GENERAL HOSPITAL (OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENT) (Number of doctors and daily average number of patients)

Mr Lee Choon Eng asked the Minister for Health to state the number of doctors attached to the Out-Patient Department of the General Hospital and the daily average number of patients who attend that Department.

Mr A. J. Braga: Mr Speaker, Sir, there are 16 doctors attached to the Out-Patient Department of the General Hospital out of which ten are on full-time duty and the remaining six work part-time in the afternoons for a period of two hours.

The daily average number of patients who attend the Out-Patient Department is 2,300. Of this figure, 1,600 are seen by the Medical Officers of that Department. The remaining 700 attend for repeat treatment such as injections, dressings, etc.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister tell us the number of hours a full-time doctor works in a day?

Mr Braga: I must have notice of that question.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Mr Speaker, Sir, does the Minister consider that the ten full-time and six part-time doctors are able to cope with 2,300 patients in one day?

Mr Braga: As I have already said, 1,600 patients attend in the morning and 700 in the afternoon. For the 16 doctors to deal with this vast number is, I agree, a very heavy task but even if staff can be made available, which is hardly possible at the present time, there is at the moment not sufficient accommodation available for consultation purposes.

Mr Lee Choon Eng: Can the Minister then tell us what action he proposes to take or has taken to rectify the position?

Mr Braga: Mr Speaker, Sir, despite all our efforts and despite the introduction of a system of appointments of times, patients insist on arriving early in the morning and there is in consequence an unnatural and severe overcrowding. We are however developing more and more out-patient services and deviating those who seek the services of the General Hospital to new out-patient departments. To this end, Government has so far increased the number of outpatient departments from six in 1954 to 15 during its term of office to date and are constructing three new out-patient clinics, one at Pegu Road, one at Queenstown and another at Bukit Panjang, which should be ready for use by the end of this year. In 1959, three more out-patient departments will be constructed at Buona Vista, Yio Chu Kang Road at the junction of Jalan Kayu, and the third at Nee Soon.