RESIGNATION OF DOCTORS (Particulars)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Health and Home Affairs (a) how many doctors resigned from the service between 1st January, 1974 and 28th February, 1975, and if he is aware of any further resignations in the offing: and (b) what action has been initiated to replace them and what steps have been taken to ensure that adequate medical attention is afforded to patients in the hospitals.

The Minister for Health and Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, between 1st January, 1974, and 28th February, 1975, 98 doctors resigned from the service. Eighty-three resigned in 1974 and 15 in the first two months of 1975.

I am not aware of any further resignations in the offing. In the last two years most resignations of doctors took place at the beginning of the year, that is, after they have received their 13th month payment in December.

Of the 98 doctors who resigned, 69 were without higher qualifications, 26 possessed higher qualifications and two were consultants.

Out of the 83 doctors who resigned in 1974, 57 or 73% were young doctors with less than four years' service. Eight were experienced doctors with more than ten years' service.

However, in 1974 and the first two months of 1975, 129 doctors including 17 with higher qualifications joined the service. There was, therefore, a net gain of 31 doctors.

Doctors of consultant rank in service in 1974 were 80, compared to 65 in 1973, and 48 in 1970. There were 91 Senior Registrars in 1974, compared to 40 in 1970. There were 60 medical officers with higher qualifications in 1974, compared to 36 in 1970. The quality of the medical services has not suffered. In fact, there have been more consultants, and doctors with higher qualifications in service and with better facilities and equipment.

There are now about 100 vacancies in the establishment for doctors. However, at any time about 40 National Service doctors are working in the hospitals.

The problem is to recruit more young doctors to lessen the workload on the existing staff because of the vacancies, as well as to man our expanding medical services. There is also the problem of retaining them in the service and reducing the turnover of doctors. A number of positive steps have been taken to meet the problem. They are:

1. Accelerated Promotion Opportunities

Promotions have now been made on merit. They are no longer limited to the number of higher posts available in the establishment. Promotion exercises have been held twice a year.

2. More Training Awards And Fellowships.

Under a Medical Traineeship Scheme young doctors who want to become specialists can apply and be selected as trainee designates. They are given guidance and facilities to acquire higher qualifications from our School of Postgraduate Studies. At present there are 62 trainee designates under the Scheme. A selection exercise is now being conducted for another batch of more than 50 candidates. Awards and fellowship for courses of study as well as for practical training abroad have been given liberally. At present there are 14 Government doctors studying abroad for specialist qualifications. Another 18 have been selected to go abroad on scholarship.

3. Revision of Specialist Allowance.

Specialist allowance payable to doctors with higher qualifications has been improved since 1969. The allowance ranges from $100 to $1,000 per month according to the grade of the officer. This specialist allowance is not payable to other professional officers in the Civil Service.

Doctors without higher qualifications also have had increases in remuneration by revisions of salary, National Wages Council Awards and 13th month payments. For example, a medical officer after the second year of service will now receive an all-in salary of $1,588.50 per month, compared to $1,200 in 1972.

However, my Ministry is very much aware of the difficulties young Government doctors have in finding suitable accommodation. My Ministry has therefore planned to build three 28-storey blocks comprising a total of 264 five-room apartment units as quarters for Government doctors. These three blocks will be part of the development of the Singapore General Hospital at Outram Road.

Meanwhile, my Ministry is negotiating an offer by the Port of Singapore Authority to let out or sell to our doctors apartments being built at Spottiswoode Park.

Preferential condition for housing is a better way of attracting and retaining doctors in the service than an outright increase in salary.

Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, when the doctors tendered their resignations, did the Personnel officer in the Ministry of Health try to persuade them to stay and so retain these doctors? Or did the officer just say, "If you want to resign, you can resign. There are others, who want to join the service." I would like to know if there were such instances.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, we do not take such an attitude. The point is that we try our best to retain our doctors. Once the doctors have made up their mind to resign, they will of course resign because they must have made other arrangements. But we do try to find out what are the reasons behind their resignations and see if there is anything possible we can do to prevent them from resigning. We have tried. But, as I have said in my reply, one of the reasons which induce young doctors to resign is their difficulty in finding suitable accommodation because of higher rentals. That is the reason why my Ministry has planned to build three 28-storey blocks of five-room apartments as quarters for Government doctors.

The Member for Bras Basah should not be under the impression that the Ministry's attitude is that they should resign if they want to. The point is that if they insist on resigning, there is very little we can do about it. But everything has been done to encourage them to remain in service.