Monday March 31, 2008
Doctors on wheels
Physicians who take to the road and make house calls.
By TAN YI HUI
AT FIRST glance, you might think it’s a 24-hour delivery van, complete with hotline number.
Zipping around in his Opel Combo mini-van with the words “The HouseCall GP” emblazoned on its side, general practitioner Dr Choo Wei Chieh takes the road less travelled. For medical professionals, that is.
Armed with his mobile arsenal of tools and medicine, the 36-year-old father of two travels all over Singapore making house calls.
“I wanted to do something of my own and differentiate myself rather than open a GP clinic in a neighbourhood,” says Dr Choo, who worked as a stand-in doctor at private clinics and in the accident and emergency (A&E) units of hospitals for a decade before striking out on his own.
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On the go: Dr Choo Wei Chieh’s mobile practice came about after working 10 years in private clinics and at the accident and emergency units of hospitals. |
The HouseCall GP was started in May 2006, and is a one-man outfit. Dr Choo charges from S$120 (RM176) to S$200 (RM460) between 8am and 10pm, and S$200 (RM460) to S$250 (RM575) after 10pm. The charges are for consultation and exclude medication.
He says his patient count varies, and there are days he does not get a single call. But he remains optimistic: “I foresee a big need for this kind of services because of the growing elderly population.”
Apparently, at least one other doctor in Singapore also shares his views.
Dr Madeleine Chew runs MW Medical, a 15-strong team that offers a similar 24-hour mobile service. But unlike Dr Choo’s “medmobile”, hers is a black Toyota Camry.
Sixty percent of Dr Chew’s patients are the elderly who have chronic or terminal diseases. The team comprises Dr Chew and business partner and fellow physician Dr Lau Tzun Hon, four full-time nurses, and a mix of stand-in doctors and physiotherapists.
Founded in 2003, Dr Chew came up with the idea of MW Medical from her background in public health care, especially in the field of A&E. “I felt that there were many cases which could have been dealt with at home,” she says.
Most patients are referrals from other doctors and clinics, or those know about the service by word of mouth.
MW Medical can make over 30 house calls a week, 20% of which are emergencies ranging from appendicitis to heart attacks, says Dr Chew. Others might want a quick diagnosis before deciding if they want to go to hospital.
Charges are from S$200 (RM460) for consultations, excluding costs of medicine and other procedures. The team also sets up equipment such as drips and oxygen tanks. Follow-up visits by nurses start at S$85 (RM195).
Wheelchair-bound Wong Yoke Chin, a 75-year-old diabetic, has been Dr Chew’s patient for four years. Daughter Tan Kiat Joo, 44, a civil servant, says the service is convenient for her mother, who also suffers from Parkinson’s disease.
“We live on the second floor (of an apartment block), so it’s difficult for her to go out,” she adds.
Families of other patients acknowledge that the cost is high, but say they prefer a shorter decision-making route, which involves only them and the doctor, compared to hospitals.
Dr Choo explains that, career-wise, “it’s quite an unusual thing to do” for doctors.
Dr Chew also acknowledges that her practice is physically draining and not as lucrative. But she adds: “It’s more enjoyable than sitting in the clinic.”
Her team member Dr Lau says that seeing patients in their home environment allows him to understand their lifestyle, and to better assess the ability of care-givers.
Dr Choo sums it up: “It takes a certain personality to do this kind of thing.” – The Straits Times, Singapore / Asia News Network
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