A viral TikTok by Singaporean chef and F&B operator Jason Chua has sparked online debate about public healthcare.
In his video on July 7, Chua described his father's experience at Changi General Hospital's (CGH) Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.
He had taken his father to the A&E at 7am, after the latter experienced shortness of breath and cold sweats.
At around 9pm that same day, some 14 hours later, his father was still waiting for a ward bed in the emergency department.
Chua said he suggested bringing his father home and returning the next morning, but claimed that hospital staff did not allow this.
"Is there any nurse or who can tell me why does it take so long?" Chua said in the video.
He updated later that night that his father was warded at 11.36pm.
Since posting his video, netizens have shared similar experiences of waiting at the A&E departments of various hospitals.
One commenter said her grandmother "waited 48 hours as well in NUH when she [had] weakness in the arms". Another added that their mother waited "more than 24 hours" at Sengkang General Hospital.
Some netizens attributed the lengthy wait times to a shortage of beds.
"It’s government hospital, what do you [expect]? A whole lot of people go there," wrote one comment. Another chimed in saying: "If you want good and fast service, don't go to public hospitals, go to private hospitals."
Responding to Chua's video, gastroenterologist Dr Wai Chun Tao Desmond chimed in with a video. He explained that when an A&E department is full, it often means the hospital is also at capacity, making it difficult to transfer patients to wards.
He said that patients at the A&E may have to wait for a ward bed because one only becomes available when another patient is discharged or has passed away.
Dr Wai reassured Chua and members of the public that a patient continues to receive treatment "according to standard medical practice" even while waiting to be warded in the emergency room.
He added that "the moment [Chua's] father stepped into the hospital, medical care [had] started immediately".
Dr Wai also advised against Chua's suggestion to bring his father home, explaining the professional ethical code that all doctors adhere to: "Our relationship with the patient starts from the first encounter. We are responsible till the problem [is] resolved."
CGH told AsiaOne that it is aware of the recent online discussions regarding waiting time for a bed at the hospital. It asked for the public's understanding and patience during periods of high patient volume at the emergency department and high bed occupancy rates.
The hospital added that it has "one of the busiest emergency departments in Singapore". Data from the Ministry of Health showed that CGH reported a median waiting time of 12.6 hours on July 5 for admission to ward, with subsequent days that week exceeding 10 hours till July 8.
National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital also had waiting times exceeding the 10-hour mark on various days from July 6 to 8.
In a Committee of Supply debate speech on March 5, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung addressed the need to build public healthcare capacity to meet the rising demands of Singapore's super-aged society.
"Rising demand and care mean the healthcare system must expand," said Ong.
He also said that MOH is "on track" after setting out a target of "adding 2,800 more public acute and community hospital beds between 2025 and 2030" late last year.
"While we understand that such prolonged hospital waits can be distressing for patients and their families, the CGH care team remains committed to caring for all our patients," said the hospital.
CGH also encouraged members of the public with mild or moderate conditions to visit a general practitioner or polyclinic for medical care, so that resources at the emergency department can be directed to those who require emergency attention.
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