Recruiting Singaporean doctors a priority

9 December 2011, TODAY

I refer to the letters "Yes, there will be adverse consequences" (Dec 6) and "PRs who do not serve NS may not be at a disadvantage" (Nov 29).

On the flip side of this discussion, it seems that it is more advantageous for doctors working here to be foreigners, ex-Singaporeans or former permanent residents (who have served National Service, given the consequences).

Non-residents hired by MOH Holdings (MOHH), the holding company of Singapore's public healthcare institutions, receive benefits that Singaporeans and PRs are not entitled to, such as relocation expenses, monthly housing allowance and settling-in allowance.

The benefits also include reimbursement of economy-class air tickets for the foreign employee's family (up to four adults) and a similar reimbursement for travel back to the country of hire or origin upon completion of contract.

The latter is not available for employees who obtain PR status. In addition, non-residents are not required to serve reservist and, depending on their visa, might be exempt from Central Provident Fund contributions.

While it is understood that the above measures are to attract foreign doctors to work here, this is counter-intuitive.

Singaporean and Singapore PR doctors working overseas who wish to return home could potentially receive these benefits if they give up their citizenship or PR status prior to applying to MOHH.

While there is the pre-employment grant offered by the Ministry of Health to attract Singaporeans in overseas medical schools to return home to work, the selection process is very stringent and the grant comes with a bond.

It would not benefit a Singaporean who is already working as a doctor overseas. In contrast, foreign doctors hired by MOHH automatically receive the stated benefits.

I would expect this strategy to fill part of the shortage for doctors here and, given the current balance of advantages, it is not unreasonable to postulate that foreign doctors are preferred over overseas Singaporean or PR doctors.

If this is not the case, then MOH needs to make changes in the right direction.

Jason Kho Yin Leng

Reply from MOH

MR JASON Kho said in "Foreign doctors preferred to overseas Singaporean doctors?" (Dec 9) that the former enjoy benefits that the latter are not entitled to when they return to Singapore to work.

We assure him that recruiting Singaporean doctors, both locally and overseas trained, to our public healthcare sector is a key priority.

To meet our increased healthcare needs, we are training more future doctors locally by increasing the intake at the National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and opening two medical schools.

The Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School was established in 2007 and Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine will commence in 2013. Together, the three schools will train 500 doctors a year in steady state, almost double the current number.

The Health Ministry also aims to attract more overseas-trained Singaporean doctors back to increase our supply of local doctors.

As mentioned by Mr Kho, our public healthcare clusters introduced the pre-employment grant last year, which provides reimbursement for tuition fees of up to S$80,000 for two years of studies and is open only for Singaporeans studying medicine overseas.

At the same time, overseas Singaporean doctors who return to work here do enjoy the same relocation allowance and reimbursement as foreign doctors for air travel to Singapore, as well as other relocation incentives.

Besides financial incentives, the Ministry has been working closely with our healthcare clusters in the last few years to organise joint recruitment activities overseas, such as regular trips to recognised universities, to engage with Singaporeans studying there.

We also help overseas Singaporean medical students to secure elective placements at our hospitals during their clinical years, to familiarise them with local practice and facilitate their return home eventually.

The Ministry will continue its holistic approach to attract Singaporean doctors to serve in public healthcare.

Bey Mui Leng (Ms)
Director
Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health