General hospitals
MOH’s role as the dominant health care provider allows us to influence the supply of hospital beds, the introduction of high-tech/high-cost medicine and the rate of cost increases in the public sector, which sets the bench mark in terms of pricing for the private sector.
Public hospitals & outpatient centres
The general hospitals provide multi-disciplinary acute inpatient and specialist outpatient services and a 24-hour emergency department. In addition, there are national specialty centres for cancer, cardiac, eye, skin, neuroscience, dental care, and a medical centre for multiple disciplines.
Subsidised hospital care
Within the public hospitals, patients have a choice of the different types of ward accommodation on their admission. Class B2 and C ward admissions (81% of public hospital beds) are heavily subsidised . Class B1 admissions are subsidised 20% while there is no subsidy for Class A ward admissions.
Hospital restructuring to respond promptly to patients’ needs
The Government has restructured all its acute hospitals and specialty centres to be run as private companies wholly owned by the government. This is to enable the public hospitals to have the management autonomy and flexibility to respond more promptly to the needs of the patients. In the process, commercial accounting systems have been introduced, providing a more accurate picture of the operating costs and instilling greater financial discipline and accountability. The public hospitals are different from the other private hospitals in that they receive an annual government subvention or subsidy for the provision of subsidised medical services to patients. They are to be managed like not-for-profit organisations. The public hospitals are subject to broad policy guidance by the Government through the MOH.
Community hospitals
The Government has also introduced community hospitals for intermediate healthcare for the convalescent sick and aged who do not require the care of the general hospitals. More information can be found in the attached handbook for patients.