THE NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN (Paper Presented at the SMA Silver Jubilee National Medical Convention 1985)
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SINGAPORE MEDICAL JOURNAL PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE - THE NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN (Paper presented at the SMA Silver Jubilee National Medical Convention 1985) Chew Chin Hin In 1983 the National Health Plan was tabled before Parliament following discussions and consultation not only with officials within the Ministry of Health but with numerous representatives from the profession and professional bodies (1). The Plan outlined the health development strategies for our country up to the end of the century. It is relevant at this juncture to reiterate that the guiding objective of the Ministry has always been to strive for medical excellence and in so doing provide better health services to the nation. We also believe that as this objective is achieved, Singapore will be established as a regional medical centre. Ministry of Health Singapore has had a remarkable health record especially over 55 Cuppage Road, 110R00 Cuppage Centre the last 25 years. This is reflected by Singapore's low morbidity Singapore 0922 and mortality rates which compare most favourably with the best in the world. This, of course, cannot be attributed to improve- Chew Chin Hin, PPA, FRCP, FRACP, FACP ments in health services alone, but also to the country's growing Deputy Director of Medical Services economic prosperity and improvements in socioeconomic (Hospitals) status. 210 VOLUME 28, NO 3, JUNE 1987 Disease patterns have also been changing to a ROLE OF COMMUNITY HOSPITALS measure as a result of our country's social and economic development. These changing disease In the planning of hospitals, consideration has also patterns will necessitate different and higher stan- been given to the fact that patients' needs for hospital dards of medical care. For example, infectious care differ widely. Thus, many patients do not require diseases have drastically reduced in incidence and the highly specialised care that is available in our many, like poliomyelitis and diphtheria are virtually an acute hospitals, but rather require basic facilities experience of the past. The chief killers today are which could be catered for more simply and economi- cancers, coronary and cerebrovascular diseases and cally but without sacrifice of standards at community diseases due to stress, industrialisation and hospitals. It is for this reason that the National Health accidents (2). To meet the altered circumstances, Plan has provided for the establishment of these changing trends and rapidly rising expectations of an hospitals. Community hospitals will complement and increasingly well-informed and sophisticated society, supplement the work of family physicians and that of the sytem of primary, secondary and tertiary health the Home Nursing Foundation. For these hospitals, care delivery in Singapore will have to be restructured. Ministry would welcome participation of family physi- cians and in this way, with the assistance of families patients in the One demographic feature is that Singapore's would provide continuous care for their population will very likely continue to grow until the widest sense. year 2030 (3). As the population grows and ages, becomes more affluent and health conscious, it is to SPECIALISATION be anticipated that admissions to hospitals and In the forefront of today's and tomorrow's diseases medical consultations will rise. Based on past ex- are the cardio and cerebrovascular disorders, cancers, of developed countries in Europe, the States periences traumatic injuries and chronic and other degenerative the National Health Plan will aim to and elsewhere, Further specialisation is therefore population ratio from the present pro- diseases. improve our bed necessary to meet effectively with this disease profile. vision of 4 per 1,000 population to 4.5 by the year 2000. We have seen the establishment of Departments of Together with the new Singapore General Hospital Neurosurgery and Neurology, Cardiothoracic Surgery was commissioned not too long ago, the com- which and Cardiology, Renal Medicine, Rehabilitation of the National University Hospital at Kent missioning Medicine, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic and Reconstruc- Ridge later this year will result in the provision of an tive Surgery. In recent months Clinical Haematology estimated total of 9,000 beds by the public sector. The and Hand Surgery have been established as Depart- National Health Plan projects that by the turn of the ments at the Singapore General Hospital. These Singapore will need 13,400 hospital beds. century, established disciplines aside, our doctors have in in- is therefore scope for future growth of hospitals. There creasing numbers over the years also developed The shortfall of hospital beds may be met by the speical interests in many other tertiary specialities. sector or by government. Plans for new private In our development plans for this coming decade, developments are welcome and will be encouraged. consideration will therefore be given to the establish- This will allow the public a greater choice regarding ment of independent of departments for Genetic where they wish to be treated. Counselling, Urology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology, Paediatric Neurology, Traumatology, Gastroentero- HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENTS logy, Endocrinology and Geriatric Medicine. May I also the of Except for the Singapore General Hospital, Toa add In passing that proposals for establishment under study by a Payoh Hospital, and parts of Tan Tock Seng Hospital, a Children's Hospital. are presently our hospitals were all built well before the Second groupat the Ministry. equip- World War. These old hospitals and their fixtures will A good measure of expertise and specialised that have therefore have to be restructured, refurbished or even ment are available for all these specialities rebuilt to meet the Ministry's aims and objectives in been identified, albeit within our existing medical and our vision of providing better and up-to-date health services. surgical services. Keeping clearly in view it that by In this regard, the conceptual plan for the next 10 achieving excellence, is hoped establishing independent years will be to concentrate our resources on Tan Tock these tertiary specialities as individual would be developed within a Seng Hospital, Toa Payoh Hospital and Woodbridge departments, expertise of Hospital followed by Alexandra Hospital and Kandang framework that is more conducive to the provision rapid advance- Kerbau Hospital. Some provisional briefs have been quality service, to economy and to the completed and are under more detailed study. The ment of the respective disciplines. the implementa- Ministry is conscious of the need for better utilisation The actual order and time frame of the of of land areas to enable more efficient and better work tion will perforce be dependent on availability flow and also to remove all antiquated structures and trained staff, facilities and physical accommodation. to Hand buildings not conducive to the running of modern, effi- Mention has been made with regard cient hospitals. Thus, for instance, the ample grounds Surgery and Haematology at the Singapore General and in- at Tan Tock Seng Hospital will provide architects and Hospital. Specialised expertise, equipment for Urology. planners with challenges to design and build a new strumentation are presently available Department of A&E Department, Specialists Outpatient Clinics with With the transferof the main University to the the necessary supporting facilities and new multi- Surgery from the Singapore General Hospital time and storey ward blocks for wards and operating theatres to National University Hospital in a few months' complement its present facilities. At this site will also with some reorganisation of beds, arrangements indepen- the new Skin Disease Centre whose piling works would be .made for the establishment of an be would will commence this year and the Communicable dent Department of Urology. This department Disease Centre replacing respectively Middle Road serve as a referral centre to deal with complicated and the former Middleton Hospital. Much urological problems. The exact staffing details are still Hospital proposed thought is also being given by our Specialists and being studied, but it has been provisionally Consultants to include specialities like Clinical that the department has 3 Consultants for about 73 Immunology, Paediatric Neurology and Geriatric beds. in concert Medicine in this complex at Moulmein Road. To progress pari passu and developing 211 SINGAPORE MEDICAL JOURNAL with these specialities, must be the development and Hospital will require an additional 150 beds to cater strengthening of our Departments of Radiology, for these changes. Also its present provision of about Anaesthesia, Laboratory and Nuclear Medicine. The 400 beds is clearly insufficient and the plan will be to training of our medical personnel in the newer fields increase this number to 550 by providing 3 new blocks which have been mentioned and identified will have to for wards, theatres and other supporting facilities. Its be supported by the availability and training of ade- undulating terrain will certainly provide challenges to quate numbers of medical of medical scientists and architects and engineers. Preliminary discussions technologists. All these medical and related personnel have indicated that some existing single -storey will have vital roles to play in these developments. buildings will have to be demolished for new blocks to With few clear exceptions, there has been a lack of be built in the vacated