CLINIC IN BEDOK NEW TOWN (NEIGHBOURHOOD I)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Haji Sha'ari Bin Tadin asked the Minister for Health whether and when a Government health clinic will be set up in Neighbourhood I of Bedok New Town.

The Minister for Health (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, Sir, polyclinics will provide the following services:

Section Service (a) Outpatient General curative services including psychiatric services (b) Maternal & Child Health Centre Preventive (mothers and preschool children) including family planning (c) Dental health services Remedial/conservative extractions, fillings, oral surgery, etc. (d) X-ray Services(e)Minor day surgical theatre Radiological services (e) Minor day surgical theatre Minor surgical procedures

The Bedok Polyclinic is one of four being planned. It is scheduled to be completed in 1978/79. The plans for the next five years in developing the Primary Health Care Services are as follows: Regional Scheduled Polyclinic Completion by HDB (a) Ang Mo Kio 1977/78 (b) Telok Blangah 1977/78 (c) Bedok 1978/79 (d) Woodlands after 1980

In addition, five polyclinics would be established to serve Housing Board estates with population concentration of 150,000 to 200,000. They will be located at:

Polyclinic Scheduled for Remarks Completion By (a) Kampong Kapor 1977/78 Replacemetn clinic for Prinsep street Maternal & Child Health Clinic and Kee Seng Street OPD which would be affected by urban redevelopment. (b) Kreta Ayer 1977/78 Replacement clinic for Maxwell OPD and Kreta Ayer Maternal & Child which would be affected by urban redevelopment. (c ) Clementi 1978/79 To serve Clementi and Ayer Rajah New Towns. (d) Upper Serangoon 1978/79 Existing Outpatient Dispensary to be upgraded to polyclinic to replace Paya Lebar OPD which would be affected by road widening. (e) Geylang East 1979/80 Replacement of Kallang OPD which would be affected by road widening.

The plans are currently under consideration by the Budget Section of the Ministry of Finance. As to when these polyclinics will be commissioned it will depend very much on the speed with which these plans are processed.

The Bedok Regional Polyclinic would be built by the Housing and Development Board within the housing estate itself. Equipment for the polyclinic is estimated at $371,000. Running costs would amount to about $1.4 million per annum (about $1 million of which will go to pay for salaries of staff.)