WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1983
ON DR FANG'S CONCERN OVER THE SHARE OF EXPENDITURE ON MEDICAL SERVICES AND HIS PERCEIVED RESTRICTED RATE OF DEVELOPMENT, MR CHING SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT BORNE OUT BY FACTS.
+1 MUST CONFESS THAT I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE MEASUREMENTS OF PROGRESS IN THE HOUSING AND EDUCATION FIELDS QUOTED BY DR FANG CAN BE MEANINGFULLY APPLIED TO HOSPITAL BEDS; NOR INDEED CAN THE SHARE OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE DEVOTED TO THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES BY ITSELF REPRESENT SOME MAGIC MEASURE OF THE OVERALL HEALTH OF OUR POPULATION,+ HE SAID.
+BUT, AS CHAIRMAN OF THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, DR FANG IS IDEALLY PLACED TO HAVE SUCH THEORIES DEVELOPED TO THE BENEFIT OF THE MEDICAL PLANNING PROCESS AS A WHOLE.
+AS IT IS, THE TARGETS TOWARDS WHICH WE ARE WORKING, IN TERMS OF SUCH THINGS AS NUMBER OF HOSPITAL BEDS AND CLINIC CONSULTING ROOMS, ARE THOSE ESTABLISHED ON THE ADVICE OF THAT COMMITTEE,+ HE ADDED.
DISMISSING AS INCORRECT REMARKS THAT NO +BLUE-PP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES HAD BEEN PRODUCED SINCE 1973, + MR CHING POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMITTEE PRODUCES A FRESH PLAN" ANNUALLY FOR A TEN-YEAR PERIOD.
TURNING TO PRIVATE HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY, MR CHING SAID THAT THEY MET A COMMUNITY NEED AND SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED PROVIDED THE WELFARE OF THEIR RESIDENTS WAS NOT PLACED AT RISK.
ON THE SUGGESTION THAT LEGISLATIVE CONTROLS WERE NEEDED ON THESE PRIVATE HOMES, HE SAID, THERE IS NO CAUSE FOR IMMEDIATE CONCERN, BUT THE SITUATION WILL BE CLOSELY WATCHED AND CONTROLS WILL BE PROPOSED SHOULD DEVELOPMENTS INDICATE THAT THEY ARE NECESSARY.+
MR CHING ALSO REPORTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING THE PURCHASING POWER OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE GRANTS.
AN INDEX OF PRICES PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR REVIEWING THE RATES OF SUCH GRANTS, AND THESE RATES HAVE BEEN INCREASED BY 310 PER CENT SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHEME IN 1972,
+THE LAST INCREASE, OF 29 PER CENT, WAS IN JUNE 1982 AND RECENT SHIFTS IN THE INDEX INDICATE THAT ANOTHER INCREASE IS DUE, HE SAID.
-
USEFUL SUGGESTIONS WELCOMED. DR THONG
*****
AND
THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG SAID TODAY THAT HE ALWAYS WELCOMED AND APPRECIATED PRACTICAL USEFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF HIS DEPARTMENT'S SERVICES.
BUT IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT SUCH COMMENTS SHOULD BE BALANCED AND BASED ON ADEQUATE RESEARCH AND ACCURATE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY MIGHT BE USEFUL TO THE DEPARTMENT IN ACHIEVING ITS OBJECTIVES, HE ADDED.
/DR THONG