<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Scheme explained repeatedly to writer
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WE REFER to the letter by Mr Kelvin Tan, 'Disability assistance: 81-year-old dad caught in red tape' (June 20).
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have explained to Mr Tan on various occasions that under the Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly (Idape), disability assessments are typically done after a patient is discharged from hospital.
Even if an assessment is done in the hospital, a second assessment will most likely still be needed after the patient is settled in the community for a more accurate picture of his long-term disability. This may mean additional costs and further inconvenience the applicant and his family. For this reason, the applicant was advised to have only one assessment done, after discharge.
Physician assessors who are not employed by SGH require consent from the hospital and the managing doctors before visiting inpatients. This is because the assessors have to be briefed on the patients' medical condition while they are treated in hospital, as well as to protect the confidentiality of patients' medical information.
Notwithstanding the above, MOH and SGH had offered to work with Mr Tan on a faster solution, if necessary. However, Mr Tan was unwilling to identify his father (the patient) to MOH.
SGH's doctors, as well as staff from the Medical Social Services and Service Quality, have met Mr Tan on several occasions to clarify and address the issues raised. We note that Mr Tan's father has since been assessed by NTUC Income and his Idape claim has been approved.
Meanwhile, should Mr Tan need any other form of clarification or assistance, he may contact SGH and NTUC Income on 6326-5350 and 6877-3472 respectively.
Dr Wong Yue Sie
Chief Operating Officer
Singapore General Hospital
Karen Tan (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WE REFER to the letter by Mr Kelvin Tan, 'Disability assistance: 81-year-old dad caught in red tape' (June 20).
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have explained to Mr Tan on various occasions that under the Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly (Idape), disability assessments are typically done after a patient is discharged from hospital.
Even if an assessment is done in the hospital, a second assessment will most likely still be needed after the patient is settled in the community for a more accurate picture of his long-term disability. This may mean additional costs and further inconvenience the applicant and his family. For this reason, the applicant was advised to have only one assessment done, after discharge.
Physician assessors who are not employed by SGH require consent from the hospital and the managing doctors before visiting inpatients. This is because the assessors have to be briefed on the patients' medical condition while they are treated in hospital, as well as to protect the confidentiality of patients' medical information.
Notwithstanding the above, MOH and SGH had offered to work with Mr Tan on a faster solution, if necessary. However, Mr Tan was unwilling to identify his father (the patient) to MOH.
SGH's doctors, as well as staff from the Medical Social Services and Service Quality, have met Mr Tan on several occasions to clarify and address the issues raised. We note that Mr Tan's father has since been assessed by NTUC Income and his Idape claim has been approved.
Meanwhile, should Mr Tan need any other form of clarification or assistance, he may contact SGH and NTUC Income on 6326-5350 and 6877-3472 respectively.
Dr Wong Yue Sie
Chief Operating Officer
Singapore General Hospital
Karen Tan (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Health
