Seeing the Doctor in Suzhou

An Interview with Dr. Koh of SingHealth

Over the past year, I've met and spoken with dozens of foreigners that are considering a move to Kunshan. Invariably, their top concern is health care. What happens if I get sick or hurt? Is there a good hospital nearby that I can visit? What kinds of insurance does the hospital accept? Is the pollution going to create long-term health problems

In previous issues, I've profiled Kunshan's Jen Ching Hospital and Shanghai's St. Michael's. This month, we look at SingHealth Medical in Suzhou, a group that has three clinics with English speaking doctors, and that provide direct billing for most insurance programs.

Dr. Adam Koh, a native of Singapore who works out of SingHealth's newest clinic located in the Global 188 Shopping Mall (next to Fraser Suites) is also this month's KEA Business Event Speaker (see the Event notice ad in this magazine), and will answer any health-care related questions that our audience might have. For more information on joining the event, held from 6:30 pm at the Swissotel on November 21, please email Anna@KunshanExpat.com

KEA: Dr. Koh, can you tell me about yourself and what brought you to China?

Dr. Koh: I'm from Singapore, but have been working in China for the last ten years. My brother was a diplomat in Shanghai ten years ago, and he invited me to visit. I thought it was an interesting opportunity, so I decided to move to Shanghai.

I started working for World Link, the first international clinic in Shanghai, which was later taken over by Parkway. I focus on family medicine here -- I enjoy pediatrics -- and my specialization is in emergency medicine. I am an ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) instructor, and still help in the training of doctors back in Singapore.

KEA: How did you end up in Suzhou?

Dr. Koh: As you know, SingHealth Medical in Suzhou was set up by a group of Singaporeans. I helped in the setting up of their first clinic almost six years ago, and I started working full time with SingHealth last year, when our 2nd clinic opened. The group is expanding steadily, and I now work out of the company's 3rd clinic, at Global 188.

KEA: What type of services does SingHealth Medical offer?

Dr. Koh: We offer primary care in the out-patient setting. We do everything from consultations to treatments and prescription of medicines. We also do health checks and vaccinations; in fact, many Taiwanese from Kunshan come here for their kids' vaccinations.

We are the "first-line" doctors. If patients need special diagnostics, we will help make the necessary referrals. At this point, we do not have radiology services. For example, CT and MRI scans have to be done at the hospitals and if need be, our English-speaking staff will accompany the patient to register, translate and help with any issues which the patients may face at the hospitals. Patients' well-being is our priority, and our care extends to help with external referrals too.

When I was in Shanghai, it wasn't uncommon to see people flying in from places like Dalian and Chengdu to see a doctor who could speak English. It is both confusing and frustrating for western patients at the hospitals if the hospital's staff does not speak Chinese.

KEA: How many staff does SingHealth have?

Dr. Koh: At this moment, we are a team of five doctors and a staff of about 30. Dr Ho, one of the founding doctors, is known in the Suzhou community for the meticulous care of his patients.

We also have Dr Chang, who spent nearly a decade in France and is fluent in French and Mandarin and conversant in English, and Dr. Spika from Germany, more commonly known as Dr Dagmar. She is, of course, a native speaker of German, and is fluent in English. We also have nurses that speak English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

KEA: What services are you looking at adding? Any chance of seeing dental services here?

Dr. Koh: Coming up next is our physiotherapy program. Here, we often see sports-related injuries and patients have to travel far for their treatment. Having a good physio team here would be really helpful. We are going to have a female physiotherapist from Australia on board very soon. She is passionate about her work, and will be in charge of this program.

Yes, the dental services would soon follow, too. As you can see, SingHealth Medical has been steadily expanding; we take pride in providing good medical care and would do likewise with our dental services. Once ready, the dental program will be launched at both SingHealth & Gentle Medical Clinics.

From a doctor's perspective, we want to be able to solve all of a patient's health problems in Suzhou, so we're always looking for local organizations we can partner with to enhance our own services.

KEA: How does the Clinic decide on what types of new areas to venture into or prioritize new services to offer?

Dr. Koh: Our goal has always been good medical care, with the patients' well-being at heart. All our services, existing or new, would stem from this.

The Clinic has a lot of room to grow and expand. We are always looking for good people to work with, and institutions to partner with.

We've made great progress in Suzhou. Before SingHealth came here, many people would go to Shanghai for medical treatment, but now that's not the case. We can solve most of the cases, including care of chronic problems like hypertension and diabetes, here. I would say that 95% of people's ailments can be treated here.

KEA: What's the most common thing you see people for?

Dr. Koh: Respiratory problems are definitely high up on the list. Seasonal allergies, bronchitis are common in both adults and children.

KEA: Do you handle emergencies? What should people do if they have a medical emergency?

Dr. Koh: Emergencies are a broad category, and it really depends on the situation. For major trauma, heart attacks, breathing difficulties, time is of the essence and you should go directly to the hospital.

But we can manage wounds and stitching when necessary; certain types of wounds can also be closed without stitching. Acute flares of asthma, severe gastroenteritis for hydration are also commonly treated at our clinics. One common emergency that we often help diagnose is abdominal pains in acute appendicitis.

KEA: Do you prescribe medicine and have a pharmacy?

Dr. Koh: Yes, we do. All three facilities have their own pharmacies. A lot of thought goes into the clinic's prescription of drugs - basically, if we wouldn't be willing to take something ourselves, we will not prescribe it to our patients.

KEA: What about your clientele - do you get many Chinese, or is it mostly foreigner patients?

Dr. Koh: When SingHealth first came here, our clientele was very heavily western, but we quickly moved to about half foreign and half locals. Most of the foreigners here come to us for their medical issues, but over the years, more affluent Chinese patients are also coming to us.

KEA: Do you see a lot of cultural differences in regards to medical treatment amongst your patients?

Dr. Koh: Oh, yes, there are cultural differences to be sure. We get a very wide variety of nationalities here, and that's where the Singaporean background - coming from a multi-cultural country - helps.

After being a doctor for so long, though, I've realized that generalizations don't apply. But there are cultural differences in how people approach medical treatment. But there are cultural differences in how people approach medical treatment. It's more likely that a Chinese parent that sees a fever in their kid that's lasted two days is something that needs medical treatment, whereas a westerner will see it as not unusual and ok to wait on. I've often seen interesting discussions in mixed-marriage couples about how to treat their kids.

I don't pass judgment on which approach has more merit. As a doctor, I try to get the patient to understand their options and then make a decision.

KEA: Eastern medicine seems to be more geared towards prevention, whereas western medicine is aimed more at treatment. Do you incorporate any eastern medicine in your clinic?

Dr. Koh: Our current medical team is all western trained physicians, so we do not prescribe Chinese medicine.

I think that Chinese medicine is more holistic, while western medicine is more based on science. And while it's true that science is useful in devising treatments, it can have its shortcomings.

Personally, I think TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) with its long history is interesting, and maybe we will have some TCM specialists on our team in the future.

KEA: What have been your biggest surprises and challenges since working in Suzhou?

Dr. Koh: For me personally, like many expatriates, coming to China and bringing my family here has been a challenge, but this has helped me to understand the challenges that many of my patients are facing.

When it comes to work, things are pretty straightforward - we see patients and treat them. It's what goes on beyond the four walls of the clinic that is unique here: we do a lot more personalized care of patients here than in Singapore. There are many foreign patients here, and they might feel more lost and isolated than they would if they were at home, so the need to trust the doctor is greater. So we do a lot of follow up calls on patients after they leave the clinic. We think a lot about our patients after hours – they're more a part of our lives than they would be if we weren't foreigners.

KEA: What do you like and dislike most about your job?

Dr. Koh: It's been a most interesting journey so far. Doctors generally do not like to be moved out of their comfort zones. Life in China has been fulfilling, despite its challenges. One thing that I have to work harder at here is keeping medical knowledge current; reading loads and attending relevant conferences help. I like my job and the feeling that I am doing something good and helping people every day.

KEA: What are your plans for the future?

Dr. Koh: Personally, having spent so many years in Shanghai, I would like to know Suzhou & its neighboring cities better. Work-wise, I would like to bring personalized medical care to the next level at SingHealth @ Global 188.

SingHealth at Global 188 is open Monday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Hours will be extended in the near future.

Address: 311 Global 188, Su Hui Lu 88, Suzhou Industrial Park

Ph: 180-1558-1781

See SingHealth's ad in this magazine for more information.

SingHealth & Gentle Medical Clinics accept cash, credit cards, and provide direct billing services with most major insurance companies. Both English & Chinese invoices are provided to assist in medical claims.