REORGANIZATION OF POLYCLINICS (Progress report)

Dr S. Vasoo asked the Acting Minister for Health (a) if he will give a progress report on the reorganisation of polyclinics; and (b) whether there is adequate manpower to man the heavily utilized polyclinics.

The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Health currently provides primary health care services through a network of polyclinics, outpatient dispensaries (OPD) and maternal and child health (MCH) clinics. My Ministry plans to consolidate the present 35 clinics into 16 polyclinics by retaining six existing polyclinics and building 10 new ones in the HDB new towns. This will enable my Ministry to achieve a better utilization of manpower and facilities and will make primary health care services more easily accessible to the people.

The existing polyclinics to be retained are Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Merah, Clementi, Kelantan and Queenstown. Two new polyclinics will be completed each year. The new Toa Payoh Polyclinic was opened on 1st February 1988. The Jurong Polyclinic will open later this year. Tampines and Hougang Polyclinics are scheduled for completion in 1989, followed by Yishun and Bukit Batok in 1990, Central and Geylang in 1991 and Woodlands and Chua Chu Kang in 1992.

With regard to whether there is adequate manpower to man the polyclinics, I wish to assure Members that the polyclinics are adequately staffed except during outbreaks of influenza. When such occasions ar ise, manpower will be deployed from other institutions and hospitals of the Ministry to help out.

Dr S. Vasoo (Bo Wen): Sir, is the Minister aware that since the reorganization of some polyclinics, the waiting time has increased. The situation has been no better and patients have to wait for two hours before they are seen by the doctors.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Members will recall that about a year ago a similar question was asked about waiting time in polyclinics. My answer then was that the patients tend to come at certain periods of the day. For example, they tend to come early in the morning at 9.00/9.30 and therefore it is not possible to man the polyclinics just for the peak loads. We try to encourage regular patients to come at other times of the morning so that they do not have to wait so long. For example, those who come in the later part of the morning will find that their waiting time is very short but those who come together with the huge numbers who arrive at about 9.00 am which is the peak load will find that they will have to wait much longer. It is inevitable when peak loads occur.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Can I ask the Hon. Acting Minister for Health whether the dates of completion of the polyclinics that he named are firm dates or are they just estimated dates of completion, and when will these polyclinics be operational?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: For those that are due to be completed in 1988 and 1989, the dates are fairly firm in terms of the year. The months may shift a little bit.