Urgent care clinic open 24 hours near me

We love that medical clinics in Singapore are easily accessible and available everywhere. The truth is, it’s a very different story when it’s 12 a.m. and you or your family member fall really sick and need medical care. Your nearest GP has probably gone to bed and you do panicked search: 24-hour clinics in Singapore in (insert name of neighbourhood). Well, the good news is, we’ve put together a definitive list of 24-hour clinics in Singapore that you can use and rely on whenever you’re in need!

With the rising cases of Covid-19 now, we’d suggest to bookmark this page, for the time being at least. Do not hesitate to see a doctor if you develop Covid-19 like symptoms such as bouts of cough, high fever or breathlessness. [1]

Also read: 50 Questions on Covid-19 

If it’s a medical emergency you’re facing, you may want to skip the 24-hour clinic visit and go straight to your nearest hospital’s A&E (Accident & Emergency). In this article, we’ve also put together a handy emergency list of all the A&Es in Singapore you can visit, the dos and don’ts of an A&E visit and a guide to decide if you should visit a 24-hour clinic or A&E.

“What are the 24-hour clinics in Singapore near me?”

In general, there’re not much difference between a medical practitioner in a 24-hour clinic in Singapore and your regular GP clinic – they are all qualified to cater to your medical needs – the difference lies only in extended consultation hours (and often, price).

In case you didn’t know, it is generally more expensive to see a doctor late at night since you know, somebody’s gotta pay for the clinic staff’s OT hours. 24-hour clinics in Singapore generally have two tiers of consult charges – one tier for regular hours and another for midnight hours and beyond. Expect to pay a consultation fee with surcharge ranging between $80 to $110 at 24-hour clinics in the wee hours. Medications and GST would cost additional. [2]

Below is a list of 24-hour clinics in Singapore according to area, complete with the price of the GP’s consultation (after 12 a.m.). [3]

24-hour Clinics in Central Singapore

24-hour Clinics in North of Singapore

24-hour Clinics in Northeast of Singapore

24-hour Clinics in Northwest of Singapore

24-hour Clinics in East of Singapore

24-hour Clinics in West of Singapore

Note: Clinics marked with an asterisk (*) are PHPCs which will allow you to enjoy subsidised rates for respiratory illnesses at only $10 (Singapore citizens, PRs, work permit holders) and $5 (Pioneer / Merdeka Generation card holders).

“Should I visit a 24-hour clinic or hospital A&E ?”

A hospital’s A&E departments, like its name, is meant for accidents and emergencies. Thus, it depends on the urgency and severity of your condition. Obviously a life-threatening condition would warrant an immediate visit to your nearest A&E.

If your condition is not urgent nor serious, please keep in mind that your visit may cause a delay to others who are genuinely in need of immediate medical attention. After the nurse on duty assesses that your condition is not an emergency case, you may also be pushed back on the A&E waiting list as the staff protocol is to prioritise more urgent cases. This can mean hours and hours of waiting time before you get to see the doc and so, visiting a 24-hour clinic would make more sense.

Here are a list of emergency situations for a visit to a hospital’s A&E in Singapore: [4]

• Acute E&T and eye injuries,
• Breathlessness for a prolonged period,
• Elderly injuries,
• Persistent high fever that lasts for days,
• Slurred speech,
• Heart attack,
• Weakness or numbness at one area of the body,
• Broken limbs or dislocated joints,
• Sudden and severe pain,
• Fits and seizures,
• Incessant vomiting,
• Industrial accidents, etc.

Charges wise, a hospital’s A&E consultation price is higher than that of a 24-hour clinic. If you’re headed to an A&E, expect to shell out at least $100 just for the staff on duty to attend to you. A&E consultation fees are separately charged and ranges from $100 to $160. Medications and GST would cost additional.

“A full list of hospital A&Es in Singapore”

All major hospitals in Singapore in general have an A&E department that you can visit when you have a medical emergency.

This list of hospital A&E departments in Singapore and its pricing would come in handy if you really need it (hopefully, never!).

Source: Individual hospital websites

Consult fees for each hospital A&E are applicable to consultations after 12 a.m.

“Waiting time at A&Es”

A&Es are known to have an extensively long waiting time of 4 hours if you get classified under the non-emergency patient group.

A&E departments would usually put out a sign to inform patients if the expected waiting time gets too long.

According to SGH, there are 4 priority levels of patient care:

Priority 1: Resuscitation and critically-ill patients

• Described as patients who are in a state of cardiovascular attack or imminent collapse.
• Case examples: Heart attack, severe bleeding, asthma attack

Priority 2: Major emergencies

• Described as patients with acute medical conditions and require to be trolley-based and wheeled in for examination and treatment.
• Case examples: Major limb fractures, dislocations, severe abdominal pain.

Priority 3: Minor emergencies

• Described as patients with acute symptoms but are in a stable condition and are able to walk on their own.
• Case examples: Sprains, minor fractures or dislocations, minor abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, rashes.

Priority 4: Non-emergency

• Described as patients with old and existing conditions or injuries.
• Case examples: Chronic joint pains, skin rash, nasal discharge, cataracts, sore throats, etc.

This patient categorising is often subject to the healthcare workers’ discretion. There was a case of a 70-year-old who rushed to the A&E one morning as he was not able to urinate for at least 24 hours. He had to wait for more than three hours in pain and discomfort to finally see the doctor, and the doctor treated his condition by inserting a catheter to help him empty his bladder. He was then advised to go for a procedure known as trans-urethral resection of the prostate.

According to Dr Kanak Naidu at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), an actual emergency would mean one that can result in loss of life, limb or vision – and this can present itself in warning symptoms such as: chest pain, breathing difficulties, venomous bites, major trauma (due to an accident), etc.

“Consider visiting a 24-hour clinic first before rushing to an A&E”

Most of us tend to rush to the A&E driven by pain and panic, rather than the severity of our condition.

During this critical time when our healthcare works are also battling the Covid-19 virus, the waiting time at A&E departments will no doubt be even longer. If your condition is non life-threatening and non urgent, visiting 24-hour clinics would be more advisable instead since they are able attend to you almost immediately, depending on patient volume. 24-hour clinics in Singapore are also peppered islandwide and snugly located in neighbourhoods, so there’s a good chance you can visit one near you!

If you’re experiencing fever and are heading to the A&E during this period of time, bear in mind that you will be handled in separate areas as a precaution to reduce the risk of spreading the infection. If you’re experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, it would also make sense to visit your nearest 24-hour PHPC first to enjoy subsidised consultation rates.

An illustration: if you experience blurry vision in the middle of the night, you may want to go to a 24-hour clinic to get your eyes checked by a doctor. On the other hand, if you experience blurry vision and sudden sharp, severe pain in your eyes, you could opt to visit the hospital’s A&E instead.

All in all, avoid going to the A&E unless it really is an emergency. Always assess if visiting a 24-hour clinic is a better option instead.

If you haven’t done so, bookmark this page to avoid scrambling last minute in search of a clinic in times of dire need. Also a great precaution to take amidst the coronavirus pandemic – who knows, this may just come in handy one day!

References:

[1] World Health Organization (2020). Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19), from https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

[2] Lim, R. (2020). Rates and surcharges of medical emergencies: List of 24-hour clinics vs A&E in Singapore, from https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/rates-and-surcharges-medical-emergencies-list-24-hour-clinics-vs-ae-singapore

[3] Chan, A. (2020). A Complete Guide To 24-hour Clinic In Singapore, from https://www.singsaver.com.sg/blog/24-hours-clinics-in-singapore

[4] Scripps (2018). Should You Go to the Emergency Room or Urgent Care?, from https://www.scripps.org/news_items/4231-should-you-go-to-the-emergency-room-or-urgent-care

Jen is a food lover who is constantly looking forward to her next foodie adventure. Hardly anything can rival her love for Wagyu beef, bubble tea and sashimi. A strong believer in faith and human connections, she spends her weekends on things that make her smile and secretly loves deep conversations.

Can I get MC for yesterday?

What is PHPC clinic?

What is Medimap?

Is Urgent Care free in Ontario?