Tan Kin Lian criticises registration process at Singapore National Eye Centre, calls it ‘confusing’ & ‘unfriendly’

Tan Kin Lian raises concerns over patient workflow at Singapore National Eye Centre

Former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian has publicly criticised the patient workflow at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC), describing the registration and consultation process as “confusing” and “unfriendly”, especially for first-time or elderly patients.

He shared his experience in a Facebook post on Friday (16 Jan), after visiting SNEC for treatment related to blurry vision.

Unclear where patients are supposed to register

According to Mr Tan, his appointment instructions told him to report to Clinic 3C on Level 3.

However, upon arriving at the building, he noticed a registration counter on Level 1 and was unsure whether he needed to register there first.

After checking with staff at the Level 1 counter, he was told to proceed directly to Level 3.

Once there, Mr Tan said he was again left uncertain about what to do next and had to look around before spotting a self-service registration kiosk.

He added that scanning his NRIC took several attempts before the system successfully recognised it.

Referral letter still required despite GP fax

After completing self-registration, Mr Tan was given a slip of paper and told to wait at another counter.

There, the staff asked for his General Practitioner’s (GP) referral letter. Mr Tan explained that his GP had already faxed the document to SNEC, but was informed that a physical copy was still required.

He questioned why patients still needed to carry hard copies when referrals were already sent electronically.

Mr Tan suggested that the process could be simplified by centralising registration at Level 1, instead of having multiple registration points across different floors.

“It would have been easier to centralize the registration at level 1 instead of decentralizing the registration at separate places,” he wrote.

Multiple queues for eye tests before seeing doctor

Mr Tan also described having to queue separately for eye tests at three different stations before seeing the doctor, resulting in repeated waiting and movement between areas.

“It should be possible to put all the tests (and the technicians) in one room and have the patient complete them in one queue, instead of waiting in three separate queues,” he suggested.

Mr Tan said he faced further confusion while waiting to see the doctor.

After waiting outside the consultation room for some time, he realised he was supposed to hand his folder to a nurse to indicate he was ready to be seen, a step he said was not clearly explained.

“It was quite confusing to a patient who is not familiar with the work flow,” he wrote.

Netizens divided over SNEC experience

Mr Tan’s post drew mixed reactions online.

Some netizens agreed that hospital systems can be difficult to navigate, especially for elderly patients or those unfamiliar with digital processes, and said clearer instructions and signage would help.

Some also raised concerns about the multi-patient consultation layout, saying it felt uncomfortable due to limited privacy and doctors moving between several patients.

Others shared that while the process could be inconvenient, SNEC’s medical care remained reliable.

One netizen felt the workflow was standardised across public hospitals and polyclinics, and explained that the system was designed to manage high patient volumes efficiently.

MS News has reached out to SNEC for comments.

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Featured image adapted from SNEC (left) and Tan Kin Lian on Facebook.