FTs = Lower Salaries, Why the Increase in Hospital Charges?

ShutterBug SG

Hospital costs sneak up as economy hums
By Tan Hui Leng, TODAY | Posted: 20 March 2007 1356 hrs

Don't like the heftier numbers on your hospital bill? Blame the economy. Apparently, it is doing too well.

Almost every hospital in Singapore has raised its charges admittedly by just a handful of dollars. As the demand for healthcare professionals rises with the improving economy, hospitals' manpower costs are going up.

Noting that the majority of healthcare costs goes to human resource, National University of Singapore health economist Associate Professor Phua Kai Hong said: "Every time there is a wage increase, the first to be affected is healthcare because there are many qualified specialists there and you need to keep them from moving to the private sector."

It is not the specialists alone that are benefiting. Nurses have been asked to shoulder some of the responsibilities of junior doctors. But this came with a demand for better benefits, and they recently got a pay hike.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament two weeks back that his Ministry had to keep wages competitive to hold on to qualified professionals like nurses and speech therapists. "This is also the reason why medical fees need to be raised periodically as the cost of manpower is a major component of medical costs," he said.

But patients see only the bottomline and they don't always like what they see.

At Singapore General Hospital (SGH), subsidised inpatients in Class B2 wards will pay $53 a day an extra $3, or 6 per cent more from April. Those in Class C wards will pay $26 a day, $1 more than they currently do.

SGH said that the increases are its first since 1993.

An SGH spokesman said that even though its expenses had risen steadily, the hospital had held off any fee increase until now.

And even with the hike, the hospital will recover "just a small fraction" of its rising costs, said chief executive Prof Tan Ser Kiat.

"With an increasing volume of subsidised patients, and facilities at SGH which need updating, any under-collection of revenue would mean fewer resources available for meeting the growing need for improvements necessary for sustaining quality of patient care," he said.

At National University Hospital, the accident and emergency (A&E) fee was increased from $70 to $80 in January the hospital's first A&E fee hike since 1997.

At Alexandra Hospital, C-class ward charges went up from $21 to $23, subsidised specialist outpatient clinic consultation rates went up from $18 to $20, while A&E went up from $55 to $60; all increases took place late last year. At KK Women's and Children's Hospital, ward treatment fees also increased from last month.

Only Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Changi General Hospital have not raised their fee and now all eyes are on them.

The hospitals, themselves, did not want to comment, but NUS economist Prof Phua felt it was only a matter of time before their fees went up. "These are government hospitals, so they'll follow suit," he said.

Despite the hospitals and the Ministry offering their reasons for the hike, Dr Lam Pin Min, MP and Deputy Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, said he was somewhat surprised. "I was a bit shocked to see the fee revisions for the different hospitals," Dr Lam told Today.

"The timing is not very appropriate why is there a need to increase prices when the GST hike has just been announced?"

The Government has already said that it will absorb the Goods and Services Tax hike for all subsidised patients. But, Dr Lam pointed out, that is just a two-percentage-point hike, whereas the recent rise in consultation and hospital fees appeared to be more substantial.

The Health Ministry said that the fees would remain affordable to all subsidised patients and the needy would not be denied care.

NUS health economist Prof Ake Blomqvist added that, by international standards, hospital charges in Singapore were not particularly high, especially given the quality of healthcare.

"And if there is concern about the burden that an unexpected major illness sometimes places on low-income people with limited Medisave balances and little medical insurance coverage, it is probably better to work on strengthening the safety net for those population groups specifically, rather than increasing the subsidy to all health care users, including high-income ones," he said. - TODAY/na

allentyb SG

Rolling Eyes

countdracula SG

i did say previously in order to support the higher wages the civil service is looking for, they need to draw it from the common folk via higher charges…nothing new here…pay and pay…....the govt is basically spoiling the so called talents rotten with money…it will come to haunt them soon enough when these greedy sobs demand more…......

Slipshade SG

Doing too well? Where’s the wage increase then? What a pack of liars.

sbst275 SG

They always like this, want to increase they'll always have their 101 reasons

But the thread title, I think it needs some thinking esp on those who oftenly talk abt migrating... If that's what you think, you'll be treated the same in wages when you go over

rane SG

I was working in govt hospital b4. Not true those there not paid well. They are paid very well OK, doctors senior get 5 figure salaries and other positions like managerial also pay very well and comparable to private sector. When they say wann adjust pay, want to pay them fairly it's just crap lah.

Economy doing well does notjustify the increase in charges in hospiitals. Govt really ssuucks! They never fail to find opportunities and time to back up their reason to increase charges. Seems that they focuse so much on earning lots of $$$ for themselves.

rane SG

Originally posted by ShutterBug:
[b]Hospital costs sneak up as economy hums
By Tan Hui Leng, TODAY | Posted: 20 March 2007 1356 hrs

Don't like the heftier numbers on your hospital bill? Blame the economy. Apparently, it is doing too well.

Almost every hospital in Singapore has raised its charges admittedly by just a handful of dollars. As the demand for healthcare professionals rises with the improving economy, hospitals' manpower costs are going up.

Noting that the majority of healthcare costs goes to human resource, National University of Singapore health economist Associate Professor Phua Kai Hong said: "Every time there is a wage increase, the first to be affected is healthcare because there are many qualified specialists there and you need to keep them from moving to the private sector."

It is not the specialists alone that are benefiting. Nurses have been asked to shoulder some of the responsibilities of junior doctors. But this came with a demand for better benefits, and they recently got a pay hike.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament two weeks back that his Ministry had to keep wages competitive to hold on to qualified professionals like nurses and speech therapists. "This is also the reason why medical fees need to be raised periodically as the cost of manpower is a major component of medical costs," he said.

But patients see only the bottomline and they don't always like what they see.

At Singapore General Hospital (SGH), subsidised inpatients in Class B2 wards will pay $53 a day an extra $3, or 6 per cent more from April. Those in Class C wards will pay $26 a day, $1 more than they currently do.

SGH said that the increases are its first since 1993.

An SGH spokesman said that even though its expenses had risen steadily, the hospital had held off any fee increase until now.

And even with the hike, the hospital will recover "just a small fraction" of its rising costs, said chief executive Prof Tan Ser Kiat.

"With an increasing volume of subsidised patients, and facilities at SGH which need updating, any under-collection of revenue would mean fewer resources available for meeting the growing need for improvements necessary for sustaining quality of patient care," he said.

At National University Hospital, the accident and emergency (A&E) fee was increased from $70 to $80 in January the hospital's first A&E fee hike since 1997.

At Alexandra Hospital, C-class ward charges went up from $21 to $23, subsidised specialist outpatient clinic consultation rates went up from $18 to $20, while A&E went up from $55 to $60; all increases took place late last year. At KK Women's and Children's Hospital, ward treatment fees also increased from last month.

Only Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Changi General Hospital have not raised their fee and now all eyes are on them.

The hospitals, themselves, did not want to comment, but NUS economist Prof Phua felt it was only a matter of time before their fees went up. "These are government hospitals, so they'll follow suit," he said.

Despite the hospitals and the Ministry offering their reasons for the hike, Dr Lam Pin Min, MP and Deputy Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, said he was somewhat surprised. "I was a bit shocked to see the fee revisions for the different hospitals," Dr Lam told Today.

"The timing is not very appropriate why is there a need to increase prices when the GST hike has just been announced?"

The Government has already said that it will absorb the Goods and Services Tax hike for all subsidised patients. But, Dr Lam pointed out, that is just a two-percentage-point hike, whereas the recent rise in consultation and hospital fees appeared to be more substantial.

The Health Ministry said that the fees would remain affordable to all subsidised patients and the needy would not be denied care.

NUS health economist Prof Ake Blomqvist added that, by international standards, hospital charges in Singapore were not particularly high, especially given the quality of healthcare.

"And if there is concern about the burden that an unexpected major illness sometimes places on low-income people with limited Medisave balances and little medical insurance coverage, it is probably better to work on strengthening the safety net for those population groups specifically, rather than increasing the subsidy to all health care users, including high-income ones," he said. - TODAY/na
[/b]

Increase charges in govt hospitals, so can the govt guarantee 100% we will get good service from the hospitals, especially from SGH. SGH really ssucsks! All those I know of go there for consultation and treatment complain about the service - bad attitude of nurses, doctors and so on. They should learn from TTSH. TTSH provides better service. If after increasing charges and SGH still cannot provide good service what is the govt going to do? STupid damn Govt!!! Mad Evil or Very Mad Mr. Green

ShutterBug SG

Well, try recalling the recent incident wherein a kidney donor died, because of cheap surgical tools/equipment used by doctors/surgeons...

Use cheap tools and still want to increase charges??

Bluddy thick-skin I say...!!!

Evil or Very Mad

dragg SG

you have to prevent them from moving to the private sector.

this is the in phrase now.

cherry_garcia SG

This is the problem with the public's expectation of the healthcare system. It is NOT a service industry! You do not go to a clinic to be pampered and smiled at - you go there to seek treatment and get well. The quality of the healthcare provided and the quality of the service rendered are not necessarily related. Rolling Eyes

Slipshade SG

Service is also very important lor. For example, if you (choi, touch wood!) get very sick, would you like the doctor to keep smiling or even chuckle at your misfortune? Or the nurses telling you lazily that doctor not around so you can just go f*** off to one side to wait?

That's bad service for you.

And apparently you don't really mind.

rane SG

hey, you are talking out of context. who will expect to be in the clinic to be pampered, wake up don't talk nonsense! you have not been treated badly before is it? Go ask those who were/are treated badly by those staff be they drs or others in the public hospital then you will know what service we talk about. Don't think I wanna waste time talking to you! Evil or Very Mad

rane SG

hi, slipshade, in fact I think this silly fellow who posted b4 you cherry garcia loves to be treated with bad service from the healthcare personnel. Don't think he/she minds if the nurse shouts at him or her.

Come on, healthcare industry staff are encouraged to smile at their customers (patients), this is what that public hospital I used to work is practising. cherry garcia, you go eat your cherries and don't waste your time here talking nuisance when you have nothing good and positive to contribute Evil or Very Mad Mr. Green Exclamation

cherry_garcia SG

This is exactly the perception I mean. Patients are NOT customers. Healthcare is not a service. Yes, courtesy and care are a basic human right and respect should be shown at all times, by the doctors, nurses, security guards and cleaners in the hospitals. I do not dispute that in the least. You misunderstand my intention.

The public wants healthcare fast, cheap and good. They do not want to wait, they expect the most expensive treatment and investigations, sometimes unnecessary mind you, yet they do not want to pay for it. They expect free medical reports generated on the spot for them. They expect healthcare professionals to have the time to talk to every member of their extended family giving them the same updates over and over and over again whenever they choose to show up in the hospital ward. The list goes on.

Are these "services"? Largely, yes. Do they have any impact on the quality of healthcare given to the patient. Not necessarily.

Patients are NOT customers. In a subsidised healthcare system, which has to operate under tight budget constraints, the public should not expect to be able to dictate their terms. In other words, you can't choose your medications/doctor/investigations/etc etc like you're ordering a Happy Meal in McDonalds.

I realise this is digressing from the original theme of the thread. Oops Embarassed

BTW, considering rane is berating SGH for its poor service, it seems ironic the way he/she is choosing his/her words when addressing me. One might think that someone who champions courtesy and good service might have the good manners to be polite to a fellow forummer. Your stint in the great public hospital you worked in didn't do much to inculcate any manners eh? Laughing

lotus999 SG

they have to do it before the 7% gst kicks in cos some minister had promised no increase in govt fee for a year after that.

oxford mushroom SG

That is the reality. Since Sept 11, the US has made it increasingly difficult for wealthy patients from the Middle East to seek medical treatment there, fearing the terrorist threat. Even if they get a visa, it can easily take three months before they receive one. As a result, such patients are looking to Singapore and other countries with a high standard of medical care for treatment.

Doctors from our public hospitals have been leaving for the private sector, where salaries are easily two to three times higher. Given the increasing numbers of foreign patients seeking treatment in Singapore, this trend will continue, particularly with respect to senior doctors:

" If our public healthcare does not progress in tandem with the world, our best doctors will leave the public sector for the private sector, where they compete for patients in this huge international market. And the attrition rate of public sector doctors leaving for the private sector has increased in the past few years. Heads of departments in our public hospitals are routinely wooed by overseas universities and academic hospitals."

(MM Lee Kuan Yew, 16 Apr 2006, http://www.sma.org.sg/sma_news/3805/Globalisation_of_Medicine_MM.pdf)

Wages of health professionals in the public sector have to be competitive, unless we want our public hospitals to be completely run by cheap foreign doctors whilst our highly qualified specialists and senior doctors service the wealthy foreign patients in our private hospitals.

rane SG

you think you have good manners, i don't think so! please stop your attack on me me no longer with the public hospitals as I find it is not a good place to work. everywhere has politics but the politics there is very worst to the extreme - lots of dirty politics from top to bottom, from bottom to top. CAn create story out of nothing to get people into trouble. This is not only one or few times but many times.

Please those feedback I got is not from me but from others who have gone to SGH. If you have an issue on this you go after them Ok, me don't wanna waste time and effort on you with unreasonable attitude. Let me quote u a very good case, nurse and doctor (SGH) kept asking the patient to sign the form for taking blood from the patient. When asked they say it is nothing, later the patient's wife read the form and told them off. The form indicated blood is taken for research purpose. The wife was so infuriated and told them off without letting the husband give his blood for research. See this sort of service and attitude. It is unethical to do it this way. Evil or Very Mad

mistyblue SG

Wages of health professionals in the public sector have to be competitive, unless we want our public hospitals to be completely run by cheap foreign doctors whilst our highly qualified specialists and senior doctors service the wealthy foreign patients in our private hospitals.

Heard that stuff before. Just another 'horror story' that is spun to keep us in-line and obey any arbitrary decision

rane SG

agree with you.

sourketchup SG

Someone can correct me on this if my figures are wrong.

I think it was reported in 2003 that Singapore spend 4.5% of her GDP on healthcare. This compares with Vietnam (5.4%) and China (5.6%) who both spend more of their expenditure, percentage-wise, on the health of her citizens.

The only countries that had lower % of GDP spent on healthcare were Indonesia (3.1%), Malaysia (3.8%), and Thailand (3.3%).

Of couse, this figure is misleading in one aspect, i.e., the absolute amount that Singapore spend may be higher than Vietnam and China. But this low (relative) healthcare expenditure does seem to suggest that our country has other higher priorities compared to healthcare. Right or wrong? That's up to each of us to decide.