THESMANEWS Vol 30 NO 4 Aril 1998 Our challenge going forward is to balance the pursuit Iof medical excellence and affordability of healthcare to individuals, their families and the community. ■ SPEECH BY DPM LEE HSIEN LOONG AT OFFICIAL OPENING OF CHANGI GENERAL HOSPITAL Ladies and Gentlemen, Institute, or the National Cancer Centre. These three levels 1. I am happy to be here this morning to declare the of the hospital system serve different segments of the opening on the new Changi General Hospital. patient population according to different medical needs. CONTENTS Together, they enable patients to enjoy the best care President's Forum 2 2. Changi General Hospital is the first of our new- Commentary possible at the best value. 3 generation regional hospitals. Developed at a cost of $380 Reflections 4 Materia-Non-Medica 6 million, it replaces two of our old hospitals, Changi Letter to the Editor 8 Hospital which was built in the 1930s, and Toa Payoh Regional Hospitals Medical Students' Column 9 Hospital which has been operating for 37 years. It will Classified Ads 10 6. Regional hospitals like Changi General are the main provide high quality medical care across a wide range of providers of hospital care in the acute hospital network. specialities, wider than what Toa Payoh Hospital and the We envisage three regional hospitals in Singapore: Changi EDITORIAL BOARD old Changi Hospital used to provide. The types of medical Editor General in the east; Tan -lock Seng Hospital serving the care provided include general medicine, general surgery, A/Prof Goh Lee Gan central sector; and eventually a new hospital serving the orthopaedic surgery, geriatrics, rehabilitation medicine and Assistant Editor west. They have the appropriate levels and mix of medical, psychiatry, ENT and eye, plus two sub-specialities: gastro- Dr Wong Chiang Yin nursing and paramedical personnel. They are equipped with enterology and urology. Members modern facilities and equipment. They have the resources Dr Au Kah Kay 3. Changi General Hospital is part of the Ministry of and the professional capability to manage most patients Dr Chan Kah Pone A/Prof Chee Yam Chang Health's master-plan to build a modern hospital network efficiently and effectively. Dr Goh Jin Hian of developed-country standards, to meet the needs of 7.For most medical conditions, Singaporeans should regard Dr Jon Goh the Singaporean population for the 21st century. In the the regional hospital nearest them as the hospital of their Dr Tan Hooi Hwa past decade, the Health Ministry has built or redeveloped first choice. For all but the most complex problems, regional Ex-officio 5 hospitals, 4 national centres and 8 polyclinics. The Dr Wong Chiang Yin hospitals will provide good quality and affordable care. upgrading programme will continue. The Government is Dr Cheong Pak Yean Should they need to be referred to a tertiary hospital or a committed to provide Singaporeans with excellent and Executive Secretary national centre because of their medical condition, the affordable health care. This is part of our vision of Our Ms Chua Gek Eng regional hospital will do so. Regional hospitals, tertiary Best Home for Singaporeans. Editorial Assistants hospitals and national centres will cooperate closely to Ms Tan Hwee Ping Ms Hazel Goh 4. Changi General will be the main hospital serving the handle referrals smoothly. They share the goal of quality eastern part of Singapore. We have decided to rename it service. Changi General Hospital rather than New Changi Hospital. The views and opinions expressed in 8. The Government encourages each regional hospital to all the articles are those of the The new name better reflects its role as a regional hospital authors. These are not the views of excel in one or two specialities or sub-specialities. This offering a broad range of services, and also the main the Editorial Board nor the SMA will enhance the professional standing and public reputation Council unless specifically stated so provider of hospital services for the 750,000 Singaporeans of the hospitals. It will help them to attract and retain in writing. The contents of the living east of Kallang Basin. Newsletter are not to be printed in good staff. It will also encourage Singaporeans living in whole or in part without prior written approval of the Editor. the vicinity to use regional hospitals as the hospital of Published by the Acute Hospital Network their choice. For example, Changi General Hospital has Singapore Medical Association, Level 2, Alumni Medical Centre, 5. The national network of acute hospitals comprises of capabilities in gastro-enterology and urology. The 2 College Road, Singapore 169850 regional hospitals such as Changi General Hospital, Government will also consider allowing Changi General to Telephone 223 1264 Facsimile 224 7827 tertiary hospitals such as Singapore General Hospital and develop other clinical services, if there is high demand from Email [email protected] National University Hospital, and national centres such the catchment population of the hospital, and if it can URL httpt//www.sma.org.sg as the National Heart Centre, the National Neuroscience successfully do so. ► N5 President's Forum Commentary THE TASKS AHEAD AGM NEWS The Last Whistle EXCELLENT, AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE THE 38TH SMA COUNCIL When peer pressure fails This is my third term as President of SMA and by The 38th Annual General Meeting of the SMA was Excellent, affordable healthcare is dependent on necessary towards excellent, affordable meaningful role in the patient management. He constitution, this will be my last consecutive year held on Sunday, 19 April 1998. The following were What remains? several elements. Defined delivery systems and a healthcare. One is the patient. 130 Lee has also must know enough doctors in that hospital to be as President. The AGM has returned al the elected as office bearers for the 39th Council for The letter of the law prevailing ethos of cooperation .are two of such alluded to this. The patient needs to be discerning able to receive help and support professionally candidates that I know will provide the leadership 1998/1999. The rhetoric of ethics elements. These are reflected in BG Lee Hsien Loong's and to use the various elements of the health at the time he needs that. and the continuity ahead. President Dr Cheong Pak Yean And the whistle from our hearts address on the occasion of the opening of the Changi care delivery system appropriately. He or she Many hospitals have seen the merits of My first task in the third term is to list the 1st Vice President A/Prof Goh Lee Gan General Hospital. The text of his address forms should make use of the regional hospitals instead developing the doctors in their drainage areas. tasks that some committees would tackle. 2nd Vice President Dr Lim Teck Beng We whistled loud of tertiary hospitals where appropriate. Similarly, Honorary Secretary Dr Wong Chiang Yin the lead article in this issue of the Newsletter. Perhaps, more primary care doctors should avail We fought on We have over the years developed a good if the patient would make use of his primary care themselves of such linkages. Notwithstanding 1.MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Hon Asst Secretary Dr Goh Jin Hian healthcare infrastructure. This is however, not doctor, then the workload in the A & E and these linkages, there are still problems in the We have to look at the declining percentages of Honorary Treasurer Dr Tan Sze Wee Is our cause forlorn? enough. There is a need for regional hospitals, hospital walk-in clinic will be much reduced. The shared care programmes. Many patients in the SMA membership in private practice over the Is our calling now. drowned The other newly-elected members of the 39th tertiary hospitals and national centres to co- queue will be shorter and the service will be faster. shared care programmes return to hospital care past few years. Though we have not done by the clang of cash registers? SMA Council are Dr Ang Peng Tiam, Dr Vivian operate closely to handle referrals smoothly. Each All it needs is for every citizen to use it only for because the primary care doctor can never detailed analyses, we suspect that the sectors Balakrishnan, Dr Chow Wan Cheng, Dr Chong Yeh must do what one is good at and appropriate for real emergencies. provide the medicines at the cost that the least represented are either general practitioners Woei and Dr Yue Wai Mun. But now the last whistle his level of care. For this to happen, we need a The other area of cooperation is between hospital can. The hospital is able to get cheaper practising alone or assistants working in group Dr Cheong Pak Year, Dr Lim Teck Beng, Dr Tan Has reverberated change of mindset. There is a need of a mental the hospital and the primary care clinics. Doctors medicines because of quantity purchase. Perhaps, practice. Kok Soo, Dr Wong Chiang Yin, Dr Lee Pheng Soo, Through HDB and regal corridors revolution to value working with one another. The in the government polyclinics and private clinics this advantage could be shared with the We also need to look at the question of A/Prof Low Cheng Hock, Dr T Thirumoorthy and The albatross now hangs credo of institutions have to change to what is can play a bigger role if their services are put to participating primary care doctors. spouse membership again. The constitutional Dr Wong Wang Hong, who were elected to the their role in patient care, research and optimal use. The primary care doctor should be Excellent, affordable health care is possible amendment made last year to reduce the 38th SMA Council, will continue to serve their on our necks and more professional development of doctors.