ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD EXCHANGE (Extension to private sector)

Column: 2735

ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD EXCHANGE:

(Extension to private sector): 14.

Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Acting Minister for Health arising out of the recent announcement that patient records in the public hospitals and outpatient clinics will be pooled in order to ensure prompt action and treatment during emergencies and public health crises, will his Ministry consider including private hospitals and outpatient clinics under the same arrangement.

The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mr Speaker, exchanging medical records electronically is not a trivial exercise. We are therefore taking a cautious incremental approach.

Our first priority is to get the key components in place and stabilise them within the public healthcare sector. This will allow us to bring the benefits of this application to 80% of Singaporean patients in the shortest possible time.

When the Electronic Medical Record Exchange is running well within the two clusters, we will consider inviting the private sector to join the system if they wish to do so.