2 9 We Dine In Hell!!!

A forumer very kindly pointed out the "29" date in both articles that are 13 months apart. But other than that, more bullshit, anyone?

Dr Balaji Sadasivan promises lower healthcare costs if PAP given strong mandate
Posted: 29 April 2006 2322 hrs

SINGAPORE : Dr Balaji Sadasivan, who is a member of the People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency, addressed concerns over healthcare costs at a PAP rally on Saturday.

He said given a strong mandate, the PAP would continue to find ways to make healthcare affordable for older Singaporeans.

Dr Balaji said, "Everyone is concerned about the cost of healthcare. When you go to neighbouring countries, in public hospitals, the care is very cheap. But whenever Singaporeans go there, the first thing they want to do is to transfer to a hospital in Singapore, cause the quality of healthcare is excellent, which is why the life expectancy of Singaporeans is so much longer than those of citizens of neighbouring countries.

"But in the next five years, if you give us a strong mandate, we will find ways to make healthcare affordable and more convenient for more Singaporeans. You have heard Minister Khaw Boon Wan on the new CPF rules that allow you to use CPF or Medisave account for outpatient care. This will help many older Singaporeans. We will also reorganise care for elderly, so that your many illnesses can be looked after by one doctor, bringing down the cost of your healthcare, but (to) do this, we need a strong mandate from you."

Meanwhile, PAP candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Inderjit Singh, said there is no need for the opposition to be represented in Parliament.

He told the crowd at a PAP rally that the party is able to provide its checks and balances in governance.

"Now you must have seen in Parliament...that there are MPs from the PAP who were...willing to challenge the government to question their policies, and more importantly to provide constructive criticisms in parliament. And unfortunately, those MPs are not the opposition MPs, those are the PAP MPs, like myself.

"In fact, if you listen carefully in Parliament, sometimes the opposition MPs look like they are PAP MPs, and the PAP MPs, like the few that I mentioned, including myself, look like opposition MPs." - CNA/ms

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Lower healthcare costs? How much lower? 1 cent lower is also considered lower.

"the PAP would continue to find ways to make healthcare affordable for older Singaporeans."

Continue to find ways? Its like finding paths, but whether you walk that path or not is another matter. And lastly, affordable for which group of Singaporeans? The poor? The rich? Who?

But of course, we have the answer as follows:

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May 29, 2007
New fee hikes at public hospitals and polyclinics

Consultation fees are up at most of them, as demand and costs rise

By Salma Khalik

A NEW round of fee hikes is underway at most public hospitals and some polyclinics. This time, it is consultation fees that are going up, as demand and operating costs continue to rise, say health-care providers.


Subsidised patients at four public hospitals will now pay $24 or $25 for every visit to a specialist clinic, up from about $21. Attendances at specialist clinics have gone up from 2.8 million in 2003 to 3.5 million in 2005.

Only Changi General Hospital and Alexandra Hospital are keeping their charges unchanged at $20.

Polyclinic patients are not spared either. All 18 polyclinics used to charge a standard consultation fee of $8 for adults. They now charge anything from $8 to $8.80.

Similarly, for the elderly and young children, the fee is now between $4 and $4.50, up from $4.

Three polyclinics - Bedok, Bukit Batok and Toa Payoh - started charging more this month. Eight had raised their rates starting more than a year ago. The remaining seven may do so soon.

The increases come just months after a similar round of fee hikes for private patients in March. At that time, the inpatient ward charges for subsidised patients also went up.

One bit of good news - hospitals will continue to absorb the Goods and Services Tax for subsidised patients, so there will no increase when the tax goes up to 7 per cent in July.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said the public hospitals are 'mindful of the impact of any fee revision to patients'.

But she added: 'Inflation, wage increases, drug pricing and others may bring about an increase in the overall cost of providing the services.'

Although the Government gives hospitals and polyclinics a subsidy of $1.7 billion a year, each hospital is left to decide what it wants to charge 'within broad parameters'.

Madam Halimah Yacob, head of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, said that although the fees are still affordable despite the increase, people should be told why they have to pay more, 'particularly since some hospitals have opted not to increase their fees'.

They should also alert patients if such increases are 'intended to be a regular feature so that they could better plan their finances.'

Turning to polyclinics, she said the different charges are 'confusing'. If patients start shopping for cheaper rates, it 'may not be good in terms of ensuring continuity and consistency of treatment'.

Most private general practitioners charge between $10 and $16. However, medicines - at $1.40 for a week's supply of each type - are still cheaper at polyclinics. GPs can charge from a few cents to a few dollars for each pill, depending on the medication.

SingHealth Polyclinics said the higher fees are 'due to increased operating costs such as manpower and supplies'.

The National Healthcare Group Polyclinics said it is seeing more patients each year. Polyclinic attendance went up from 3.3 million in 2003 to 3.9 million in 2005.

Patients like Mr Azman Abdullah, 66, a retiree with heart problems, are concerned about bills adding up with repeat visits.

He recounted how a doctor he saw at Jurong Polyclinic gave him three days' worth of medicine and told him to return if he still felt ill.

He said: 'I wasn't well, but I didn't go back as I would have to pay another $4.50.'

He needed an angiogram and was told it would cost $130. But when he got to the Heart Centre, he found out that the test now costs $140.

He eventually had to appeal to a medical social worker for financial aid.
salma@sph.com.sg