Checking out Thong Chai Medical Institution

Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution was apparently featured on Singapore television recently, with the result that it got my mum interested in trying out its services.

I thought I'd write about our experience, just to give an idea to anyone else who is thinking of seeing if the doctors there can help them out with their particular ailments.

THE SERVICES

According to its website, Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution provides "free medical consultation and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to the public regardless of race, religion or nationality." In practice, the outpatient clinic provides (1) traditional herbal medicine (2) acupuncture.

GETTING THERE

If you're going by MRT, you can stop at Outram Park or Chinatown. We stopped at Outram Park MRT station, then took a taxi because my mother has difficulty walking any distance. Taxi fare was $4. Alternatively, take SBS Bus 174 from opposite Outram Park MRT. The bus stops very near Thong Chai Building.

THE PROCESS

Registration:

• When you enter, you are given a queue number for registration. Patient has to be present at the clinic before a number is given.
• First-time patients will need to bring identification - IC, passport or birth certificate (they have signs saying this is a requirement of the Singapore government). Basic details are entered into their computerised system, and a patient card is given to you.
• You are then allocated to a doctor. What's also interesting is that you are allowed to request specific doctors. Waiting times for the more popular doctors can be quite a bit longer though, from what we understand from another patient there.
• One thing to note: on any one day, you can only see either the doctor for herbal medicine, or the acupuncturist.
• The waiting time for registration was over an hour when we were there to register as first-time patients, and about half an hour when we visited again a week later.

Consultation:

• If you're familiar with traditional chinese medicine, then the procedure is pretty much the same at this clinic. The doctor talks to you to discover your symptoms, checks your pulse, then prescribes a formula tailored to your complaint(s).
• Waiting time for the doctor can vary depending on the popularity of the doctor, as I mentioned in the section above. One patient waiting for the most popular doctor said that she had been waiting over 2 hours. In our case, it took under an hour.

Medicine:

• While many traditional chinese medicine clinics nowadays provide medicines in powdered or liquid form, Thong Chai still does it the traditional way. You are given a combination of dried herbs, which you can see the staff weighing and wrapping up in red paper, just like what they do in a traditional chinese medicine shop. Preparation of the meidicine at home: three bowls of water to be added to the herbs, then boiled down to one bowl for the first day; two bowls of water boiled down to just under one bowl for the second day. (Be warned! Many chinese herbal concoctions are extremely bitter).
• A printed copy of the prescription is also given to you, which gives you the option of purchasing the formula from a chinese medical hall convenient to you. You may also go back after two days for more medicine, but do note that you'll have to see the doctor first.
• The two days that we went, it took 45 minutes to an hour for our prescriptions to be filled.

Review: OSIM uSqueez Warm Massager

We were looking for a foot massager for my mum recently, and found out quite a bit about the OSIM uSqueez Warm, which motivated me to write this review on Hubpages:

Review: OSIM uSqueez Warm Massager

Although I didn't mention it in that article, I actually also tried a similar product from OTO -- the OTO Power Foot. According to the OTO salesperson, a unique features is that it has three rollers, and offers options for massage of other parts of the leg like the knee. It's worth checking out not least because the price and freebies are quite attractive. In terms of how good the massage feels, though, I think the OSIM uSqueez wins.

Spa Infinity at Far East Shopping Centre (Singapore)

My friend gave me a great treat recently -- a session at Spa Infinity (this spa is in a building next to Wheelock Place) - since she got hold of a very good trial package. Imagine, $15 + GST per person for use of spa facilities, a 30-minute massage session, and some light snacks at their cafe. Good value, and though they do try to sell you additional items when you get there (we were asked if we were interested in using special essential oils blends for our massage, for an extra amount of money, of course), they're polite and pleasant even if you say no.

The spa opened its doors about half a year ago, so no signs of wear and tear in the facilities yet:
- separate locker room facilities for men and women. I of course didn't go into the male locker room, but I assume it's the same as the one for women, with a glass-walled steam bath, a jacuzzi hot pool, showers, toilets, changing booths, lockers.
- a cafe where they serve light snacks and drinks.
- a lounge with comfortable sofa seating and television area to relax in; also serves as a place where you can wait in comfort till you're called for your treatment.
- treatment rooms.

Verdict: This place is worth checking out. Relaxing ambience, above-average massage service, and with the economic downturn, you may just be able to get yourself a value-for-money package. What I also like: they use a credit point system, so even if you initially signed up for a package of massage sessions, you have the flexibility of using your points for a variety of other services (facials, hair removal, pedicure, manicure, etc.).

What wasn't so hot: The hot pool was too hot the day we went, but we were assured that they would monitor the water temperature more carefully in the future. And note that the cafeteria menu is basic, and the food is also average.

Prices start from $75 for a 45-minute massage. If you're game to sign up for a package, the price per session could go down quite considerably.

Tips:
(1) When choosing a spa, look at spas at locations most convenient to you (no point stressing yourself out getting there each time you want to de-stress!); and ask or watch out for trial packages.
(2) If you find yourself satisfied with your trial, don't be afraid to negotiate a package suited to your needs:
- you may want to ask for a smaller trial package, so that you can try a few more times to see if the services are consistently good, and if the spa really suits you.
- ask for better prices, and more extras.
(3) If there's something you don't want to make use of, do speak up. They may adjust the price accordingly, For example, at Spa Infinity, it may suit you better to opt for a package without the free-flow cafeteria food option.

Indian Borage (Plectranthus ambroinicus) - Amazing Cough Remedy

This plant was first brought to our attention by a friend, as being great for persistent cough. Almost instant relief if you're suffering from cough and throat irritation. Just pluck a few leaves and chew them. The best part is that it's so easy to grow from a cutting.

Check out this excellent article if you want to know more: Indian Borage - a must-have in a herb garden. I learnt quite a bit from the article, like what the Indian Borage is used for, (other than for coughs). More importantly, I found out why the leaves of my plant are starting to curl and yellow (seems it's getting too much sun!). The article also gives useful tips on how to propagate the plant.

I've also collated information I found from sites and books in this article: Indian Borage


Useful references:

• Wee Yeow Chin, A Guide to Herbs and Spices (available in Singapore libraries).
• Wendy Hutton and Alberto Cassio, Handy Pocket Guide to Asian Herbs & Spices (Handy Pocket Guides)