SINGAPORE — Prof Paul Ananth Tambyah, Senior Consultant in the Division of Infectious Diseases of National Unversity Hospital had suggested that government should get rid of the A-class patient wards, which would help government to stop losing millions of dollars and end the market subsidies that they’re providing for wealthy foreigners who could otherwise go to the private sector.
However, National University Health System (NUHS) refuted Prof Tambyah’s suggestion, claiming that the government health care system “do not make a loss by operating Class A wards”.
Class A ward’s revenue needed to subsidise other wards and maintain good doctors
In a video shared on TikTok on 19 December, Prof Tambyah addressed a TikToker Sqman‘s comment, who believes that government needs Class A wards to earn some revenue to subsidise other classes of patient wards.
“If not, how to compete to retain good doctors in govt hospitals?” the TikToker questioned.
In reply, Prof Tambyah first stressed that government should not be making money out of people suffering.
“There are many ways for the government to make money and our government is very clever at using these ways. Trying to make money out of people suffering is never a good idea. ”
He took the HDB model of financing as an example, explaining that the government is actually providing huge subsidies to wealthy foreigners at the moment.
“Wealthy foreign patients in A class wards pay a rate which is much lower than what they would pay in the private hospitals in Singapore.”
“Thus, if you use the HDB’s way of calculating a market subsidy, they are receiving huge subsidies and the Government is actually losing millions of dollars by having A-class patients, ” Prof Tambyah said.
Hence, Prof Tambyah proposed that by getting rid of the A-class patient wards, would help the government to stop losing those millions of dollars they are losing and to “end the market subsidies that they’re providing for wealthy foreigners who could otherwise go to the private sector”.
He added that the government should basically not compete with the private sector.
Prof Tambyah says senior doctors stay in public health sector to look after poor Singaporeans
While the TikToker’s justified that the government might not able to retain good doctors if there is no additional revenue through Class A patient wards, Prof Tambyah refuted this notion by stating that money is not the reason for senior doctors to stay in the public sector.
“It’s primarily because they love research, teaching and looking after poor Singaporeans,” he said.
“Many of my surgical colleagues have told me if they just wanted to make more money treating private patients, they would go to Orchard Road, they wouldn’t stay behind and deal with the bureaucracy.”
He concluded that simply depending on making profits out of A-class patients to cross-subsidise is not going to work, “it never has.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@paultambyah/video/7178761499790314753?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&q=paul%20tambyah&t=1672388091876
NUHS claims foreign patients only make up a very small number
Yesterday, NUHS released a statement in response to Prof Tambyah’s comment via a Facebook post.
NUHS said Prof Tambyah did not represent the views of NUHS and its institutions.
The healthcare institution claimed that the different ward classes within the public hospitals are designed to provide Singaporeans with a “wider range of options”.
“Foreign patients make up a very small number of patients we see, ” the statement said.
“Contrary to what was shared in the video, we do not make a loss by operating Class A wards.”
“As part of the public healthcare system, our priority is to care for Singaporeans and ensure that they have access to good and affordable healthcare.”
MOH said 1.5% of the total inpatient and day surgery attendances were foreign patients between 2013 and 2017
In a parliamentary written reply to then-Worker Party NCMP Assoc Prof Daniel Goh, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said between 2013 and 2017, foreign patients made up about 1.5 per cent of the total inpatient and day surgery attendances at public healthcare institutions (PHIs).
“Those whose referrals were supported by contracted service providers constituted about 0.4% of attendances in PHIs that had such contracts.”
MOH said the revenue from such patients made up 0.8 per cent of total revenue in these PHIs, and reiterated that Singaporeans remained the majority of patients treated in PHIs.
“Foreign patients have not impacted our PHI’s delivery of services and subsidised appointment slots given to Singaporeans, ” MOH said.
