1142. How to stay healthy? Do your research.

Mar 20, 2015

My neighbouring tenant who sells parts to plumbers, electricians is 66 years old. I saw him cutting out tablets (3 types)  and putting them into pill containers for 7 days. Every 5 months, the government doctor will prescribe him the same medicine

SIMvastatin 20 mg  2 tablets at night
ENALApril 20 mg 1 tab 2x/day
Sunvasc Amlodipine besylate 7 mg
Hypernol Atenolol 100 mg




"I don't see the same polyclinic doctor," he told me. "Each doctor will have his or her differing opinions. In the end, they prescribe me 5 months' supply of these pills! I go back every 5 months for a check up and get the same medication."

4 years ago, he went to a private specialist at Mount Elizabeth as somebody referred him to the doctor.
 
"4 nights in a single room, looking out of the window, here and there," he recounted. "I was not even sick.I asked to be discharged. Every visit from the doctor cost me $300. One month's drugs cost me $3,000.  The total hospitalisation bill came to $21,000. "

The nurse told him to ask for half a month's supply. "That was $1,500 and later, she advised me to get $750 supply. I just cannot afford the fees and went to a private general practitioner who charged me around $200 for the drugs."

Now the polyclinic doctor charges him around $30.

Does he really need the drugs? "My blood pressure is only 140," he said. "Yet the doctors prescribe me drugs to control my high blood pressure."

His blood pressure and cholesterol levels needed to be checked every 5 months.  Too many years of various types of medication may harm the kidneys and livers leading to kidney or liver failure. It is best that he gets the medical reports and get the reports interpreted from a family doctor. The polyclinic doctor comes and goes and he never has a family doctor who can follow up with his "chronic diseases."