HOSPITAL WARDS AND BEDS

Mr Nithiah Nandan asked the Minister for Health (a) whether there has been an increase in demand for wards with higher subsidy and, if so, why and (b) what is the range of waiting time for Accident and Emergency patients before being assigned to a hospital bed and the steps taken to reduce the time.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Demand for wards with higher subsidy has increased in the past two years. In 2000, 70% of total inpatient discharges in restructured hospitals were from the heavily subsidised Class B2+, B2 and C. This proportion increased to 74% in first quarter 2002. Singaporeans could have become more cost conscious as a result of the economic downturn and our recent efforts to encourage them to spend more prudently on healthcare.

Despite the higher demand for subsidised wards, restructured hospitals are able to give Singaporeans timely access to subsidised healthcare services. Accident and Emergency (A&E) patients are given prompt treatments at the A&E Departments. Moreover, more than 90% of A&E patients who require admissions are allocated a hospital bed within 1 hour.

For the small minority who has to wait more than 1 hour, our hospitals are looking into ways to speed up the allocation process. For example, on days when demand for beds of a particular ward class is exceptionally high, the hospitals will allow patients to occupy a bed in a higher ward class first, until a bed in the ward class of their choice becomes available. They need only pay the rates of the ward class of their choice for their stay in the higher ward class.