30
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1989
+
TOTAL
"IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT IN SPITE OF OUR ACCUMULATION OF A
$14 TOTAL RESERVE IN REVENUE OF OVER
BILLION, THERE IS AN ACTUAL
CENT IN THE DECREASE FROM 9.3 PER CENT IN 1987-88 TO 8.9 PER BUDGET SPENT ON MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE YEAR TO COME," SAID.
HE
SAID TURNING TO MORE SPECIFIC ITEMS IN THE BUDGET, HE
IT WAS UNFAIR THAT THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICE EXPENSES OF CIVIL SERVANTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON MEDICAL AND HEALTH.
HE ESTIMATED THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND THEIR DEPENDANTS WOULD BE IN THE RANGE OF 730,000.
"IF ONE WERE TO CALCULATE THE EXPENSES BASED ON THE MID-RANGE COMMERCIAL RATE OF MEDICAL INSURANCE PACKAGE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT ON CIVIL SERVANTS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS FOR SIMILAR MEDICAL SERVICES WOULD AMOUNT TO SOME $1,300 MILLION, OR 22.6 PER CENT OF THIE TOTAL ANNUAL BUDGET ON MEDICAL AND HEALTH, DR LEONG SAID.
H
AS FOR DENTAL SERVICES, OF THE TOTAL SUM OF $174.6 MILLION ALLOCATED, ABOUT $90 MILLION WAS USED FOR DENTAL SERVICES то CIVIL SERVANTS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS, WHILE ONLY $5.2 MILLION WAS USED FOR DENTAL EDUCATION.
DR LEONG SAID HE WAS NOT DISPUTING THE GRANTING OF THESE BENEFITS TO CIVIL SERVANTS. BUT IT WAS ONLY REASONABLE THAT THIS AND SIMILAR EXPENDITURE SHOULD BE RECOVERED FROM OTHER RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS UNDER STAFF COSTS, AND THAT THE MONEY SO RECOVERED PROPERLY SPENT ON THE PROVISION OF SERVICES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
HE SAID SIMILAR IRRATIONAL CHANNELLING OF INCOME PRIVATE PATIENTS IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS ALSO OCCURRED.
DERIVED FROM
HE NOTED THAT THE MONEY OBTAINED THROUGH CHARGES ΤΟ PRIVATE PATIENTS OR THROUGH DISPENSING MEDICINE WENT DIRECTLY TO THE GOVERNMENT'S MAIN REVENUE ACCOUNT.
"IT IS ONLY LOGICAL THAT SUCH INCOME SHOULD BE REFLECTED BACK INTO THE ACCOUNTS OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, AND CHANNELLED BACK FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, HE SUGGESTED,
C
REFERRING то THE BUDGETARY ALLOCATION FOR GOVERNMENT AND SUBVENTED HOSPITALS, HE SAID THERE HAD ALWAYS BEEN A BELIEF THAT THERE EXISTED A BIAS IN FAVOUR OF GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS.
THIS SUSPICION APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIATED BY THE MARK DIFFERENCE IN BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS, HE SAID, NOTING THAT THE SUM ALLOTTED TO SUBVENTED HOSPITALS APPEARED TO BE MAINLY FOR REPLACEMENT OF WORN OUT EQUIPMENT AND NOT FOR PROVIDING NEW AND FOR SERVICE IMPROVEMENT.
UP-TO-DATE ONES
TURNING TO