(Click Here for Part I)
Hawker Doctors
One of the most convenient things about health care in Singapore are the numerous walk-in health clinics (aka Hawker Doctors because they are usually located in all the local shopping areas along with the food hawkers and mom-n-pop shops selling every sort of random item imaginable). These clinics aren't fancy, but they are reasonably reputable (for the most part) and cheap beyond all get-0ut. A visit to a GP will only set you back S$10-20 (US$6-15), including a prescription or two!
I don't prefer to use these hawker doctors but in a few instances, they have been an huge blessing. For things like sudden high fevers, ear aches, a bee sting reaction, and a horrible heat rash, the extended hours and the fact that we were able to walk in without an appointment made hawker doctors the perfect alternative. Not to mention, they are everywhere so the farthest we had to travel with our sick kid was only a bus stop or two.
Like I said, I wouldn't recommend going to just any hawker doctor, especially for important issues, but for most of those everyday illnesses where you already know what is wrong and just need a doctor to prescribe some meds, they are totally great.
Just be sure you find one whose Singlish is understandable.
Up next in the series: The Doctor's Office
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3 comments:
Interesting!
Can you address the licensing of health care professionals?
Are "hawkers" just free-lance physicians, or are they connected with an accountability group?
wow cheap! drs appointments plus prescriptions usually set me back at least 50!
Sorry for the confusion. . . Hawker only refers to the location (i.e. in the middle of all the food hawkers). All walk-in clinic doctors are fully licensed by regular medical boards.
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