Score One for Singapore Healthcare

I had my second visit to a doctor here yesterday and since the process was so different than in the US, I felt compelled to share.
I had an infection in both eyes a couple weeks ago and since it looked like pink eye, I used Megan's old prescription that I had brought with me from the States (ssh - that's probably illegal here!) It cleared up, only to flare up once again towards the end of our vacation. My Pilates instructor Vesna recommended a nearby general practitioner so here's how it played out yesterday afternoon.
I was at the pool around 2pm for Elizabeth's swim lesson. My eyes were getting worse out in the sun. I called the doctor office and asked for an appointment. "Can you be here at 4pm?" Sure!
I left at 3:40 for my appointment and it took 15 minutes door to door. When I arrived in the office, the staff were all wearing surgical masks and they immediately took my temperature at the receptionist desk (think Swine Flu). I forgot my passport and green card but they didn't care. Since it was my first visit, I filled out 2 little slips of paper -- one of them asked about swine flu symptoms and the other asked for my contact info. I waited 5 minutes and was called back to Dr. Tan's office. I had a 10 minute consultation with him and he was really nice. He suggested I take 2 different eye medications for the next 3 days and if my eyes don't look better, to return on Friday. He wrote my prescriptions and explained the dosage. I left his office and handed my paperwork to the assistant. I waited about 5 minutes and she appeared with my prescriptions and bill. I paid S$50 for the visit and S$30 for 2 prescriptions. The total bill equaled about $55 US.
There were a few glaring differences compared to a doctor visit at home. I had never been to this doctor and yet my initial visit was simple. Just being able to get in the same day to see the doctor was impressive. No one asked for a dissertation on my health insurance provider before agreeing to schedule an appointment. Of course my US insurance does not cover doctor visits in Singapore because, after all, they are "out of network." The doctor wasn't overbooked with patients, so I didn't have to wait.
Unlike the US, the doctors here can dispense prescriptions in their offices so I didn't need to visit a pharmacy afterwards. I would especially appreciate that with a sick child. So, while I can't speak to the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment yet, I certainly preferred the process. While there may be good reason for the system at home, as a consumer, this seemed more practical. I was back at home within 45 minutes without spending a fortune on drugs.
The other nice part of the visit is that I liked the doctor well enough that I plan to take Emily to him later this summer for her 2-year checkup.
The one funny thing the doctor said was, "You need to give your eyes a few days to heal. None of all this fun of being outside swimming and in the sun. Give them some quiet." Sure, Dr. Tan. They'll get lots of "quiet" inside the house with 3 children.