[h=2]Govt prefers to import FT docs than train more locals[/h]
April 15th, 2014 |
Author: Editorial
Minister Gan Kim Yong
Yesterday (14 Apr) in
Parliament, Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao asked Health Minister Gan Kim Yong if
there are plans for the government to expand the doctor and nurse intakes beyond
the current 500 and 2,750 respectively.
His question:
To ask the Minister for Health:
(a) what plans are there to expand the target medical and nursing intakes
beyond the current 500 and 2,750 respectively;
(b) what are the constraints to expanding the target intakes; and
(c) what steps can be taken to overcome these constraints.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, just like his PAP colleagues in the past, gave
a vague and unconvincing answer, dodging the opposition MP’s question. Mr Gan
replied:
The Ministry of Health (MOH) regularly reviews Singapore’s healthcare
manpower needs taking into account changes in population demographics and
disease trends. The Ministry then works with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to
make the appropriate adjustments to our local healthcare training pipelines.
We have increased medical intakes by 80% over the past ten years, from 230 in
2003 to 413 in 2013, through the expansion of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of
Medicine’s medical intake, the establishment of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical
School in 2007 and the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in 2013. The local
medical intake is projected to grow to 500 doctors annually.
Likewise, we have increased the nursing intake by 40% from 1,202 in 2003 to
1,682 students in 2013, through expanding intakes at the Institute of Technical
Education and the polytechnics as well as the Bachelor of Science (Nursing)
course at NUS from 2006. We will further increase the nursing intake to
2,750.
We will continue to monitor and take into account demographic trends and
changes in our healthcare needs in our manpower projection. In parallel, we are
working to enhance the attractiveness of healthcare careers by enhancing
professional development, career advancement, remuneration, recognition and
staff well-being. This is further supported by increased branding and outreach
efforts, to attract more young Singaporeans to join this meaningful and
rewarding sector.
Mr Chen asked what MOH’s plans are to increase the numbers beyond the current
500 for doctors and 2,750 for nurses.
And how did Mr Gan answer? Hidden among his motherhood statements are 2
crucial remarks:
Is the Minister answering MP Chen’s question? If MOH does not plan to
increase beyond the current numbers, just say so in clear and concise English.
Why beat around the bush? Why even bother to reply MPs’ questions when there is
no sincerity on the part of the Minister?
Government’s solution – Import more FT medical personnel
Meanwhile, as the PAP government lets more and more foreigners into
Singapore, especially foreign workers, more medical personnel are needed to
support this unprecedented Singapore population growth.
Not surprisingly, the government solves this problem by – you guessed it –
importing more foreign medical staff into Singapore.
Speaking in Parliament a year ago, Minister of State for Health Amy Khor told
the House that the healthcare manpower ratio has improved over the years.
She revealed that doctor-to-population and nurse-to-population ratios have
improved, with more doctors and nurses serving the population now than
before:
<colgroup>
<col width="159">
<col width="64" span="2">
<tbody>
</tbody>
She said, “In regards to our current healthcare manpower ratio… They are
comparable to to those of developed regional economies which have similar
proportion of elderly such as South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.”
The number of doctors in the public sector has increased by more than 50%
since 2007 to about 6,200 in 2012, while the number of nurses has increased by
about 70% to 21,000.
So, how did the Ministry of Health increase the number of doctors in
Singapore so quickly? Dr Khor, for obvious reasons, did not reveal the answer in
Parliament.
Looking at the data from the annual reports of the Singapore Medical Council
(SMC), one can see that the fast growth in the number of doctors in Singapore is
achieved through the importation of foreign doctors.
New doctor registrations at SMC for full and conditional
licences:
<tbody>
</tbody>
We can see that starting from 2007, the number of new registrations for
foreign doctors began to exceed that for Singaporean doctors. Hence, from 2007
onwards, the majority of new doctors registered in Singapore were
foreigners.
The latest annual report on SMC’s website is for the year 2012 [Link].
Strangely, after TR Emeritus and other netizens started scrutinizing its 2010
report in 2012 (see ‘NTU’s new School of Medicine to enrol only 50 students
next year while Govt imports more foreign doctors to cope with demand‘), SMC
stopped publishing the number of new doctor registrations by citizenship from
its 2011 report onwards [Link].
SMC only published the total number of registered doctors by citizenship.
Still, with the numbers from 2011 and 2012, we are able to work out the
increase as shown below:
<colgroup>
<col width="88">
<col width="89" span="4">
<tbody>
</tbody>
As one can see, the proportion of foreign doctors practising in Singapore is
creeping up to 30% now and between 2011 and 2012, the increase of Singaporean
and foreign doctors was almost the same.
Minister Gan Kim Yong
Yesterday (14 Apr) in
Parliament, Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao asked Health Minister Gan Kim Yong if
there are plans for the government to expand the doctor and nurse intakes beyond
the current 500 and 2,750 respectively.
His question:
To ask the Minister for Health:
(a) what plans are there to expand the target medical and nursing intakes
beyond the current 500 and 2,750 respectively;
(b) what are the constraints to expanding the target intakes; and
(c) what steps can be taken to overcome these constraints.
a vague and unconvincing answer, dodging the opposition MP’s question. Mr Gan
replied:
The Ministry of Health (MOH) regularly reviews Singapore’s healthcare
manpower needs taking into account changes in population demographics and
disease trends. The Ministry then works with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to
make the appropriate adjustments to our local healthcare training pipelines.
We have increased medical intakes by 80% over the past ten years, from 230 in
2003 to 413 in 2013, through the expansion of the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of
Medicine’s medical intake, the establishment of the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical
School in 2007 and the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in 2013. The local
medical intake is projected to grow to 500 doctors annually.
Likewise, we have increased the nursing intake by 40% from 1,202 in 2003 to
1,682 students in 2013, through expanding intakes at the Institute of Technical
Education and the polytechnics as well as the Bachelor of Science (Nursing)
course at NUS from 2006. We will further increase the nursing intake to
2,750.
We will continue to monitor and take into account demographic trends and
changes in our healthcare needs in our manpower projection. In parallel, we are
working to enhance the attractiveness of healthcare careers by enhancing
professional development, career advancement, remuneration, recognition and
staff well-being. This is further supported by increased branding and outreach
efforts, to attract more young Singaporeans to join this meaningful and
rewarding sector.
500 for doctors and 2,750 for nurses.
And how did Mr Gan answer? Hidden among his motherhood statements are 2
crucial remarks:
- “The local medical intake is projected to grow to 500 doctors annually.”
- “We will further increase the nursing intake to 2,750.”
Is the Minister answering MP Chen’s question? If MOH does not plan to
increase beyond the current numbers, just say so in clear and concise English.
Why beat around the bush? Why even bother to reply MPs’ questions when there is
no sincerity on the part of the Minister?
Government’s solution – Import more FT medical personnel
Meanwhile, as the PAP government lets more and more foreigners into
Singapore, especially foreign workers, more medical personnel are needed to
support this unprecedented Singapore population growth.
Not surprisingly, the government solves this problem by – you guessed it –
importing more foreign medical staff into Singapore.
Speaking in Parliament a year ago, Minister of State for Health Amy Khor told
the House that the healthcare manpower ratio has improved over the years.
She revealed that doctor-to-population and nurse-to-population ratios have
improved, with more doctors and nurses serving the population now than
before:
| 2007 | 2012 | |
| Doctor-to-population ratio | 1 to 620 | 1 to 520 |
| Nurse-to-population ratio | 1 to 205 | 1 to 154 |
<colgroup>
<col width="159">
<col width="64" span="2">
<tbody>
</tbody>
She said, “In regards to our current healthcare manpower ratio… They are
comparable to to those of developed regional economies which have similar
proportion of elderly such as South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.”
The number of doctors in the public sector has increased by more than 50%
since 2007 to about 6,200 in 2012, while the number of nurses has increased by
about 70% to 21,000.
So, how did the Ministry of Health increase the number of doctors in
Singapore so quickly? Dr Khor, for obvious reasons, did not reveal the answer in
Parliament.
Looking at the data from the annual reports of the Singapore Medical Council
(SMC), one can see that the fast growth in the number of doctors in Singapore is
achieved through the importation of foreign doctors.
New doctor registrations at SMC for full and conditional
licences:
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Singaporeans | 227 | 169 | 183 | 200 | 211 | 233 | 264 | 277 | 275 | 331 |
| Foreigners | 134 | 108 | 127 | 115 | 215 | 211 | 366 | 427 | 417 | 484 |
| Total | 361 | 277 | 310 | 315 | 426 | 444 | 630 | 704 | 692 | 815 |
| Singaporeans | 63% | 61% | 59% | 63% | 50% | 52% | 42% | 39% | 40% | 41% |
| Foreigners | 37% | 39% | 41% | 37% | 50% | 48% | 58% | 61% | 60% | 59% |
<tbody>
</tbody>
We can see that starting from 2007, the number of new registrations for
foreign doctors began to exceed that for Singaporean doctors. Hence, from 2007
onwards, the majority of new doctors registered in Singapore were
foreigners.
The latest annual report on SMC’s website is for the year 2012 [Link].
Strangely, after TR Emeritus and other netizens started scrutinizing its 2010
report in 2012 (see ‘NTU’s new School of Medicine to enrol only 50 students
next year while Govt imports more foreign doctors to cope with demand‘), SMC
stopped publishing the number of new doctor registrations by citizenship from
its 2011 report onwards [Link].
SMC only published the total number of registered doctors by citizenship.
Still, with the numbers from 2011 and 2012, we are able to work out the
increase as shown below:
| Doctors by all registration types in public and private hospitals | ||||
| Singaporeans | Foreigners | Total | % of FT Docs | |
| 2011 | 7200 | 2857 | 10057 | 28.4% |
| 2012 | 7519 | 3150 | 10669 | 29.5% |
| Increase | 319 | 293 | 612 | |
| Increase % | 4.4% | 10.3% | 6.1% |
<colgroup>
<col width="88">
<col width="89" span="4">
<tbody>
</tbody>
As one can see, the proportion of foreign doctors practising in Singapore is
creeping up to 30% now and between 2011 and 2012, the increase of Singaporean
and foreign doctors was almost the same.
