SINGAPORE DOCTORS REGISTERED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES (Particulars)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for Health if he is able to state (a) how many Singapore doctors in both Government service and private practice have registered themselves in various foreign countries to enable them to practise there; (b) what are those countries; and (c) what are the reasons for those doctors getting themselves registered outside the country even though they are enjoying a better status here than in those foreign countries.

The Minister for Health (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, Sir, the only way of ascertaining the number of Singapore doctors registered in foreign countries is to obtain the registers of such countries and to check them against the local register. This is a formidable task; nevertheless, my Ministry is obtaining the information. However, this information will not indicate whether those who have registered themselves in a foreign country have already migrated or would be migrating to that country.

An indication of how many Singapore doctors have sought registration overseas is the number of applications for Certificates of Good Standing which are required for registration in a foreign country. Similar certificates are required for doctors wishing to do postgraduate studies abroad. The total number of Certificates of Good Standing which have been issued from 1973 to date is 496, of which 211 are for those in Government Service, 31 for those in the University of Singapore and 254 for private practitioners. Singapore citizens constitute 80.4% of those issued with such Certificates of Good Standing.

I have given the Clerk of the House a list of tables which set down the analysis of the number of doctors who have obtained these Certificates of Standing, and they will be made available to Members of the House. However, I would like to comment that in 1973 the total number of doctors to whom Certificates of Good Standing were issued was 45; in 1974 it more than doubled to 114; in 1975 it was 151 and in the first five months of 1976 it was 186.

For additional information (See Appendices A and B, cols 1001-2) with regard to dentists,in 1 973 the number of Certificates of Good Standing issued to dental surgeons was zero; 11 in 1974; 11 in 1975 and 14 for the first five months of 1976. Singapore citizens constituted 78% of persons to whom these certificates were issued. Appendix - REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING FOR MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS/FROM DENTAL SURGEONS (Cols 1001-1002)

I would like to assure the Member for Delta that my Ministry is processing registers which we have obtained from overseas, and we are now in the process of counting heads. I think it is useful information that the Ministry should acquire, just in case.