70 per cent of doctors in polyclinics are Singaporeans

13 Apr 2010, ZaoBao

Question

Name of the Person: 刘光焕

再议政府诊所本地医生不足问题

拙文《政府诊疗所用太多外籍医生》有幸在3月24日被刊登，并于3月29日得到国立保健集团综合诊疗所的答复：《已为外籍医生开办本地语言课程》。答复所提的解决方案，就是为外籍医生提供本地语文课程（马来语和华语课程）。

但我认 为，这样的方案，根本无法解决问题：就好像头痛医头，脚痛医脚，不能根治问题。而且，就连治标的成效也很令人怀疑。试想想，医生的工作很忙，怎么可能有空 去上语言课？再说，学习语言也非朝夕之功，要真的等到能够用本地语言与病人沟通，不知道要再花他们多少时日？应找出问题根源

相信这是个普遍存在的本地热门话题，《新明日报》也在3月29 日的报道中转述了这个问题。我在3月25日到陈笃生医院买药，发现那里用更多的外籍（主要是菲律宾）工作人员。很多病人都无法和他们沟通，情况很糟糕！

我想，要解决问题，首先必须找出问题的根源所在！

我认为，首先应该问的是，为什么本地医生不在政府医院工作，而选择在外面开诊所？为什么本地人埋怨找不到工作，却不接受在医院的工作？我们的政府，一路来标榜着“高级职位的收入须与市场薪金挂钩”，所以公务 员都拿到很高的薪酬，很好的福利。那么，医生与医务人员缺少本地人要干，是薪酬问题？工作条件问题？抑或是其他的政策考量？而这又是关系到本地人生命保健 的重要领域，政府应该不会再等闲看待了吧？我希望卫生部能回答诊所医生不足的原因究竟为何？这现象在我国有多普遍？这趋势是否还将持续恶化？政府有何对 策？

Reply

Name of the Person: Karen Tan (Ms)

Director, Corporate Communications

Ministry of Health 

In “再议政府诊所本地医生不足问题” (5 Apr), Mr Liu Guang Huan expressed concerns over what he perceived to be the lack of local doctors in our polyclinics. We note that NHG Polyclinics had earlier apologised for the inconvenience caused to him when he encountered difficulties communicating with his assigned doctor during his visit to Ang Mo Kio Polyclinic.

Today, about 70% of the doctors working in our polyclinics are Singaporeans. We have to supplement our local supply of doctors with overseas-trained doctors due to the limited capacity in our local medical schools. While some of the overseas-trained doctors are Singaporeans, there are also other nationalities. In recruiting overseas-trained doctors for the polyclinics and restructured hospitals, we apply stringent assessment criteria to ensure that they are well equipped with the right skills and attitudes to take good care of patients.

Mr Liu also suggested that MOH do more to retain doctors in the public sector. Indeed, the Ministry has done so and the overall attrition rate for doctors in the public sector has declined from 8.1% in 2006 to 6.4% in 2009. We will continue to review our employment policies to ensure that the public sector is able to attract and retain its share of local doctors.