INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SPECIALITIES (Particulars)

Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister for Health and Home Affairs, in respect of the Institute of Medical Specialities project, (a) how much money stands to the credit of the fund related to the project; (b) how much of the total donated was to be used for purposes specified by donor, and to what extent have such specified schemes been implemented; (c) how much interest has accrued out of the moneys collected for the Institute of Medical Specialities, and to what use has the interest been put; and (d) how far have plans for the implementation of the Institute of Medical Specialities project been carried through, and what is the intention of his Ministry with regard to the future of this project.

The Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, in answer to part (a) of the Question, as at 28th February 1974, a sum of $3,548,359 stood to the credit of the Medical Progress Fund.

(b) about 48 per cent or $1,321,757 of the total sum of $2,736,308 donated was to be used for specified purposes. A one-storey building for the Radiotherapy Department was completed in the Outram Road General Hospital in 1968. The cost of the project was $908,168. This comprised $620,690 for construction works and $305,478 for equipment and furniture. The equipment for the establishment of this speciality included the installation of a cobalt bomb unit. Half of the project cost, or $454,084, was met from the Medical Progress Fund and the other half by the Government in accordance with the Government's pledge of a dollar-for-dollar contribution.

(c) interest accrued, from August 1965 to February 1974, on the moneys collected for the Medical Progress Fund amounted to $1,410,188. The interest has been put in fixed deposits for the purpose of generating further interest.

(d) as originally conceived in 1965, the Institute of Medical Specialities was to have been built as a completely separate building within the compound of the Outram Road General Hospital.

However, this concept has been superseded by events relating to the development of medical specialisation in Singapore. In December, 1969, I appointed a Committee to investigate the extent of development of medical specialities and to recommend a programme of development or creation of a number of selected specialities in order of priority, to achieve eminence as a centre of medical treatment, training and research.

The report of the Committee of Medical Specialisation was received in October, 1970. The Government in accepting the report also decided that the recommended specialities of Neuro-Surgery, Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Paediatric Surgery and Nephrology, should be developed within an integrated plan of expansion of the Medical Services in Singapore.

This expansion plan included the building of new hospitals. The most significant of this hospital building programme is the re-development of the Outram Road General Hospital.

The Government has now decided that all the major specialities which have been recommended for development will ultimately be housed in the new hospital to be built at Outram Road. This new hospital, which will be known as the Singapore General Hospital, will be Singapore's premier hospital and specialist centre.

In July, 1973, the International Development and Construction Corporation (INDECO) was commissioned to build the new hospital at Outram Road on behalf of Government. The planning, preliminary site works and architectural designing of the new hospital are proceeding according to time-table. It is expected to be put to tender for the construction of the first two phases of the hospital before the end of the year.

Since the original donations for specified schemes towards the development of the Institute of Medical Specialities have now been overtaken by these new developments as well as become inadequate as a result of rising costs, the Government has now decided to ask the donors to agree to their donations being used towards the development of this new premier hospital and specialist centre at Outram Road.

When the design plans for the new buildings of the hospital are sufficiently advanced for visualisation of elevations, with models as well as more precise estimates of costs have been worked out, the donors of the Medical Progress Fund will be invited to a public meeting when the plans of this new development will be put to them.

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, when this new hospital is ready, I would like to know by how much will the Minister increase the medical fees, which at one time were free.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, firstly, that supplementary does not arise out of the Question. Secondly, the first two phases of this new hospital will be completed sometime at the end of 1977. So I do not think I am in a position to answer the Member for Bras Basah on an event that will occur in 1977.