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NOTICE PAPER NO. 2185
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 18 SEPTEMBER 2023
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Ms Sylvia Lim
MP for Aljunied GRC
Question No. 4969
To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the current waiting time for ophthalmology appointments at the Singapore National Eye Centre; and (b) what arrangements exist to facilitate patients to secure earlier ophthalmology appointment dates at other public healthcare institutions
Answer
1 In the second quarter of 2023, the median wait time for a new subsidized appointment at Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) is about three months. Waiting time at SNEC has been rising, due to the surge in demand of new subsidised cases following the COVID pandemic and coupled with the attrition of eye specialists.
2 When a referral is made from primary care providers, the central appointment centres of each Healthcare Cluster will assist patients to make an earliest appointment slot at a public hospital under the Cluster. Patients can also call the central appointment centre hotlines to check for earlier available slots. Most importantly, cases that are assessed to be urgent will be prioritised and given earlier appointments.