Recent news reports make no sense to me at all, unless you factor in the FTs. First, you have a report that the Govt. will open 45 new childcare centres this year. Wow, 45 is a lot, I thought. Than there is an article on overcrowding in Changi Hospital. So overcrowded that patients have to housed in tents while waiting for beds. But how can this be? The population of Singaporeans is stubornly at deficit or 0% growth rate. But you would think that we are having a baby boon with all these new childcare centres being build. At the same time, we have the overcrowding in the hospitals, with the same poulation when there never was a problem before in regards to overcrowding. This overcrowding is the result of a sudden large increase in demand for medical services, inconsistent with a zero growth population. The common denominator is of course, FTs. You have about 3 million singaporeans which would have been comfortable with the existing childcare and hospital facilties. But when you add in 2 million more, the facilities become inadequate. So, what is the point of letting in 2 million FTs? The PAP claims it makes singapore more competitive by lowering wages and what not. But than it costs the govt. more money to provide childcare and hospital services for these type of people. In the end, is it wash? And if is, than why bother importing these FTs?
Changi General Hospital started housing patients waiting for beds in this large air-conditioned tent this week. The 800-bed CGH, along with Tan Tock Seng and Khoo Teck Puat hospitals, has resorted to sending patients to Alexandra, one of the few public hospitals here with spare beds. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said last night that he was aware of the problem - hence, the push to add 1,900 more acute hospital beds and 2,600 community hospital beds by 2020.
By Priscilla Goy
Some 45 new childcare centres are expected to be built this year islandwide, said Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing on Thursday.
The Government is paying particular attention to Punggol and Sengkang where there are many young families and there is a high demand for childcare services. In Punggol, where there are 30 centres, some 17 centres will be built by end-2017. In neighbouring Sengkang, which has 73 centres, another 19 are expected to be built by end-2017.
Mr Chan said the Government is "on track" in meeting its target of 20,000 more places by 2017, or enough places for one in two children. To increase accessibility of childcare services, he said some centres have been built in existing facilities which are underutilised or integrated with new facilities.
Mr Chan was speaking to reporters at the sidelines of a visit to a PAP Community Foundation Sparkletots centre, located at a multi-storey carpark in Punggol. He later officiated the opening of an NTUC My First Skool centre at Braddell Heights Community Hub in Serangoon, which was formerly a bus interchange.
Changi General Hospital started housing patients waiting for beds in this large air-conditioned tent this week. The 800-bed CGH, along with Tan Tock Seng and Khoo Teck Puat hospitals, has resorted to sending patients to Alexandra, one of the few public hospitals here with spare beds. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said last night that he was aware of the problem - hence, the push to add 1,900 more acute hospital beds and 2,600 community hospital beds by 2020.
By Priscilla Goy
Some 45 new childcare centres are expected to be built this year islandwide, said Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing on Thursday.
The Government is paying particular attention to Punggol and Sengkang where there are many young families and there is a high demand for childcare services. In Punggol, where there are 30 centres, some 17 centres will be built by end-2017. In neighbouring Sengkang, which has 73 centres, another 19 are expected to be built by end-2017.
Mr Chan said the Government is "on track" in meeting its target of 20,000 more places by 2017, or enough places for one in two children. To increase accessibility of childcare services, he said some centres have been built in existing facilities which are underutilised or integrated with new facilities.
Mr Chan was speaking to reporters at the sidelines of a visit to a PAP Community Foundation Sparkletots centre, located at a multi-storey carpark in Punggol. He later officiated the opening of an NTUC My First Skool centre at Braddell Heights Community Hub in Serangoon, which was formerly a bus interchange.
