NEW SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL (Operational Date)

Mr Lee Yiok Seng asked the Minister for Health (a) when the new Singapore General Hospital will be fully operational; (b) what new medical equipment it will have; and (c) what new medical treatment and specialties will be available.

The Minister for Health (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, Sir, the new Singapore General Hospital is scheduled for completion by June/July 1980. When completed, the Hospital will have a total bed complement of 1612, scheduled for commissioning as follows:- August 1978 466 beds December 1978 471 beds September 1979 150 beds July 1980 525 beds ------------ 1612 beds ------------

On new medical equipment, there is need to economise and therefore existing equipment which are still serviceable will be transferred to the new Hospital. Some of the more modern and sophisticated equipment to provide new services and to upgrade existing services will be bought. Among the new equipment that will be bought are:-

(1) linear accelerators for the treatment of cancer;

(2) modern diagnostic equipment using radioisotopes for the diagnosis of various medical and surgical conditions;

(3) modern diagnostic x-ray equipment, including the EMI Scanner for diagnostic procedures;

(4) operating theatre equipment, including monitoring facilities, medical gas supply systems. etc, which are normally used in surgical work;

(5) x-ray equipment, resuscitation and diagnostic equipment for the Accident & Emergency Department.

Under new medical treatment and specialities, there will be the following:-

(1) A 32-bed Day Surgery Department for patients requiring minor surgical procedures and investigations such as endoscopy which do not require full-day hospitalisation. As of this moment, such patients have to be admitted into the hospital and thus they form a substantial number of in-patients in the hospital.

(2) A Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiology Unit will be transferred from Tan Tock Seng Hospital to the new Singapore General Hospital.

(3) An Obstetric and Gynaecology Unit and a Neonatal Unit will be located in the new Singapore General Hospital.

(4) A Paediatric Surgery Unit, for all children under the age of 12 who require surgery.

(5) A Department which will provide facilities for medical investigations using radioisotopes.

(6) A Clinical Measurement and Health Evaluation Unit to evaluate the function of the heart, lungs, brains, using an electrocardiography (ECG) machine and treadmill stress-testing machine, respiratory functions, electro-encephalography (EEG) and electronyography (EMG). The Unit will also have a multi-phasic health testing laboratory.

(7) An Experimental Surgery Department which will provide facilities for doctors to undertake experimental surgery on animals.

Mr Ivan Baptist: Sir, would the Minister be kind enough to inform this House what the Government expenditure would amount to in installing each bed and maintaining it for a year?

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Does that question refer to the new Singapore General Hospital or the existing General Hospital?

Mr Ivan Baptist: The new Singapore General Hospital. Sir,

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Sir, I do not think it is possible at this juncture to calculate what it is going to cost us to maintain a bed a day in the new Singapore General Hospital until the building is completed and taken over. As of this moment, for the whole Singapore General Hospital it works out to about $17,000 per bed per year.

Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah): Sir, will there be a consequent increase in medical charges?

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, Sir, the capital expenditure for the new Singapore General Hospital is estimated at $200 million, and if that capital sum were to be amortised I believe the interest will be considerable. I am afraid I cannot give a clear-cut answer to the question asked by the Member for Bras Basah. If there are any changes at all, I think due consideration will be given to the changes in charges for the health services as a whole.

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, what would be the Minister's comment if one says that our medical services in regard to charges could be still further subsidised?

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Sir, may I ask, who is going to subsidise? Will the Member for Bras Basah pay more tax? If so, then I think the subsidy will come from taxes.