| Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lim Siew Ming Arthur |
| Education | MBBS (Malaya, Singapore) 1956 FRCS (Ophth) (Eng) 1962 DO (Ophth) (Edin) 1962 FAMS 1966 FRACS (Gen Surg) 1971 |
| Practicing in Singapore Since | 19/07/1957 |
| Specialty | Ophthalmology |
| Place of Practice | Eye Clinic Singapura |
| Telephone | 64666666 |
| Address | 6A Napier Rd #02-38 Gleneagles Hospital Annexe Blk Singapore 258500 |
Lim Siew Ming Arthur79
Lim Siew Ming Arthur1.487341772151979
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1 September, 2011 at 1:14 pm
This is not a post to question his capabilities as a doctor,but to bring to light REAL experience at his clinic. I really hope you can take the time to read how the day unfolded.
THE FACTS
Pre-appointment
- started seeing colour flashes in vision and was a bit concerned. Someone recommended Dr Arthur Lim Siew Ming, one of Singapore’s most well-known ophthalmologist. I say well-known and not one of Singapore’s best, because just like a hawker centre stall, just because you have a newspaper article on the front doesn’t necessarily make you the best Char Kway Teow seller in Singapore.
- made a 9am appointment to see Dr Lim.
The below time stamps are estimates.
Appointment Day
9:00am – got to the clinic on time, registered, and was asked to wait in the waiting area. OK. Waited for a long time, but every now and then an assistant would call me up to do the usual eye checks, solution in eyes, reading tests from room to room. These are pre-consultation procedures. Fine. With dilated pupils, waited to see Dr Lim. There were only a handful of patients.
12pm – asked if the doctor is ready to see me. Assistant says he is busy, perhaps she would like to go for lunch first and by the time I am back it would be just in time.
12:30pm – scoff down a quick bite not wanting to miss my turn or make the doctor wait. Came back, he’s still not ready.
1:30pm – Did ask when my turn was, as the patient queue didn’t seem to be moving. Assistant says he is busy.
2:00pm – Hear laughter coming from the room.
3:30pm – Near tea time, saw a security guard/bodyguard-like man go into the room with a tray of wine/champagne glasses. Shortly followed by an assistant with a bottle of Champagne/wine.
4:00pm – Getting a bit grumpy, and asked what the doctor is busy with? Who is having a celebration? This was when the assistant said that he has some VIP guests in there. Getting annoyed that while he entertains his VIP guest, patients are out here waiting. Asked the nurse why didn’t they tell me! If I had known, would have come back another day. I have to work too! The nurse then said “maybe you better go have tea first then come back.” First lunch, now tea time. Had a cup of tea at the kopitiam, and came back up. Dr Lim is STILL not ready.
5:00pm – Finally Dr Lim sees me.
5:05pm – Am out of his office. 5 mins.
During the 5min consultation
- Nurse sets me up on that eye machine, all he did was look through the machine, and kept quiet. Said nothing. Was asked to wait again at which Dr Lim went back into his office where I saw a child around 9yrs old playing/running around in his room.
- Was wondering why I had to wait? Is the doctor coming back? Am I going to get an explanation or diagnosis?
- Finally he came back and all he said was “There is nothing wrong with your eyes.” I then question why I have those colour flashes when I blink? He again says “There is nothing wrong with your eyes.” THAT is not an explanation. Wasn’t happy with that answer, and pressed on. He then turns around to his assistant and says “Give her the book to read” as if I was not there. As if I was a piece of dirt and didn’t want to be spoken to!
- He talks INDIRECTLY to me, takes a book that HE authored off the shelf, and tells the nurse beside him to give this to me.
Post consultation
- Am charged a whopping $500 bill for his precious 5mins. Was so reluctant to pay for an empty diagnosis or even explanation of my condition.
Issue
- Clinics should try their best to honour appointment times, unless it’s for an EMERGENCY such as the delivery of a baby.
- Clinics should pre-empt customers on waiting time so that their own schedule can be planned
- Clinics should not “lie” or avoid telling the truth on the causes of delays. Just because an important guest is in the clinic, does not mean you leave your patients WAITING for you until you’re done brown-nosing and sipping your flute of champagne. This was probably how he gets all his pictures on the walls with “important people” and gets well-known because of his “celebrity first class patients”.
- In addition, whether you did or did not have that champagne, you give the impression that you might have consumed alcohol, giving the patient no confidence in your ability to perform your duty, sober or not.
- Doctors should make a patient feel like you care (even if you don’t). You should listen and try to understand their woes and concerns. Saying a few abrupt sentences to you that you’re OK and not giving an answer on WHY you’re experiencing the conditions is just SLOPPY consultation.
- It is RUDE not to talk to your patient directly.
- It is even more disgusting when you ask your patient to read a booked which YOU written so that they can understand their OWN condition. It is your job to explain it, not for your patient to read the book!!
On hindsight I wished I had given him a piece of my mind, and reported him to the Singapore Medical Council.
I did send a complaint letter to his clinic, but as expected, no reply.
I think it’s important to share this information. It’s all about raising the bar on healthcare service and standards.
Patients needs a voice.
2 September, 2011 at 11:08 pm
yes i agree with u linda. my aunt had some eye problems some years back. he has been doing this ever since he came into practise. as usual, he treats his VIPs better then patients. and he over charges.
10 September, 2011 at 2:07 pm
I can empathise with Linda. Two years ago, I went for a routine check with an eye doctor in Mount E Medical Centre where I waited for more than two hours to see him. I had to wait for a big group of Indonesians to go first. When he finally saw me, he was full of pleasantries which made want to puke. At the end of it all, I was presented with a bill of more than $1000.
Recently, I went to Tan Tock Seng Eye Clinic, saw an eye specialist and after two visits, the total bill came up to only $250. And I was not a subsidised patient.
There are too many crocs out there!!!
12 September, 2011 at 10:56 am
Thank you Linda for the post.
We dont need a doctor with no heart but has eyes stuck with a big $.
14 September, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Thanks for the great info.. i was also recommended to see him, luckily i didnt.. i think SNEC doctors are good too.. for e.g. A/P Chee Soon Peck, she is very caring, explain in details and provide great consultations and she only charged abt SGD120/ visit…
if you really want private doctors, I would say Dr Adrian Koh and Dr Ong Sze Guan whom I have been seeing for past 1+ yr are quite good too.. they advise me not to waste money unless necessary
Regards
16 September, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Went in with flashes in my eye and he diagnosed it as nothing in a rather short Span of time. Upon getting a second opinion from another doctor did I find that I had a case of retinal detachment and have to undergo surgery immediately. No thanks to him, I couldve been blind.
25 September, 2011 at 3:58 pm
try raffles hospital, service was excellent and fast. Doctor checked my eyes at least 3 times before diagnosing. Consultation was slightly above $100.
29 September, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Hi Linda, Rah and Pern Yew,
I am a reporter with The Straits Times. I would like to find out more about your experiences with the doctors. Would appreciate it very much if you could drop me an email at fionalow@sph.com.sg. Thank you.
Fiona
18 January, 2012 at 1:57 pm
We wish to pay tribute to Prof Lim, our founding father, for the achievements that Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) has made. We also valued the opportunity to share with you SERI’s aspiration to be among the world’s top 5 research institutes by 2015.
We have captured some of the special moments which we would like to share.
Our Founding Father
Professor Arthur Lim has had the foresight, the determination and the courage to drive forward the establishment and on- going development of ophthalmology in Singapore.
He was instrumental in helping ophthalmology grow and now benefit from the two world-class institutions that are the Singapore National Eye Centre and Singapore Eye Research Institute.
Professor Lim’s tireless efforts have ensured that Singapore now competes at the highest levels in the global ophthalmology field.
Minister Khaw Boon Wan’s message: “Indeed, Arthur should be credited for the growth and development of SNEC, SERI and ophthalmology development in Singapore. He helped to plant the Singapore Flag firmly on the global ophthalmology field.
His influence in healthcare goes beyond ophthalmology. The SNEC and SERI models became the role models for other specialties. Singapore Medicine owes a lot to Arthur.
I am honoured to have worked with him on the many meaningful healthcare projects over the past 30 years.”
Minister George Yeo’s message: “ I had the pleasure of working with Arthur and supporting him in his vision of establishing in Singapore a Centre for Ophthalmology for S.E.Asia, indeed, for the whole of Asia.
Professor Donald Tan on Arthur’s wisdom and foresight: “We are very proud that we are one of the top institutes in the world for eye research. I think all the ophthalmologists and our patients would not have benefited if it had not been for Arthur’s wisdom and foresight and for all of your help to support the Singapore Eye Research Institute to where it is today. “
19 January, 2012 at 1:29 pm
I agree this doctor overcharges. I will not visit again.
26 January, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Found this letter that Dr Arthur posted in the past.
Private practitioners have made outstanding contributions too
I REFER to the article, ‘Mayo formula? Best cross-disciplinary care for patients’ (ST, July 12). Let me begin by congratulating the doctors of Singapore for the high standard of medical practice. Doctors, both in the public sector or private sector, have maintained excellent standards.
It is unfortunate that Prof Tan Ser Kiat implied that practitioners in private practice lag behind because of lack of resources to keep up with the latest and best in medical technology.
Let me say that this is not true. Some of the best and latest equipment are in the private sector. Furthermore, private practitioners have made outstanding contributions.
Some of us from the private sector, including myself, have been honoured to serve Singapore. I was appointed as Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) on Feb 23, 1989. Let me quote what others have said of me: According to Professor Ian Constable of the University of Western Australia: ‘Arthur has done as much or more than any living ophthalmologist for the teaching of clinical skills and for surgical intervention programmes in the Asia-Pacific region.’ Professor Wallace Foulds of the University of Glasgow said: ‘Almost single-handedly he raised the practice of ophthalmology in Singapore to world-class and the SNEC is a lasting tribute to his far-sightedness, his energy, and his political skill.’ In addition, a world award was given to me in 2005 by the International Council of Ophthalmology. A year later, the American Academy of Ophthalmology gave me an award ‘in recognition of your numerous contributions’. In March 2007, I received the Naumann Award for ‘Leadership in Global Eye Care’. This month in Singapore, the World Glaucoma Award ‘in recognition of your major contributions in glaucoma’ will be presented to me on July 18 by the The International Glaucoma Societies.
Let me conclude by saying that I am grateful to the team of excellent doctors and to Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, Dr Kwa Soon Bee and Prof Lim Pin for they have enabled Singapore to move forward. We must work together so that the objectives of Mr Khaw to attract a million medical tourists to Singapore every year can be achieved.
I hope that the private sector can work closely with the leading public sector leaders, like Prof Tan Ser Kiat, and also hope that disparaging remarks on private practitioners would be avoided.
Prof Arthur Lim
President-Elect
Medical Alumni Association
16 Jul 2007