Yours Truly, Uniquely Singapore (7)

SINGAPORE: The current high occupancy rate at some public hospital is stressing doctors to discharge their patients, admitted Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday.

Occupancy has hit highs of more than 90 per cent for some hospitals recently, above Mr Khaw’s ideal of 85 per cent. “When you run at over 90 per cent, it’s very stressful,” said the Health Minister, who was the chief executive of several hospitals from 1985 to 1992.

“Stressful in the sense that, every day, our doctors have to go down to beg the patients (to be discharged).” Occupying a hospital bed for acute illness costs the Government an average of $1,000 a day, compared to “a few hundred dollars” for a community hospital bed.

I read the above in "My Singapore News" by Redbean. I have noticed that of late, the mrt trains and public buses are usually very crowded. Especially it is so jam packed during peak hours that it is quite warm.

Rooms and apartments are also in shortage. What Redbean has said is correct - there is no need for us to wait for the population to be 6.5 million! Talk is always cheap. In wanting the population to grow to 6.5 million, the government must also ensure that there are sufficient hospitals, doctors, housing and public transport to cope with the rise in population. Due to the shortage in housing, rentals have escalated some 30 to 50%. I am glad that I have bought a small HDB apartment in time, and I purposely chose one just 45 seconds walk to the Little India MRT so that I can sometimes walk instead of taking the train to my office which is one stop away. Moreover, on weekends, I can even get free bus rides to Dhoby Ghaut MRT station!

Recently, we read how Kelvin Lee was punched by a stranger for no rhyme and reason. He lost 4 of his teeth and yet the policemen who came did not arrest the man because the offence was not a seizable one! Now all the residents are worried that the man would hit one of them. It could be serious if it had been an elderly person! Are people getting more stressed? Or is it just the tip of the surface?
Mental hospitals also have to be built and more and more psychiatrists have to be employed. My friend who has been working here has told me he might go back to Melbourne to work as life is getting more and more stressful. Isn't this going to be a vicious cycle.? We keep wanting people to work and live in Singapore, but these foreign talents will want to leave Singapore at the slightest onset of stress, greener pastures, etc.

Gan Chau