ANG MO KIO POLYCLINIC (Upgrading of facilities)

Dr S. Vasoo asked the Acting Minister for Health whether his Ministry has any plans to upgrade the facilities of Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic.

The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic, commissioned five years ago, was built as a modern polyclinic. It is the Ministry's policy to regularly upgrade its facilities to meet the needs of the general public. As part of the upgrading of Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic, a computerized patient management system is being planned and will be installed by 1988 at the clinic. New equipment will also be acquired as and when necessary to meet the needs of the patients.

Dr S. Vasoo (Bo Wen): Sir, as the Polyclinic is being overused, what steps are being taken to cut down the waiting time at the Polyclinic?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Mr Speaker, Sir, part of the problem with the peak load is that many of the patients tend to arrive at the Polyclinic in the early hours of the morning between 8 and 9.30 am. What happens is that patients on their way to the market will drop in at the Polyclinic or bring along with them their children who are sick. This adds up to a tremendous peak load, which is very hard to overcome. What the Polyclinic staff do is to explain to the patients that they should try to come at all times of the day rather than to come all at the same time. However, recognizing that there is a problem with the queuing time, my Ministry is planning to send another doctor to the Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic later this year.