POISONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (Membership)

Dr Chew Chin Han asked the Minister for Health why the Poisons Advisory Committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Singapore Dental Association and the Malayan Pharmaceutical Association but none from the Singapore Medical Association; and, as the members of the Singapore Medical Association (which has a membership of more than 600) have much more direct dealings with drugs and poisons daily than, say, dentists and pharmacists, if he will consider representation of that Association on the Committee.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Sir, the Poisons Advisory Committee is a non-statutory administrative body set up to advise the Minister for Health and is without executive or legal powers. At present, the Poisons Advisory Committee has 15 members which include three medical doctors, namely, (1) the Director of Medical Services, who is ex-officio Chairman, (2) the Senior Consultant Physician of Outram Road General Hospital, and (3) the Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Singapore.

It would appear, therefore, that the medical view-point is being adequately represented. If the Singapore Medical Association is eager to offer its services to serve on the Poisons Advisory Committee, I shall be most happy to appoint two of their representatives to this Committee, making a total of 17, if such request is put to me, in writing, by the Singapore Medical Association.