Last month, I went to the accident and emergency department of Changi General Hospital to follow up on an X-ray which showed that I had a fractured bone in my foot.

The service I experienced was exemplary.

But what I could not understand was the hospital charging a fee for filling in a simple medical certificate for insurance claims.

In my case, it was $90, but I understand that the fee can go up to $475 for a complicated case.

Ninety dollars for just indicating the diagnosis, ticking a few boxes and putting a signature at the end is exorbitant.

The hospital should not impose such a charge.

Also, if insurance companies insist that medical claims must be endorsed by a doctor, it is most unfair to make the patient pay for it.

If the claim is just a few hundred dollars and all relevant documents, including X-ray reports, are provided, why add an unnecessary hurdle?

Tay Soh Hoon (Ms)