Over 300 Clinics Found Providing Non-Essential Services Like Botox or Tooth Implants

What does it mean to be essential?

When bubble tea stores all over the country closed down, some people started buying their own pearls just so they could survive the circuit breaker.

And when McDonald’s closed down, we scoured the frozen food sections at various supermarkets because some of us couldn’t go another day without their delicious fries and nuggets.

See, even when the gahmen labels something as non-essential, our hearts can’t accept it, even if it’s something as trivial as getting rid of some wrinkles on your face.

Over 300 Clinics Found Providing Non-Essential Services Like Botox or Tooth Implants

340 control orders were issued to medical and dental clinics here for performing non-essential treatment during the circuit breaker period.

You’re probably thinking these were some urgent procedures like treatment for Netflix addiction or filling a cavity, but some residents went to medical clinics for something much more important: botox and tooth implants.

On 4 April, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that clinics can only remain open for essential services during the circuit breaker, and that all non-essential appointments should be deferred.

According to CNA, essential services include treatment of serious or emergency medical conditions, procedures to prevent deterioration of a patient’s condition, and services that can be affected by time delay, such as in-vitro fertilisation.

But for some people, having a forehead tighter than some new leather pants is a medical emergency, as they continued with their botox treatments during the circuit breaker.

Other non-essential services that were provided include health screenings for insurance policies, consultation for skin and hair conditions which were stable, as well as other beauty treatments like fillers and chemical peels.

Now either these people are scientists who’ve discovered that the coronavirus avoids beautiful people or they’re putting their own selfish needs ahead of their fellow Singaporeans. 

Even some hospitals were issued control orders for operating on stable cataracts, which is an elective procedure, reported CNA.

Dental clinics were also found to have given elective procedures such as scaling and polishing, presumably because patients’ teeth were being damaged from all the food they were binging while binging Netflix.

Flu Vaccinations May Soon Be Allowed

Did you know that flu vaccinations are considered non-essential at the moment? This might change in the near future, however.

MOH said they are reviewing the resumption of some health services, including influenza vaccinations.

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Going to a clinic full of sick people who might have Covid-19 to get a vaccination for a completely different virus might seem stupid, but some people really need it.

“To reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection during the circuit breaker period, individuals should not visit clinics for the sole purpose of influenza vaccination,” said MOH.

“However, influenza vaccination can still be given to patients receiving chronic care should doctors ascertain that it is necessary for the patient’s health and well being”.

But getting flu vaccinations might be a good thing, because its symptoms are very similar to Covid-19, and the last thing healthcare workers need when identifying patients is to be confused.

Health Over Beauty

This certainly came as a shock to me, but I recently learned that my health is more important than how I look.

So even if you have a few wrinkles on your forehead, don’t risk your health and the health of those around you just to look like an influencer.

You won’t be seeing any of your friends during the circuit breaker anyway, so you can keep your crow’s feet a secret for now.

Since we’ve already learned to live without bubble tea, we might as well add Botox injections and tooth implants to that list.

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