TOA PAYOH MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CLINIC (Provision of outpatient services)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Cheong Yuen Chee asked the Minister for Health whether he will consider extending the facilities at the Toa Payoh Maternal and Child Health Clinic to provide outpatient services for the residents of Toa Payoh New Town.

The Minister for Health (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is possible to introduce outpatient services in the Maternal and Child Health Clinic at Toa Payoh by using two rooms in this Clinic; one for the doctor's examination room and the other for the treatment room. I understand from the Member for Toa Payoh that at present the Maternal and Child Health Clinic in his constituency is underutilised because of a very successful family planning campaign. His suggestion that it should be converted into an outpatient services department is a good idea.

The service will be introduced as soon as a medical officer is available and a few items of equipment are obtained. This can only be a temporary measure as the long term solution requires a much bigger facility for the population at Toa Payoh which is over 200,000. For this a three-doctor clinic is required.

At the moment, residents in Toa Payoh have a choice of consulting private practitioners within the housing estate or, alternatively, they may attend the nearby Government Outpatient Dispensaries, namely:- Pegu Road Outpatient Dispensary; Bright Hill Drive Outpatient Dispensary; Upper Serangoon Road Outpatient Dispensary.