RECRUITMENT OF FOREIGN DOCTORS

RECRUITMENT OF FOREIGN DOCTORS

11.

Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health (a) how many foreign doctors were recruited in the last three years compared to the numbers who graduated locally; (b) how many Singapore doctors who were trained or working overseas have returned to work in Singapore in the last three years; and (c) what is our current patient-to-doctor ratio and what is the projection of this ratio for the next five to eight years.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: In the past three years, 1,246 foreign-trained doctors were recruited, while 685 graduated locally. Of the foreign-trained doctors, 176 are Singaporeans.

The doctor-to-patient ratio will depend on the clinical setting. However, the most commonly cited statistic is the doctor-to-population ratio. We are currently at 1:600. We expect to improve it further to at least 1:550 within the next eight years.

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