HEALTH MONITORING FOR SLIMMING BUSINESSES

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Health what measures are being taken to reduce the waiting time of patients seeking treatment at Government restructured hospitals.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: The waiting time at the Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOC) in government and restructured hospitals has improved from a median of 32 minutes in 1990 to 28 minutes in 1992. The proportion of patients who waited less than 60 minutes has improved from 78% in 1990 to 84% in 1992. These improvements in waiting time were achieved despite a 22% increase in the total number of SOC attendances, from 1.35 million in 1990 to 1.65 million in 1992.

All the hospitals have upgraded their appointment scheduling systems by computerising them. However, they still face problems with about 20% to 30% of patients who fail to keep their appointments. The hospitals have been regularly advising patients to inform the hospital if they cannot keep their appointments.

To overcome the high defaulter rate, a certain amount of overbooking of appointments is done. As it is not possible to predict the exact number of defaulters for a particular session, sometimes patients will have to wait longer if the number of patients turning up is more than anticipated. The hospitals are monitoring the situation closely and fine-tuning the appointment system.

The hospitals also face the problem of patients turning up at the SOC without appointments. Patients who do so, but who cannot be turned away for medical reasons, are attended to at the end of the clinic session. They therefore experience longer waiting times.

Another factor that contributes to longer waiting times is that certain specialists like Cardiologists and Obstetricians, by the nature of their work, are more likely to be called away to attend to emergencies. The hospitals normally arrange for alternative doctors when this happens. However, the hospitals find that patients often prefer to wait for their own personal doctor.

The hospitals also ensure that doctors are punctual and that they do not schedule ward rounds, meetings, operating and teaching sessions when they have their clinic sessions.

Other measures which have been implemented to reduce waiting times include:

a) Improving the operations of the Medical Records Office to ensure that the case records of patients with appointments are retrieved at least 2 days in advance of their appointment. As a result, the percentage of patients without case records have reduced from 0.05% in 1990 to 0.01% in 1992.

b) In the A&E Department, more doctors are rostered during the busy periods identified. In addition, a system has also been set up whereby doctors in the wards and other departments are alerted and deployed to the A&E Department whenever a crowd builds up.

The Ministry will continue to monitor and to look into measures to improve waiting times as much as possible.

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Health if he will consider some form of health monitoring for the proliferating slimming businesses.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Slimming businesses are not under the purview of my Ministry, as they do not provide health care services.

However, when complaints are received from the public or medical doctors about the unlawful use of scheduled drugs and harmful medical products which are regulated under the Medicines Act and Poisons Act, in slimming saloons, the Ministry will look into them.

Between January 1992 and June 1993, the Ministry has received and investigated three complaints about slimming businesses. We have not found any evidence of the use of scheduled drugs or harmful medical products. There is therefore no need for the Ministry to have regular health monitoring of slimming businesses.