IMMUNO-COMPROMISED INPATIENTS (Measures to disperse among public hospitals)

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IMMUNO-COMPROMISED INPATIENTS:

(Measures to disperse among public hospitals) 8\. Dr Tan Sze Wee asked the Minister for Health, in order to achieve better risk management against communicable disease outbreaks, will he consider having measures to 'disperse' the risk of large numbers of immuno-compromised inpatients, namely hematology, oncology and renal failure patients, from the Singapore General Hospital by increasing the availability of immuno-compromised clinical specialities in the other public sector hospitals.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Dr Tan Sze Wee suggested that we disperse the immuno-compromised patients, such as hematology, oncology and renal failure patients, among the various public hospitals, instead of concentrating them in the Singapore General Hospital. This is to minimise the risk of a major communicable disease outbreak causing havoc among these patients.

We do spread out such patients. In addition to SGH, these patients are treated in the National University Hospital, KK Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. However to distribute these tertiary specialties to all hospitals as a policy would not be practical. A tertiary specialty does require a critical mass of expertise, supported by a minimum volume of patient load. Otherwise, there will be wastages of duplication and inadequate opportunity for our clinicians to sharpen their skills.

In any case, there is no excuse for poor standard of infection control practices. This is ultimately the most effective means to minimise such disease outbreak.