GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES

GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES:

(Use of carpets in buildings): 7.

Prof. Ivan Png Paak Liang asked the Minister for Health whether Government Ministries and agencies will use less carpets in their buildings as carpets may be less healthy than other materials such as linoleum in our tropical climate.

The Minister for Health (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Mr Speaker, Sir, Prof. Png asked if my Ministry would discourage the use of carpets in public buildings. Mr Speaker, Sir, if we do, you will have problem extending red carpet treatment to your counterparts.

Presumably, Prof. Png thinks that carpets are unhealthy materials which may be sources of chemical or biological agents, resulting in human allergies or irritations or other ill-health effects. But to-date, studies have not found any conclusive proof to implicate the use of carpets as a source of ill-health. After all, carpets are made of the same materials you find in most clothing. They are commonly found indoors and they have been in use for many years. The main issue is proper maintenance. As with all furnishings and fixtures, regular and proper cleaning of the carpets is essential for good hygiene.

As there is no evidence to implicate carpets as a health hazard, my Ministry has no ground to issue any health advisory against their use. Whether carpets or other materials should be used in a particular building will therefore depend on other factors, such as cost and aesthetics.

Prof. Ivan Png Paak Liang: May I ask the Hon. Minister if Singapore has done a

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study of the use of carpets in our tropical climate or is the Ministry relying on studies done in temperate countries where the climate and environmental conditions may be different, and the hazards may be different?

Secondly, may I ask the Minister whether he would pay particular attention to the use of carpeting in hospitals. I notice on my most recent visit to a Government hospital that linoleum is now being replaced by carpeting. I am wondering whether that is customer service really, or they have considered the impact on health.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Sir, the experts in Ministry of Health assured me that there have been local studies periodically done indeed by NUS as well as the former Environment Ministry. The current Environment Minister may have an interest in this area too. As for hospitals, in fact, this is an interesting subject. Many years ago, when I was new to hospital administration, I made it a point to visit many hospitals. I must have visited about 100 hospitals all over the place and was struck by the extensive use of carpets in US, for example. I got to meet many people, not just doctors, nurses, microbiologists, infection control people, but also housekeepers and people who have a special interest in this area. And I got to learn a lot about this subject.

Two things struck me. First, the floor maintenance of hospitals - because hospital is such an unhealthy place - is a science by itself, it is a specialised subject, and you need intensive knowledge and study into this area, coupled with scientific studies and research. In the US, for example, there are firms who specialise in hospital maintenance and nothing else. After extensive discussions with them, I decided on two things at that point in time: one, how little we know about other things - that in hospital administration, it

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is not just doctoring and nursing care but there are a lot of non-clinical areas where expertise is needed. That was when I decided firmly that we should outsource non-clinical activities to specialists. When I became the CEO for NUH, we were the first hospital that outsourced non-clinical activities, including hospital maintenance.

Secondly, we need to upgrade our standard of maintenance of hospitals in Singapore. So I persuaded the specialist firms in US to explore Southeast Asian market, including Singapore. And I am glad that at least one of them decided to come to Singapore and after many years, they are still around. I think along the way, hospital maintenance today is quite different from 20 years ago. So I think we have made some contribution in this area.