Mar 9, 2010
RESTRUCTURED hospitals are studying an idea of offering pre-employment grant to Singaporean medical students studying overseas, to help them with their cost, in return for a bond to serve after they graduate.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan saidthis idea, which came from Jalan Besar GRC Lily Neo, is doable, and will help to 'get our kids back' from overseas.
At the same time, the Government has also been boosting the value proposition of a career in the public sector.
'We are investing in biomedical research and supporting those with research interest. For the young doctors, we are ramping up training opportunities,' said Mr Khaw, in his response to issues raised by MPs during the debate on the Health Ministry's budget in Parliament on Tuesday. 'This will allow every young doctor to reach his maximum potential in his chosen specialty, including the specialty of Family Physician.'
Mr Khaw announced that $120 million will be set aside to strengthen specialist training programmes over the next five years.
In the public sector, he said more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals have been added to improve the staff-to-patient ratio, since 2007 under a $1.5 billion drive to recruit 7,700 more healthcare professionals.
'We are halfway through this five-year plan... and we are on track to achieving the target. Our head counts have increased by 44 per cent. Our doctor staffing level has gone up from 6 doctors to 8 doctors per 10 beds,' he said.
'Nurse staffing level has gone up from 20 to 26 nurses per 10 beds. I met a group of hospital Medical Social Workers last month. They told me that with so many new recruits, many have no offices and the hospitals are rushing to add new work stations.'
Mr Khaw also pointed out that although staff attrition rates have come down from 8 to 6 per cent for doctors and from 10 to 7 per cent for nurses, it is an ongoing challenge, especially when the two new private hospitals come on stream.
The only practical way forward is to ramp up training and foreign recruitment, said the minister.
RESTRUCTURED hospitals are studying an idea of offering pre-employment grant to Singaporean medical students studying overseas, to help them with their cost, in return for a bond to serve after they graduate.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan saidthis idea, which came from Jalan Besar GRC Lily Neo, is doable, and will help to 'get our kids back' from overseas.
At the same time, the Government has also been boosting the value proposition of a career in the public sector.
'We are investing in biomedical research and supporting those with research interest. For the young doctors, we are ramping up training opportunities,' said Mr Khaw, in his response to issues raised by MPs during the debate on the Health Ministry's budget in Parliament on Tuesday. 'This will allow every young doctor to reach his maximum potential in his chosen specialty, including the specialty of Family Physician.'
Mr Khaw announced that $120 million will be set aside to strengthen specialist training programmes over the next five years.
In the public sector, he said more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals have been added to improve the staff-to-patient ratio, since 2007 under a $1.5 billion drive to recruit 7,700 more healthcare professionals.
'We are halfway through this five-year plan... and we are on track to achieving the target. Our head counts have increased by 44 per cent. Our doctor staffing level has gone up from 6 doctors to 8 doctors per 10 beds,' he said.
'Nurse staffing level has gone up from 20 to 26 nurses per 10 beds. I met a group of hospital Medical Social Workers last month. They told me that with so many new recruits, many have no offices and the hospitals are rushing to add new work stations.'
Mr Khaw also pointed out that although staff attrition rates have come down from 8 to 6 per cent for doctors and from 10 to 7 per cent for nurses, it is an ongoing challenge, especially when the two new private hospitals come on stream.
The only practical way forward is to ramp up training and foreign recruitment, said the minister.
