Why do polyclinics charge more than a hospital for flu jabs?
With the recent flu outbreak here, my family and I decided to go for vaccinations last week. My wife and I went to Jurong Polyclinic for our jabs on Jan 8 while my six-year-old son had his at Choa Chu Kang Polyclinic on Jan 10.
The flu jabs at both polyclinics cost S$32.00 each, after government subsidies.
As my four-year-old daughter had a prior appointment at the National University Hospital’s Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute (NUHkids) on Jan 10, she got her flu jab there. To my surprise, her jab cost S$23.48, after government subsidy.
As all three institutions are under the National University Health System (NUHS) cluster, we are puzzled why there is a price disparity.
It is also ironic that the polyclinics, as primary healthcare providers, are charging more for the jab compared to a hospital.Â
We hope NUHS or the Ministry of Health could clarify why this is the case.
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