical agency headquartered in London, The Legatum Prosperity ranked Singapore as the first country with the best healthcare services in 2019.
Not only health services, Singapore is also included in the list of 10 healthiest countries according to Bloomberg’s 2019 version, sitting at number 8 to be exact. The average life expectancy of the people is up to 82 years.
What are the reasons why Indonesians go to Singapore for treatment?
The number of Indonesian patients seeking treatment abroad is quite large, as quoted from Katadata, in 2015 the total number of Indonesian patients seeking treatment abroad was 600 thousand people. Of the 600 thousand, most of them went to Malaysia and some to Singapore.
While the most common treatments are cancer treatment, bone surgery, eye surgery, heart treatment, and cosmetic surgery. So, what is the reason Indonesian people go to Singapore for treatment?
1. Complete facilities and modern technology
When compared to hospital facilities in Indonesia, Singapore is indeed more sophisticated and modern. Understandably, there are fewer hospitals in Singapore, so the distribution of technology is easier.
In Indonesia, considering the area is much larger and the number of hospitals is much more, it is natural that the spread of technology is still not evenly distributed.
2. International standard
Why are the facilities so sophisticated, apart from the good distribution of technology, most hospitals in Singapore are of international standard.
In total there are 10 public hospitals, 13 private ones, and many specialist clinics, all of which on average already hold Joint Commission International (JCI) and International Organizational Standardization (ISO) 9000 certificates.
JCI is an international standard regarding the completeness of infrastructure and facilities that should exist in hospitals. So, if you already hold this certificate, the hospital is already very adequate internationally.
Meanwhile, ISO 9000 is more about standardizing organizational management that has respected customer satisfaction and other stakeholders in accordance with applicable legal regulations.
If it has an international standard, it is certain that the quality of service is number one.
3. Not only the hospital, doctors and other medical personnel are also qualified
The number of medical personnel in Singapore is also very qualified. They have a number of more than 13,000 people for doctors and medical personnel. Many of them are graduates of top universities abroad, including from the United States.
4. Take a walk
Sometimes, the acceleration of the recovery of the sick person can also be done by traveling. While diving and drinking water, you can also go on a trip to Singapore for treatment.
Visiting the Lion Country spots that are still beautiful and far from the bustle of the vehicle makes the body feel fresher.
List of the best hospitals in Singapore
For those of you who are planning to go to Singapore for treatment but don’t know which hospital is the top, here are the five best hospitals in the Lion Country, and are often referred to by international patients.
1. Raffles Medical Hospital
Raffles Medical Hospital has been around for more than 40 years. This hospital, which is only 15 minutes from Changi Airport, has quality medical treatment.
There are more than 21 specialization treatments, such as pregnancy problems, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and many more.
2. Mount Elizabeth Hospital
Mount Elizabeth is one of the best private hospitals in Singapore. They have more than 1000 qualified medical personnel and are able to treat various kinds of serious illnesses.
Many insurance companies in Singapore, even in Asia, provide referral treatment for their policyholders here.
Most of the patients who come are those who require severe treatment, such as kidney transplantation, neurosurgery, robotic surgery, to cancer treatment.
3. Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is the largest hospital in the Lion Country. His specialty is handling emergency conditions, such as accidents with multiple victims.
In order to increase the speed of service for first aid, the hospital even has its own helicopter pad. Very helpful in the process of medical evacuation of major events.
4. Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) can accommodate around 1,400 patients. This hospital is believed to be the best hospital in handling infectious diseases such as SARS in 2003.
TTSH has number one quality in handling cases of head surgery, spine surgery, and vascular surgery.
In addition, the hospital, which was founded in 1820, has a neurodiagnostic laboratory room that can be used by experts to conduct neurosurgical investigations of patients.
5. Changi General Hospital
Changi General Hospital has served more than 1 million patients in Asia. You can find various specialization treatments here, ranging from breast cancer treatment, vascular surgery, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and many more.
What should be prepared for treatment in Singapore?
Going to Singapore for treatment is not like getting treatment at home. You have to prepare everything carefully so that all medical matters run smoothly.
Here are things you need to prepare when deciding to go to Singapore for treatment.
1. Prepare a referral letter from a doctor in Indonesia
The first thing that needs to be prepared is a referral letter from the treating doctor in Indonesia. The referral letter also needs to include medical history, recent health conditions in Indonesia, medications, allergy records, and others.
This referral letter can also help doctors in Singapore in determining what medical services are right for the patient. Vice versa, doctors in Indonesia can also monitor the condition of their patients while being treated in Singapore.
2. Choosing the right hospital and specialist
Then before undergoing treatment in the Lion Land, don’t forget to find out all the information about what hospital is right, along with the best and most suitable specialist doctors to handle treatment.
3. Complete the required documents
To be able to go to Singapore for treatment, you must make sure that the required documents are complete. What is certain are medical history documents and personal data documents such as passports and visas.
Fortunately, thanks to good diplomatic relations between the two countries, Singapore does not waiver visas for 30 days for patients from Indonesia. But if you need more than 30 days of treatment, the hospital and Singaporean authorities will facilitate the extension of the patient’s residence permit.
In addition to these documents, don’t forget that you also have to buy flight tickets from Indonesia to Singapore and vice versa.
4. Choice of accommodation for the accompanying patient’s family member
There are some hospitals that allow patient companions to stay in the treatment room, but there are also those that do not allow companions to spend the night. Therefore, the alternative is to rent an apartment around the hospital.
If you want cheaper, don’t rent an apartment, but a hostel during the treatment period. For fees, you can check on search sites on Booking.com, Traveloka, Agoda, and others.
Estimated cost of treatment in Singapore
The cost of treatment in Singapore varies, depending on the type of disease, the type of treatment, and which hospital you go to. Between public and private hospitals also have different prices, here is the range of costs that need to be disbursed for cancer patients.
The following is an estimate based on data from the Singapore Ministry of Health reported by Value Champion.
1. Average cost of cancer treatment in Singapore
| Cancer type | Hospital type | Estimated costs |
|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | General Hospital | IDR 22 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 61 million | |
| prostate cancer | General Hospital | IDR 18 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 59 million | |
| Colon cancer | General Hospital | IDR 29 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 36 million | |
| Skin cancer | General Hospital | IDR 9 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 31 million |
2. Average medical expenses to Singapore for cancer surgery
| Cancer type | Hospital type | Estimated costs |
|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | General Hospital | IDR 41 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 182 million | |
| prostate cancer | General Hospital | IDR 250 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 525 million | |
| Colon cancer | General Hospital | IDR 226 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 419 million | |
| Lung cancer | General Hospital | IDR 90 million |
| Private hospital | IDR 248 million |
3. Average cost depends on the action
| Type of action | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Chemotherapy | IDR 14 million/therapy |
| Radiation therapy | IDR 246 million/therapy |
| Immunotherapy | IDR 88 million/therapy |
What about hospitals in Indonesia?
After you see these prices, of course you will think twice about going to Singapore for treatment. But for the sake of health, it seems that no matter what the cost, there will be efforts, especially if the sick are our loved ones.
Actually, to get the best treatment you can also get it in Indonesia. Some hospitals in Jakarta even have international standards, such as RSCM, Pondok Indah Hospital, Jakarta Eye Center, Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital, and many more.
Even cooler, these hospitals have guaranteed maximum health services for BPJS Health participants . So as long as you are a BPJS participant, hopefully you will be calm if something happens to your health.
But, to be safer, don’t forget to complete protection with the best health insurance , so you don’t have to go to Singapore for treatment and get extra services at Indonesian hospitals.