Hospitals.SG

In line with earlier announcements, the Ministry of Health has increased Medisave withdrawal limits from 1st May 2007 for the following :

1. Inpatient limit - increase from $400 to $450 for per diem limit;
2. Day surgery limit - increase from $200 to $300;
3. Inpatient psychiatric bills (annual limit) - increase from $3,500 to $5,000.

From 1st April 2007, Singapore's Ministry of Health and the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) will recognize twenty additional foreign medical schools. This brings the total number of medical school degrees recognized under the Medical Registration Act to 140.

List of the additional 20 foreign medical schools to be recognised

Canada

• Faculte de Medecine, Universite Laval
• Faculte de Medecine, Universite de Sherbrooke
• Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine
• University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine

23 Feb 2007

The Ministry of Health will be increasing the Medisave Withdrawal Limits (MWL) in four areas.

1. Inpatient daily withdrawal limit will increase from $400 to $450.
   With the increase, Medisave will, on average, cover 82%(currently 76%) of each B1 bill, and 66%(currently 57%) of each A/private-hospital ward bill.

Singapore's Minister of Health, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, has highlighted the need for new legislation to regulate medical devices and other new categories of health products. In his Parliamentary speech on the draft Health Products Bill given on 12 February 2007, he said that while existing laws cover pharmaceutical medicines, other health products such as cardiac pacemakers and coronary stents are largely unregulated.

1 Jan 2007

From 1 January 2007, the Singapore Ministry of Health has extended the Medisave for Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) to cover high blood pressure, lipid disorder and stroke. This is in addition to the coverage for diabetes which began on 1 October 2006.

The Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) will be implementing a revised fee structure for public and government schools, polytechnics and universities. Non-Singapore citizens admitted from academic year 2008 will pay higher fees.

The changes for the tertiary institutes (polytechnics and universities) are :

13 December 2006

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) will reduce medical subsidies for non-citizens at public hospitals and national medical centres starting next year. The medical services affected are :

• inpatient services,
• day surgery, and
• specialist outpatient clinics (SOCs)

Emergency services at hospital emergency departments will be excluded from the changes.

In a pilot project by the Health Ministry to bring specialist healthcare services to the community, the new Jurong Medical Centre (JMC) at Jurong West Central 3 was officially opened on Sunday, 15 October 2006.

Costing $22 million, the new centre comes with advanced day surgery equipment, endoscopy services, a chronic disease management centre, x-ray facilities, dental care and eye care services (including cataract surgery).

1 Sep 2006

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan gave a speech at a dinner at the College of Medicine Building to mark the groundbreaking for the new Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore.

Below are excerpts of his speech "A Worthy Piece To Our Healthcare Jigsaw".

28 Aug 2006

In a news release, the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed its roll out of the chronic disease management scheme.