5 Easy Steps to Finding the Best Clinic in Your Neighbourhood

Whether you’ve just moved to Bedok or have been living in the area for a long time, it’s important that you have a go-too clinic that you trust. Don’t wait when you or someone you know is already sick. You don’t want to be that person who makes desperate searches for “clinic at Bedok,” “best clinic at Bedok North,” and the like at 3 a.am because a friend or family member is extremely ill. 

Don’t know how to find the best clinic in your area? It’s easy! Just follow these five easy steps.

1.    Pinpoint all the clinic in your neighbourhood

Here are four ways to do this:

·         Explore your neighbourhood. Cover all the areas of your community and take note of all the clinics that you encounter. You can walk (it’s good for your health), ride a bike, or take a bus. You can also drive around if you have a car.

·         Ask around. Talk to your friend and neighbours. Ask them as to which Bedok clinic do they go to when they or someone they know is sick.

·         Contact your health insurance company. Just call the number at the back of your health card. A customer service representative will help you locate the nearest clinics and doctors that are associated with their program. The agent will also help you connect to the medical centre.

·         Search online. Type “clinic” or “medical center” and your location or residential area. You can also mention the service that you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for a clinic that provides surgical procedures, you can search for “Bedok clinic and surgery,” “clinic and surgery in Bedok Geylang,” and the like.

Even though you’re looking to settle on a single clinic, it’s important that you establish all the medical centres in your area. This way, you’ll have alternative options in case you can’t go to your choice clinic in the future.

2.    Consider the clinic’s location

The location of the clinic matters. Consider the distance of your potential medical centre to your residence. Is it within walking distance or do you need to commute? If it’s the latter, is it easy to commute there? There’s a huge chance that you’re going to be travelling to the clinic while you’re indisposed or with someone that’s indisposed. So, it’s a must that it’s easy to get there.

Aside from the commute, check out the surrounding areas of your potential clinic. Are there any pharmacies and convenience stores nearby? It’s ideal that there are.  That way you won’t go hungry or thirsty in case you have to wait for your turn for a long time.

3.    Check out their services

It’s best that you choose a clinic that provides a wide range of specialized healthcare services. That way, in case you need to consult different specialists or get various tests done, you won’t have to travel to different medical centres to do so.

4.    Get to know the clinic’s doctors

One of the best ways to gauge a clinic’s credibility and quality is to check out their doctors. Are they established experts in their respective fields? How long have they been practicing? Are they resident doctors or do they operate in other medical centres?

Visit your potential clinic’s website and find their doctor’s profile page. If they don’t have a website, you can ask the clinic’s receptionist for a list of their healthcare specialists.

5.    Assess the clinic’s facilities 

Is the clinic clean and well-ventilated? Do the medical equipment look well-maintained? Pay a visit to the clinic to find out.

Apply steps 2-4 to all your potential clinics. Then, choose the best one based on your findings!