In sickness and in health care
MANILA, Philippines - No one can really tell how much longer a terminally ill person will live despite having already been given a life expectancy by his doctor. For many people, it’s pretty scary to spend the ticking of the clock battling a disease. But not many people seek better options. Many of them simply succumb to the illness without knowing their chances of survival.
“Many patients coming from the Philippines that we’ve treated in our hospital are already in the terminal stage of cancer, ” says Dr. Kelvin Loh, CEO of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
He adds, “Our objective is to give hope to patients. Even though they may have been told that there’s not much chance for them to survive, we tell them we will try our best. ”
According to Dr. Loh, results vary depending on the condition of the patient. But the medical advancements available at Mount Elizabeth Hospital have done such wonders and have helped save many lives. “In general, we have good clinical outcomes.”
Also, the patient’s survival rests not only in the hands of the highly experienced medical experts and the advanced equipment but, more importantly, in the determination of the patient to fight his illness.
Many patients fear the effects of surgical procedures, and are intimidated just by the idea of all the risks involved. More, they fear the results of the operation, whether it would have undesirable long-term effects or if it would be successful at all.
And now, Mount Elizabeth Hospital features robotic surgery that has, by far, produced more favorable results compared to the traditional process.
“It’s taking surgery beyond the limits of humankind,” says Dr. Ranjiv Sivandan, general surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital and the first to perform a scarless surgery.
Mount Elizabeth Hospital was the first private hospital in Singapore to acquire the Da Vinci robotic surgical system five years ago. It consists of an ergonomically designed surgeon’s console, a patient-side cart with four interactive robotic arms, a high-performance vision system, and proprietary EndoWrist instruments. Powered by state-of-the-art robotic technology, the surgeon’s hand movements are scaled, filtered, and seamlessly translated into precise movements of the EndoWrist instruments. The system can neither be programmed nor can it make decisions on its own. Instead, it requires that every surgical maneuver be performed with direct input from the surgeon.
“It’s considered safe and it has less collateral damage,” Dr. Sivandan elaborates.
Botched cosmetic surgery, wrong diagnosis, divulging the patient’s private medical records and clinical condition, and negligence are just some of the most common medical malpractices in the country which have not only violated the human rights of patients but have also put their lives in danger.
Besides high-end medical technology, the expertise of the surgeons and medical specialists is very crucial part in the patients’ recovery. Dr. Loh is proud to say that the medical team of Mount Elizabeth Hospital is composed of highly competent and experienced doctors who adhere to the high ethical standards of medicine. They are capable of performing complex medical procedures that promise better outcome for patients.
Dr. Loh stresses, “Our doctors, most of whom are internationally trained, are accredited, or given the right to practice in our hospital, by going through a professional review. There are some minimum criteria — for example, they must be registered with the Singapore Medical Council, they must have a post-graduate degree, and on top of that, they need a few years of working experience as a specialist.”
To ensure the hospital team gives the highest quality of service, not only are doctors stringently selected, every staff member also possesses all the qualifications required by the hospital. Dr. Loh continues, “We have an education arm called Parkway College where staff members are trained and given certifications and degrees. Some are also sent to renowned centers overseas to learn and upgrade their skills.”
He concludes, “Filipinos who come here are very happy with our service standards, and the way they are taken care of by the doctors and staff of Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Accessibility of specialized medical procedure, quality of personalized care and treatment are our key advantages compared to other hospitals in the region.”
* * *
Mount Elizabeth Hospital is one of three hospitals in Singapore operated by ParkwayHealth. With 16 hospitals and more than 3,400 beds in Asia, ParkwayHealth has an extensive network across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and more than 35 ParkwayHealth Patient Assistance Centres (PPAC) worldwide. In the Philippines, the private healthcare group operates a patient assistance center in Manila (24-hour helpline: 9178232729).
