The waiting time has been unbearably long and here's how SGH can improve.

At my last visit on Monday, I arrived at 10.25am for my 10.30am appointment and I was registered at 10.38am.

Then, there was another wait to see the doctor (it was over in five minutes but I am not complaining), another wait to be briefed on a follow-up procedure and yet another wait to pay my bill.

Altogether, there were four queues which took up a total of two hours and 45 minutes.

It was no better when I arrived half an hour to an hour earlier than the appointed time for my previous visits.

Here's where and how SGH can do better to cut waiting time for patients.

First, cut the number of queues from four to one (for most patients) and two, for patients who need to be briefed or obtain prescriptions and pay their dues.

Second, eliminate physical registration and payment because these are unnecessary bottlenecks. Because visits to specialist clinics are appointment-only arrangements, patients can register on the Internet or by phone the day before.

Patients should also pay for consultations at this stage (if they are there only for consultation) either by credit card, bank account debit or through their telephone/ mobile phone account.

They obtain a confirmation code (or a queue number) when payment is completed. The patient keys his confirmation code on arrival the next day. Trust me, Singaporeans will be punctual after they have paid in advance.

In the meantime, hospital staff can get the patients' files ready for the doctor before he comes in. Currently, it's done only after one is registered physically.

Third, transfer redundant registration staff to deal with patients who need follow-up treatment or to handle the deluge of queries and phone calls that come through but which are rarely answered.

Finally, have more realistic timelines for consultation. Currently, appointments are given with extremely short time intervals. Space them apart so that doctors can regulate their time and resources better as some patients may require longer treatment time than others.

With a little more time to play with, latecomers can also be accommodated in a way that isn't unfair to those who arrive before them.

Hwang Liang Keng