"LEASE-A-DENTAL CLINIC" SCHEME (Progress)

Dr Ho Tat Kin asked the Acting Minister for Health what is the progress made by his Ministry's "Lease-A-Dental Clinic" scheme; and whether this scheme has been able to provide better dental care at a lower cost to the people.

The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Sir, the Lease-A-Dental Clinic Scheme was introduced in 1984. So far, 11 dental clinics with a total of 25 dental chairs have been leased. The Scheme has met its objectives. It is providing young dental officers with the opportunity to gain commercial experience before they venture into their own private practice. So far, 44 dental officers have participated in the Scheme.

The dentists operating the leased dental clinics are providing a more personalized service. They spend more time on each patient and also offer a much wider range of dental services such as crowns and bridges. Waiting time has also been reduced.

As for the cost of treatment, it is not possible for the dentists operating the leased dental clinics to charge the same fees as the subsidized Government dental clinics. However, their fees are generally lower than the fees charged by other private dentists providing a similar high degree of personal service.