Hospitals.SG

Singapore's Health Minister announced that his ministry will be hiring some 4,500 medical and healthcare professionals over the next two years. Announcing the manpower push in Parliament, Minister Khaw Boon Wan said this will increase the capacity of public hospitals and institutions, allow the sector “to do things we were not able to do before” and “transform the delivery” of healthcare in Singapore.

In Parliament last week, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan spoke on the issue of medical negligence in response to questions from Member of Parliament (MP) Lee Bee Wah. He informed that, over the last five years, there were three cases of alleged medical negligence in Singapore's public hospitals that went to trial. In all three cases, the courts ruled in favour of the hospitals.

For cases that were settled out-of-court, there was an average of eight a year. Details of these cases were not known to the Health Ministry as non-disclosure terms were usually part of the settlements.

Singapore has introduced means testing for public hospital patients starting 1 January 2009. From the first day of the new year, the government will start assessing new patients' entitlement to subsidies for class B2 and class C wards based on their tax-declared incomes or, for non-working patients, the value of their homes.

While income disclosure itself is not mandatory, patients who refuse to do so, effectively opt out of the scheme, and will have their subsidies minimized, similar to that of the highest earning group - currently 50% for class B2 and 65% for class C wards.

In Singapore, the primary healthcare role is fulfilled by government polyclinics and private clinics. The polyclinics provide subsidised outpatient medical care, health screening and pharmacy services, with some offering dental services as well. The Ministry of Health states that only 20% of primary healthcare is currently provided by the polyclinics versus 80% by private medical practitioners.
There are currently eighteen polyclinics located throughout the island, and these are managed by the two vertically integrated* delivery networks or clusters, National Healthcare Group (NHG) and Singapore Health Services (Singhealth), that were formed in year 2000.
* The two clusters also manage the government's restructured hospitals.

See:

• List of Polyclinics (Addresses)
• List of Polyclinics (Operating Hours & Appointment Telephone Nos)

The Ministry of Health commissioned a survey on opinions of Singapore's public/restructured hospitals and polyclinics during the later part of last year.

The latest annual Patient Satisfaction Survey, done independently by Media Research Consultants Pte Ltd, tabulated patients' opinions in terms of satisfaction with services, as well as their willingness to recommend those hospitals/clinics to others.

The Singapore Government has announced plans for a new general hospital in the Jurong region. To be built near the Jurong East town centre in the open land parcels between Boon Lay Way and Jurong East Street 21 (near IMM mall), the Jurong General Hospital (working name) will be opened in 2015.

The new 550-bed hospital will provide acute inpatient and outpatient care, and will be co-sited with a community hospital (200 beds). This follows a similar model to that of Changi General Hospital (CGH) and St. Andrew's Community Hospital in Simei in the eastern region of Singapore.

MOH has announced plans to create two new national medical specialist centres - one for heart diseases and one for cancer - in addition to the existing ones for the respective specialties, the National Heart Centre (NHC) and the National Cancer Centre (NCC).

The National University Hospital (NUH) situated at Kent Ridge / NUS has been tasked to set up these two second tertiary specialist centres.

29 May 2007

A Straits Times report by Salma Khalik reported that fees have increased or are slated to increase soon in most public hospitals and some polyclinics.

Fees at specialist clinics for subsidised patients at four major public hospitals - Singapore General Hospital (SGH), Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), National University Hospital (NUH) and Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) - have gone up to $24/25 from $20/21 previously. Fees at Alexandra Hospital (AH) and Changi General Hospital (CGH) remains the same at $20.

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.

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.