MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Health Policy

The Medical Services will develop in the range and sophistication of its services and maintain standards of excellence.

The Tasks Ahead

The tasks ahead are: - (1) To further expand the services and improve standards in the face of rising costs. (2) To meet the challenge of new patterns of diseases.

Population

Compounding all these is our large and growing population. Population density is 3,664 persons per square kilometre, about the highest in the world. The number of women in the fertile age group 15 to 44 years is 529,200, double that in 1957. If each couple limits its children to two only, population growth will continue for another 50 years before it stops growing. By then the population will be about 4 million. We have to achieve our goal of two children per family. Otherwise the standards of our social services and environment must go down by sheer pressure of population and overcrowding.

Fortunately, the birth rate continued to decrease last year to 19.8 per thousand. The rate of natural increase was 1.43% the lowest recorded rate since the War. The National Family Planning and Population Programme will be intensified, complemented by sterilizations and abortions.

Costs

Costs of the medical services escalated from an annual increase of 5% in 1972 to 25% in 1974. This will continue to escalate even higher as prices of medicine, equipment and staff salaries follow inflationary trends and as new hospitals, outpatient and other medical facilities are added.

The cost of these increases will be paid from taxes. Those who utilise the services will have to bear higher nominal charges.

Organisation of Services

Because of escalating costs, changes are necessary to prevent wastage. For example, ambulant patients who can be treated at the Outpatient Dispensaries will not occupy costly hospital beds.

The private sector will be encouraged to develop private hospitals to meet the demand of those who can afford it.

Hospital Development

Our vast and extensive hospital development programme will continue. Construction on the first phase of the $150 million Singapore General Hospital at Outram Road began on 2nd January this year. The first ward blocks with 450 beds are expected to be completed in 1976. When completed in 1978, it will have 1,450 beds.

Planning for a University Teaching Hospital, and another general hospital at Bedok has already begun.

Outpatient Services

Outpatient services will be further expanded and improved. Certain laboratory, X-ray facilities and treatment services now undertaken in the hospitals will be decentralised in selected Outpatient Centres. More new Outpatient Dispensaries will be built.

The Dental Health Services

The Dental Health Services will be expanded. The expansion of the Dental Health Services which has been hampered by a shortage of dentists will be overcome by the training of a new grade of dental personnel, the Dental Therapists. They will be trained at a new Dental Institute to be established with the first recruits taken in this year.

Disease Patterns

The ascendency of heart diseases and cancers requires new approaches in control and treatment. The re-appearance of malaria, persistence of typhoid fever, and recurrence of cholera demands greater vigilance against infectious diseases. Our vulnerable position as a major air and sea junction makes it impractical to isolate ourselves. We have to depend upon early warnings of epidemic outbreaks, an efficient surveillance system, high standards of environmental sanitation and personal hygiene.

Legislation

Health legislation will be revised to meet the changing patterns of diseases and methods of combating them. These include amendments to the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Act, the Leprosy Act and the introduction of a new omnibus Medicines Act.