Amid all the debate on who should be responsible for footing the hospital bill, the remarkable clinical outcome achieved on the "unstable" patient by Dr Sriram Shanker and Gleneagles Hospital should not go unnoticed (Patient could not get place in SGH, hit with $78k bill; Oct 11).

Dr Shanker should be lauded for his courage to operate on the very sick patient and for doing so pro bono.

Gleneagles Hospital should also be applauded for attempting to facilitate the transfer of Mr Thomas Lukose to the National Heart Centre Singapore, and its subsequent excellent care, such that Mr Lukose was able to make an "excellent, uneventful recovery".

Such heroic acts exhibit doctors and allied health partners at their altruistic best and should not be taken for granted.

Loo Han Woen (Dr)