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14 May 2012
Question No. 192
Name of person: Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song
Question
To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many specialist clinics have been set up by Government restructured hospitals and specialist centres in private hospitals (such as SGH Specialist Practice at Gleneagles Hospital); (b) how many public sector doctors and nurses currently practice in such clinics; (c) what are the clinics' source of funds for rental and other operations costs; (d) what are the reasons for setting up such clinics; and (e) if there are plans to set up more of such clinics in the near future.
Answer
1 Six specialist clinics have been set up by our public healthcare institutions in private hospitals. This will help to free up space in the public hospitals to see subsidised patients, and also serve as a tool to retain talent who would otherwise have left for the private sector. Forty-four doctors, all working part-time, and thirteen nurses, practice in these clinics. The doctors spend about 15% of their time on average in these clinics and they continue to see subsidised patients and fulfill other commitments such as mentoring and teaching of medical students and junior doctors in the public hospitals.
2 The operating costs of these specialist clinics, including rental, are fully funded by the revenue generated from these clinics and no government subsidy is provided. There are no current plans to set up new specialist clinics in private hospitals.