It would have been nice if the fees could be waived. However, expecting SGH, which sees hundreds of A&E cases daily, to decide on fee waivers on a case-by-case basis is going too far. [...]]]>

Source: The Straits Times Forum Page A32, 20 Feb 2009
Letter by: Rhea Tan (Ms) “Why SGH was right not to waive its fee”

It would have been nice if the fees could be waived. However, expecting SGH, which sees hundreds of A&E cases daily, to decide on fee waivers on a case-by-case basis is going too far. How would counter staff know if an injured man came after saving a life, and would they have the luxury of time to confirm what brought him to hospital?

Source: The Straits Times Forum Page A32, 20 Feb 2009
Letter by: Cindy Lim (Ms) “Here’s what Alexandra Hospital did”

She was immediately taken to Alexandra Hospital where the nurses took care of her just as swiftly. The hospital dispensed with bureaucratic requirements like insisting on passport details which impressed my Australian friend. Her gratitude increased when she saw that the hospital’s priority was to treat her scalded daughter.

After treatment, we proceeded to settle the bills but the cashier replied there was no charge. My Australian friend was amazed and I was proud as a Singaporean.

Community hospitals play an important role in helping some patients transit from their acute hospital stay to their return home. Timely and appropriate CH care – results in lower re-admission rates and improved quality of life for patients, especially our elderly.  With an ageing population, [...]]]>

Source: Ministry of Health News, 9 Feb 2009
Speech by: Minister Khaw Boon Wan

Community hospitals play an important role in helping some patients transit from their acute hospital stay to their return home. Timely and appropriate CH care – results in lower re-admission rates and improved quality of life for patients, especially our elderly.  With an ageing population, demand for CH services will increase further.  We now have 6 CHs with more than 800 beds in total. This includes the new Ren Ci CH near TTSH.  I visited them last month.  It was quite empty but I expect it to fill up eventually.  Over the next 10 years, we will add more community hospital beds, by an estimated 60%. Our immediate plan is to build 2 new CHs with 200 beds each: one next to KTPH by 2013, and another next to JGH by 2016.  Our target is to raise the current ratio of 1 CH bed per 8 acute beds to 1 CH bed per 5 acute beds by 2020.

Similarly, we are expanding the nursing home (NH) capacity by 50% over the next decade from 9,200 to 14,000 beds. This will be in both the private and VWO sectors.  We are working with several existing NHs to increase their bed capacity and help those with expiring land leases relocate to larger facilities. Over the next 2 years, we will help the private and VWO sector to set up 5 new NHs. We will also work with URA to reserve more sites for NH development, to meet longer term demand.