DOCTORS FROM NON-TRADITIONAL SOURCES SERVING IN POLYCLINICS

DOCTORS FROM NON-TRADITIONAL SOURCES SERVING IN POLYCLINICS: 9.

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the number of doctors from non-traditional sources, according to nationalities, serving in polyclinics; (b) what is the current ratio between traditional and non-traditional sources of doctors in each of the polyclinics; and (c) whether communication problems due to language barriers between doctors and patients at polyclinics pose potential risks to patients.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Mr Low wanted to know the number of polyclinic doctors who originated from non-traditional sources, presumably those countries other than Singapore and Malaysia. There are currently 31 such doctors serving in our polyclinics: 12 from India, 11 from the Philippines, four from Myanmar, and one each from Hong Kong, UK, Taiwan and Thailand.

They make up 12% of the total number of doctors working in the polyclinics. So this gives a ratio of 1 to 7.

Communication between doctor and patient is an important part of doctor-patient relationship. Our polyclinics have therefore exercised care in the recruitment process. The Singapore Medical Council also requires foreign doctors from medical schools, where the medium of instruction is not English, to pass an international English proficiency test before they can be registered.

In addition, our polyclinics have regular language lessons for all our doctors, both from traditional and non-traditional sources, to pick up local dialects, Mandarin and Bahasa . Nurses are also on hand to help serve as interpreters between doctors and patients, when necessary. In this way, we minimise the risk of any miscommunication between doctor and patient.