KWONG WAI SHIU HOSPITAL (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

4.40 p.m.

Mr Wong Foo Nam (Pasir Panjang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The purpose of this Bill is to have the number of Committee members increased from 40 to 60. Anyone who is not connected with this hospital or is aware of its working may wonder in his mind why it is necessary to have such a big number of Committee members. Is not 40 big enough? In this respect, Sir, I think it might not be out of place if I say a few words about the hospital itself.

This hospital was founded in 1910, at a time when the population of Singapore was only 300,000. Today we have one and a half million. All the so-called thickly populated areas of today were jungles then. This hospital is situated at the junction of Serangoon Road and Balestier Road and is known as Rumah Miskin, the Poor House. This hospital is entirely free and takes care of about 450 patients. In addition, it has to take care of about 100 outdoor patients every day.

After the war, the Committee spent nearly $600,000 in renovating and rebuilding this hospital, and building is still going on. The annual expenditure is about a quarter of a million dollars, whereas it was only $50,000 pre-war. The reason why we are asking for an increase of Committee members is this: it has been found most convenient to appoint a Committee member in each district so that he can collect subscriptions from the Chinese, especially the Cantonese - more than 95 per cent of the contributions are from the Cantonese - and, at the same time, hear any complaints from patients admitted from that locality. As I said before, when the hospital was founded, 40 Committee members were considered sufficient, but today, owing to the extension of the city and the existence of many more new districts, we find this number is insufficient. We consider 60 will be nearer to requirements. That is why we are asking for this amended figure of 60. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and such Members as may be nominated by the Committee of Selection. [Mr Wong Foo Nam.]