As I predicted, the minister is bringing in more foreign doctors
to hold healthcare costs down whilst cutting waiting times. We can
expect to see foreign doctors from Malaysia, India, Pakistan and
China, as they are paid much less than their counterparts in
Singapore.
This will translate into greater competition among the
neighbourhood GP clinics and government hospital doctors. The
impact will be less among specialists, because the Specialist
Register only admits those with postgrad medical qualifications
from US/UK/Australia or NUS (unless the government relaxes the
qualifications required of specialists too). Foreign medical
specialists with these postgrad qualifications are already drawing
equivalent salaries in private hospitals overseas.
"MALAYSIA-TRAINED doctors can now practise here more easily, with
the country's two premier universities getting the nod from the
Health Ministry (MOH).
The first Asean universities to make the grade, they are among 20
newly-accredited institutes which will help alleviate the shortage
of doctors here.
The Universiti Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia are among
the most prestigious institutions in the country.
Aside from these two, the other 18 are from Canada, China, India,
Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the United States.
With these latest additions, doctors with degrees from 140
universities throughout Europe, Asia and North America are approved
to work here.
In a statement, the MOH said recognising the additional
universities would help hospitals recruit good doctors to meet
rising demand.
As at end-2006, there were 250 positions for doctors waiting to be
filled in public hospitals.
Singapore currently has 7,611 registered doctors, including 2,286
who were trained in foreign institutions.
The Singapore Medical Council currently has 86 Malaysian doctors on
its register.
Universiti Malaya sees between 150 and 160 medical graduates each
year. Since 1969, there have been 5,000 doctors graduating from its
medical faculty.
The other Malaysian university could not be reached for
comment.
Non-specialist doctors from the newly recognised schools will be
able to practise as fully-registered doctors after four years of
supervision. Previously, they had to work under supervision in an
approved institution for six years.
Foreign specialists have to work under supervision for three
years.
Since 2003, when there were 20 recognised foreign schools, the
Health Ministry has gradually opened the door to an increasing
number of them.
Hiring foreign doctors moves the country closer to its goal of
having one doctor for each hospitalised patient in public
hospitals, as the local universities cannot meet demand fast
enough.
Currently, the ratio is one doctor for every two hospitalised
patients."
30 Mar 2007, Straits Times
