SINGAPORE: The growing number of doctors switching
over to private practice - with some not even serving out their
bonds - has raised some concern.
The government is now exploring a more sustainable
framework to involve them in public sector
healthcare.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said
this at a dinner to celebrate the anniversary of private healthcare
provider Raffles Medical Group.
40 percent of specialists in Singapore are now in private practice,
but most Singaporeans still rely on public sector care.
And the concern is that given the ageing population, there will not
be enough doctors in the public sector to meet the healthcare
needs.
Mr Tharman, who is also the Finance and Manpower Minister, said
solutions have to be found to avoid the situation from being a
"zero-sum game".
He said private doctors could conduct medical training or treat
subsidised patients.
But he said the public sector will remain the anchor of the
healthcare system in Singapore.
The Health Ministry is also reviewing its financing, incentives,
regulation frameworks and clinical programmes to better integrate
private and public healthcare services.
Mr Tharman said costs will remain affordable for both patients and
tax payers, especially those in the middle-income groups.
"Improving healthcare for Singaporeans must involve both the public
and private sectors. They both comprise our national healthcare
system. This means a shared responsibility to meet the needs of our
people and ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system as a
whole. We need all hands on deck to manage the healthcare
challenges of the future," he said.
Integration could involve the sharing of electronic medical
records.
The next phase of the National Electronic Health Record system will
involve community hospitals, general practitioners and eventually
nursing homes, and Mr Tharman said it is worth exploring how
private hospitals could be roped in too.
Mr Tharman also called on practitioners to sustain the values of
the medical profession, and said that patients' interests and
safety must always come first.
"It is therefore critical, even with business playing a legitimate
role in medical practice, that we guard against any drift from the
time-honoured values and ethics of the profession. Singapore's
reputation for medical excellence is a collective honour and
responsibility, and I hope to see the medical leadership across the
country coming together to sustain this," he said.
- CNA/ir
