OVER-CHARGING BY DOCTORS (Public education)

Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for Health whether his Ministry has any plans to educate the general public to ensure that they will not be over-charged by doctors for over-prescription and investigation.

Dr Aline Wong (for the Minister for Health): Sir, the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act, implemented in 1994, requires all private and public health care establishments to inform every patient on or before admission of the estimated charges which are likely to be incurred for hospitalisation, investigation and treatment. Every medical practitioner is required to provide information to the patient on the consultation, investigation and treatment charges. Every licensed clinical laboratory must provide a printed list of charges to doctors or patients on the laboratory tests to be performed.

The Ministry ensures that these requirements are complied with during licensing. Regular inspection of health care establishments has shown that the hospitals are complying with this requirement. The public is also provided with additional information on hospital charges through displays of notices, brochures and pamphlets which are freely available at the A&E, outpatient, wards and other public areas of the hospitals.

To prevent over-prescription or over-investigation, hospitals are required to conduct regular in-house medical audits of the doctor's prescribing practices.

Mr Yeo Toon Chia (Ang Mo Kio GRC): Sir, I know that most of the Government hospitals and clinics would advise the public about the charges. How about the private clinics? I strongly feel that the private clinics should display their charges, especially the common illnesses, so that the general public would know that they are not being over-charged by the doctors.

Dr Aline Wong: As I said just now, the private clinics are also required under the licensing Act to display their charges. A survey conducted in 1993 by the Ministry's Medical Audit and Accreditation Unit to assess the status of display of charges at the medical clinics prior to the implementation of the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act at 100 randomly selected private medical clinics showed that at that time only 40% of the clinics displayed information on charges. However, by the end of 1994, information obtained during the licensing of medical and dental clinics showed that 100% of them have complied with this requirement of display of charges in the clinics.