Sorry No Enough....

[Goh Meng Seng]

Nope, not for Jack Neo but for Mr. Khaw.

This is the third day after my first email to Ministry of Finance but I am still waiting for the reply. Ministry of Finance has an automatic reply which states that "We will get back to you in 3 working days or less depending on the
complexity of your query/case." I really hope that my little request is not too complex for them and I believe that when the Minister of Finance made his claim in parliament, all details and statistics would have been made readily available for public scrutiny.

While we are waiting for Ministry of Finance reply, I would like to deal with other issues. But this time round, I will not deal with Mr. Mah's myth yet. I will deal with Mr. Khaw's Health Ministry.

Mr. Khaw has apologized publicly about the lack of hospital beds but we do not have a full clear picture how acute the problem is. I shall illustrate the seriousness of the problem here.

The following chart is for this illustration:

(Please go to my blog for the chart)

The above chart shows the percentage increase in population, demand of hospital care (admission to both public and private hospitals), supply of hospital beds (both public and private) and the supply of doctors and nurses.

The demand of hospital care has increased more than the increase of population growth. This is mainly due to the rapid aging population. Although the supply of doctors and nurses in public hospitals have increased more than the growth in population and hospital care demand, the bottle neck seems to be stuck at the supply of beds.

The Private hospitals have reacted to the increase in demand by increasing the both the number of beds, doctors and nurses. However, the public hospitals, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Mr. Khaw, has DECREASED the number of hospital beds during this period from 2003 to 2008!

Facing a INCREASE in demand and a DECREASE in supply of beds, no wonder Singaporeans are feeling desperate when their love ones are being deprived of beds when they are sent to the hospital on emergency need!

I have friends who have complained about waiting for more than 8 hours, some at 12 hours for a bed when their family members were sent to hospital during emergency. This is a matter of life and death!

The Ministry of Health has promised to build the Yishun Hospital way back in 2001 but it turned out to be BROKEN PROMISES. As I understand, they were supposed to build one hospital in the West, Jurong or Boon Lay, but turn out to be empty plan again. When they decided to build Yishun Hospital after GE 2006, they complained about high cost basically because due to the competition on resources by the construction of the two Casino resorts!

We are now seeing a distinctive pattern in this multi-millions PAP government. They have sat on the problems without doing anything to anticipate the impact due to the increase of population, which in turn due to their flawed liberal Foreign Talent policy.

As Singaporeans, we could tolerate congested public transport and even higher HDB flat prices. But I think there is a limit to our tolerance when the life and death of our love ones are threaten just because the PAP government, particularly the Ministry of Health, did not do their job in coping with the very liberal Foreign Talent policy that they have embarked on.

My message to Mr. Khaw is this, SORRY NO ENOUGH! This is a matter of life and death of Singaporeans. The hospitals have increased their billings on Singaporeans over the years without improving their quality of services, in terms of providing adequate hospital beds. I seriously hope Mr. Khaw get the message loud and clear. Please don't tell us to visit hospitals in JB or Malaysia. It would be a total shame for a self proclaim First World government not able to take care of its citizens' healthcare needs but to ask Singaporeans to depend on Third World countries to give them faster, cheaper and faster care.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Ramseth]

You contesting Tampines or Sembawang? You challenging National Development or Health policies?

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

You contesting Tampines or Sembawang? You challenging National Development or Health policies?

It is ok. I just hate to see the minister so free in parliament to talk about how to look young. Since nobody wants to hit him with hard questions, I will do it, for the benefits of Singaporeans who are fed up with the public hospitals.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Ramseth]

It is ok. I just hate to see the minister so free in parliament to talk about how to look young. Since nobody wants to hit him with hard questions, I will do it, for the benefits of Singaporeans who are fed up with the public hospitals.

Goh Meng Seng

That he looks young is quite a joke. If he stands together with Mah Bow Tan and Wong Kan Seng and they sing Bah Bah Black Sheep Three Short Fools, that'd be something. If they record and release it on DVD, I'd buy it (provided the retail price is something that I can afford).

 

[sampierre]

It is ok. I just hate to see the minister so free in parliament to talk about how to look young. Since nobody wants to hit him with hard questions, I will do it, for the benefits of Singaporeans who are fed up with the public hospitals.

Goh Meng Seng

Dear GMS,

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY PEOPLE LIKE MINISTERS MAH AND KHAW , THEN PLEASE DO YOURSELF -- AND YOUR SUPPORTERS--- A FAVOUR BY WORKING HARD TO WIN VOTES SO THAT YOU CAN ENTER PARLIAMENT AS AN ELECTED MP.

 

[IR123]

It would appear that national policies are poorly planned nowadays. The question is if the shortage of hospital beds and the rise in HDB flat prices are due to the influx of new citizens.

Did this influx of new citizens, PR and foreign residents caused such structural problems?

A country can only sustain so much. Finances cannot be continually lost. New events like casinos, F1 and Youth Olympics cannot be funded without opportunity costs to other aspects of Singapore society.

If indeed all these are due to poor planning, then these structural problems become symptoms under the ownership of Mr Khaw and Mr Mah. Singapore is a system and it should be viewed as such. The issue of bed shortages and HDB flat prices are thus the result of system imbalances due to the national policy of favouring new citizens aka free loaders (my opinion of them).

The question then is if there is indeed poor planning. Such a question is best answered by the PAP leaders. Their answers are best evaluated by the voters. Our votes are the best endorsement to their answers - if we would like the continuation of such PAP policies.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Well said, don't forget about the public transport system... As I have said, these are just the beginning, appetizer, more to come. I promise.

Goh Meng Seng

It would appear that national policies are poorly planned nowadays. The question is if the shortage of hospital beds and the rise in HDB flat prices are due to the influx of new citizens.

Did this influx of new citizens, PR and foreign residents caused such structural problems?

A country can only sustain so much. Finances cannot be continually lost. New events like casinos, F1 and Youth Olympics cannot be funded without opportunity costs to other aspects of Singapore society.

If indeed all these are due to poor planning, then these structural problems become symptoms under the ownership of Mr Khaw and Mr Mah. Singapore is a system and it should be viewed as such. The issue of bed shortages and HDB flat prices are thus the result of system imbalances due to the national policy of favouring new citizens aka free loaders.

The question then is if there is indeed poor planning. Such a question is best answered by the PAP leaders. Their answers are best evaluated by the voters. Our votes are the best endorsement to their answers - if we would like the continuation of such PAP policies.

 

[Ramseth]

I'm speaking from experience. I've not been in very good health in recent years and am no stranger to hospital beds, or waiting for hospital beds, or queueing at polyclinics. If our population is to increase by another million as the government projects within next couple of years, please don't fall sick. Fall sick at your own risk. If you have the time to wait and queue and the Medisave to pay, then feel free to fall sick.

 

[IR123]

I'm speaking from experience. I've not been in very good health in recent years and am no stranger to hospital beds, or waiting for hospital beds, or queueing at polyclinics. If our population is to increase by another million as the government projects within next couple of years, please don't fall sick. Fall sick at your own risk. If you have the time to wait and queue and the Medisave to pay, then feel free to fall sick.

Get well soon. Hospitalization cost is horrendous. I know of two, one who sold off his condo to pay for his relative's private hospitalization bills (he cannot downgrade due to means testing) and another who is contemplating downgrading from his HDB flat to pay for chronic medical bills.

When I hear of these, it gave me a very strong distaste of the PAP's new citizens policies as well as their inability/incapability to control medical inflation.

Their answer of 'you pay for what you can afford' is not satisfying because as the sole party in power of everything that is Singapore and Singaporean, medical inflation is their responsibility to manage.

 

[makapaaa]

The Private hospitals have reacted to the increase in demand by increasing the both the number of beds, doctors and nurses. However, the public hospitals, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Mr. Khaw, has DECREASED the number of hospital beds during this period from 2003 to 2008!

=> Cost savings go to funding the Familee's addictive gambling habit and his own awesome bonus?

 

[Ramseth]

The Private hospitals have reacted to the increase in demand by increasing the both the number of beds, doctors and nurses. However, the public hospitals, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Mr. Khaw, has DECREASED the number of hospital beds during this period from 2003 to 2008!

=> Cost savings go to funding the Familee's addictive gambling habit and his own awesome bonus?

Sure or not? Source? Quote?

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

What makes things worse is that the pricing of public hospitals are getting higher, so high that Medisave has to be increased!

Goh Meng Seng

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

The Private hospitals have reacted to the increase in demand by increasing the both the number of beds, doctors and nurses. However, the public hospitals, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Mr. Khaw, has DECREASED the number of hospital beds during this period from 2003 to 2008!

=> Cost savings go to funding the Familee's addictive gambling habit and his own awesome bonus?

There might be other reasons for the reduction in beds. Closure of hospitals? Conversion of wards? I was told about the conversion of some of the beds into private extended care which is why the beds in private sector increase. But the Maths doesn't add up.

Goh Meng Seng

 

[soIsee]

The issue is not really about the number of hospital beds but the quality of treatment provided by the qualified doctors.

Noticed the disportionate number of doctors serving the number of ppl in the public and private hospitals?

The more qualified and able doctors are moving to the private purely for the rewards of more money. Which definitely will result in better care and more ppl recovering in the private, than those in public hospital.

Moreover, the ppl working in the healthcare sector are eithier disenchanted with ther work or simply hanging on till they can find some other better jobs later. This shows up in their propaganda in the media to attract ppl to such healthcare related jobs.

The lousy quality of care provided at the public hospital ( which isn't really cheap in that sense) only creates a bigger burden both in absolute numbers, as well as being not effective in addressing the health issues of many.

This Khaw guy is just wanting to get his huge pay, up to such time that he will call it quits.

He is not here to sincerely solve the healthcare issues.

He is probably finding it hard to live up to the reputation expected of him, to resolve such tedious healthcare issues, that he is probably playing the long drawn game of making it who will last longer while he gets his pay.

You, the peasants or him while he sits in the chair.

 

[kingrant]

Deluge of new immigrants? Their aged parents needing care? Medical tourism?

There might be other reasons for the reduction in beds.

 

[Goh Meng Seng]

Deluge of new immigrants? Their aged parents needing care? Medical tourism?

I have not mentioned about Medical Tourism yet.

In view of the fact that we are already in an acute shortage of beds for our patients, why would public hospitals encouraged to embark on Medical Tourism?

I mean, if we are not even adequate in taking care of our own citizens, why would they want to take care of foreigners?

Goh Meng Seng

 

[aurvandil]

ST did quite a good article highlighting just how bad the situation is. The link with the growth in the population is obvious. Foreigners who come here to work get sick too. Coupled with the known problem of an aging population, it is obvious you will have a big problem if you do not increase the number of beds and other healthcare hardware amenities accordingly.

---

Hospital bed crunch Figures don't tell the whole story

ST 7 March 2010

Some patients have to wait many hours before a bed can be found

Call it the mystery of the 'missing' beds.

At first glance, the figures look reassuring.

The six public hospitals here, on average, say they have occupancy rates in the mid-80s.

This means that for every 100 beds, there should be about 15 empty ones, right? But the reality is different.

Patients are accommodated in beds placed in corridors until space is available in the ward, as has been reported in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

They might have to wait many hours in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department before a bed can be found. Or they are told that their non-urgent operation - for example, the removal of a cancer tumour or a hernia - may have to be deferred for weeks or even months.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan spoke about the bed crunch last week in Parliament.

He cited one example at TTSH, where 5 per cent of A&E patients waited for more than eight hours for a bed in January, though half got a bed within two hours. TTSH gets more A&E patients - more than 500 a day - than any other hospital in Singapore.

So where are the empty beds?

First, it must be said that hospitals must set aside some vacant beds at all times for emergency cases.

A hospital cannot turn away an ambulance that comes with someone suffering, say, a heart attack.

Said Mr T.K. Udairam, Changi General Hospital's chief executive officer: 'We need to have at least one to two intensive care unit (ICU) beds free every evening in case of bad trauma. We must have the beds available.'

Private hospitals, which need to maximise income, said the ideal occupancy rate is between 70 per cent and 80 per cent. Above that, and they start planning for contingencies.

An average occupancy rate in the 80s, as is the case for public hospitals, is tight by hospital standards.

The occupancy figures also do not tell the whole story. An annual average occupancy rate of 85 per cent means there are days when the hospital is overflowing with patients.

At other times - such as during the recent long Chinese New Year weekend - it may have more empty beds. People understandably do not opt for non-major surgery during the festive period. Which was why, in the second week of February, in the run-up to Chinese New Year, TTSH had an occupancy rate of 75 per cent. This was a far cry from its January average of 89 per cent.

Another fact is that occupancy figures are taken at midnight. Patients are discharged the previous afternoon or evening. New ones admitted for treatment come in the following morning. Some are warded after morning operations.

At Changi General Hospital (CGH), for example, patients can be discharged any time up to 10pm.

TTSH's 89 per cent occupancy rate at midnight includes beds that have been booked by patients who will be admitted the following morning.

But what if these beds are taken up after midnight by emergency cases? It means that those who turn up with surgical appointments the following day might have to have their operations put on hold.

'At 85 per cent occupancy, I begin to worry. I have very little leeway for emergencies,' said Mr Udairam.

CGH gets about 450 patients a day at its A&E department. Fortunately, not all will need to be warded. But even if just one in 10 has to be hospitalised, that is 45 beds needed a day - about 18 per cent of beds at the 790-bed hospital.

If the hospital was 85 per cent full - that is, only 15 per cent of beds are empty - it would not be able to cater to even 10 per cent of its A&E patients.

In reality, about one in five who turn up at the A&E needs to be warded.

Of course, patients come through the A&E at all times of the day or night. So occupancy rates are very fluid and can fluctuate from hour to hour.

In the last week of February, CGH's occupancy rate was 91 per cent, Mr Khaw said.

CGH sends some of its more stable and less ill patients to the adjoining St Andrew's Community Hospital on days when it faces very tight bed situations.

The National University Hospital too said that on weekdays, 'it is not uncommon for our bed occupancy rate to be above 90 per cent and demand for both private and subsidised beds is high'.

So is Singapore facing a bed crunch? Obviously, the answer is yes.

Does patient care suffer? Patients are not dying because of the shortage, but if delays in treatment are considered poorer service, then the answer is, again, yes.

Will things get better? At least here, the answer is more positive.

When the 555-bed Khoo Teck PuatHospital opens its wards in September, the severe shortage of beds should ease. And the 700-bed Jurong General Hospital will be up by 2014.

 

[Ramseth]

In view of the fact that we are already in an acute shortage of beds for our patients, why would public hospitals encouraged to embark on Medical Tourism?

I mean, if we are not even adequate in taking care of our own citizens, why would they want to take care of foreigners?

As an economist yourself, you should see that it makes business sense. Locals are entitled to subsidies. Encourage them to go abroad. Foreigners pay in full. Encourage them to come here.

 

[aurvandil]

As an economist yourself, you should see that it makes business sense. Locals are entitled to subsidies. Encourage them to go abroad. Foreigners pay in full. Encourage them to come here.

Err .. better not. I think last thing we want is a situation where our public hospital has to decide between

1) Saving a rich foreigner who stays in A class
2) Saving a poor Singaporean staying in subsidised C class.

 

[kingrant]

Good point.

Locals are taking their subsidies and going to JB, an exodus trending(?), public hospitals acting on cue too well too early, begin to cut back on beds, foreigners influx, bed crunch, more locals falling sick...

As an economist yourself, you should see that it makes business sense. Locals are entitled to subsidies. Encourage them to go abroad. Foreigners pay in full. Encourage them to come here.