Exorbitant hospital bill

Dear Mr Tan

My friend's godfather had to be hospitalized for several days because of a heart problem, a samaritan from his church readily helped oversee his admission and treatment. 

 

The samaritan settled the bill - I think it was $16,000 or $18,000 for - and then asked my friend to pay her.   

My friend examined the bill and refused to pay her yet cos it was just too exorbitant. The medicines alone (including antibiotics) cost $6,000!

So she went to the Net to check (and found a certain medication cos far far less) and asked for a meeting with the hospital. Earlier, when she called the hospital, a medical staff couldn't explain why the charges were so high. (We suspect it could be a scam involving the Samaritan and the hospital staff preying on sick, retiring people.).

A Straits Times journalist did a story on the need to be transparent on the medical/medicine charges), taking up on an issue that Sylvia Lim had raised in Parliament. That was just a few months before the general election. I hope the new Health Minister would make improvements.
CJ