Foreign Patients Put a Heavy Strain on Local Blood Resources

makapaaa

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
33,627
Points
0
[h=2]Foreign Patients Put a Heavy Strain on Local Blood Resources[/h]Published by The Online Citizen on August 25, 2012
By Edmund Lim -</STRONG>

I refer to your news on new Blood Bank at Dhoby Ghaut Centre which is due to open in Sept next month.


Currently, permanent residents need to pay a slightly higher fees for each blood bag they receive for transfusion. This is in line to differentiate the perks between Singapore citizen and Singapore permanent residents. Foreign patients need to pay even higher than permanent residents of Singapore. Most foreign patients usually go to private hospitals for their medical treatment. Many of them come from Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Phillippines.


With the opening of 333 bed Parkway Novena Hospital in July 2012, this puts a heavy strain of our blood resources.


As many of these foreign patients fly into Singapore to get treated for cancer, anaemia or surgery, private hospitals demand a lot of blood. In addition, immediate family members of these foreign patients are not able to donate blood as they do not reside in Singapore.


With Singapore citizens getting more tense about the presence of foreigners in Singapore, some Singapore blood donors may opt out or refuse to donate blood as they feel that their blood does not go to a local citizen.


They also do not have an option to choose if their blood or plasma products can go to a Singapore citizen, Singapore permanent resident or to any patient of any nationality. Foreigners already made up 40% of our population.


To allow each blood donor the option to choose if their products can go to a Singapore citizen, Singapore permanent resident or to any nationality. This option can be made known when they register in person at the counter.


Alternatively, to reduce any heavy swing or bias, it can also be proposed that the higher fees charged for each foreign patient goes towards a local charity. HSA may wish to liaise with MCYS Voluntary Welfare Organisation Units to see if a certain percentage can be donated towards charities.

 
I stop donating to local charities after NKF was exposed....and tell everyone not to do so.
Now will do likewise for blood donation.
 
Back
Top