Private clinics can provide anti-tetanus jabs

30 Dec 2006, The Straits Times

Question

Name of the Person: Lee Woon Kee

Private clinics can provide anti-tetanus jabs

Why limit anti-tetanus jabs to govt clinics?

MY 76-YEAR-OLD mother cut her hand while opening a can on Wednesday evening, requiring eight stitches at a clinic in our housing estate.

What surprised me was that the doctor was not able to give her an anti-tetanus jab. Apparently, only government clinics have stocks of the vaccine. My mother had to go to a polyclinic the next day to have the jab.

I wonder why private clinics are not allowed to stock the anti-tetanus vaccine as this is very basic treatment for cuts and wounds.

Wouldn't this pose a danger to patients who go to private clinics for treatment of cuts but decided to avoid the trouble of making a second trip to a government clinic for the jab?

Reply

Reply from MOH 

Private clinics can provide anti-tetanus jabs

Lee Woon Kee asked "Why limit anti-tetanus jabs to govt clinics?" (ST Forum, 30 Dec 2006).

The Ministry of Health does not impose any such restriction. It so happened that the GP clinic which Mr Lee visited did not stock up such a vaccine, presumably because of low demand.