Workforce in the Healthcare Sector

14 February 2012

Question No. 109

Name of person: Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan

Question

To ask the Minister for Health (a) if he will provide a breakdown of the total workforce in the healthcare sector as at 31 December 2011 vis-à-vis the public and private health institutions/clinics; and (b) how many amongst them are (i) doctors; (ii) nurses; and (iii) allied professionals.

Answer

1     As of 31 December 2011, there were 39,340 practising registered healthcare professionals comprising doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists in Singapore. 66% of these healthcare professionals were in the public sector while 34% were in the private sector.  The table below provides the breakdown of the registered healthcare workforce in the public and private sectors (by headcount).  

Breakdown of Practising Doctors, Dentists, Nurses and Pharmacists

2     There were 2,120 allied health professionals (in terms of full-time equivalents) in the public sector as of 31 Dec 2011. Allied health professions will be regulated under the Allied Health Professions Act later this year. With progressive registration of the various groups of allied health professionals, there will be available data of their numbers as well as the public-private sector composition in due course.