29
Wednesday, June 7, 1972
On hospital charges, he said people had to pay only $1 to
attend a government clinic, and $2 a day in a general ward in hospital.
These charges covered everything
medicine, laboratory tests, x-ray
examinations, and any form of treatment, for example, surgery, radiotherapy
+4
and physiotherapy, and in the case of in-patients
their diet.
"Attendance at maternal and child health clinics and chest
clinics is free, while hospital treatment for infectious diseases,
including tuberculosis and leprosy, and most psychiatric cases, is also
free. If the patient cannot afford even 31 or $2, these charges are
either reduced, or waived," he emphasised.
The only payment left for the patient to make were charges for
medicine bottles, or certain kinds of surgical appliances, such as
corseta and crutches, which the Department either made or bought for them.
In the circumstances, it was not true that unless amahs and
ward orderlies were paid extra, the implication was that patients did
Complaints on this head, accompanied by details
not get any service.
such as the name of the offender, the date and time, would produce
action
——
and patients who felt themselves victimised while they remained
in hospital, should not regard the matter closed once they were discharged.
Dr. Choa also made these points:-
* Parity of salary for staff of government-assisted hospitals
but it was not the case that
was now being considered those who worked in government-assisted hospitals should receive less than their counterparts in government hospitals, but rather that they should not receive better terms. Critics should realise that if there were differences in leave allowances, contributions to pension schemes and
/charges
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