5/27/2007

No need to wait for 6.5 million population

SINGAPORE: The current high occupancy rate at some public hospital is stressing doctors to discharge their patients, admitted Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday. Occupancy has hit highs of more than 90 per cent for some hospitals recently, above Mr Khaw’s ideal of 85 per cent. “When you run at over 90 per cent, it’s very stressful,” said the Health Minister, who was the chief executive of several hospitals from 1985 to 1992. “Stressful in the sense that, every day, our doctors have to go down to beg the patients (to be discharged).” Occupying a hospital bed for acute illness costs the Government an average of $1,000 a day, compared to “a few hundred dollars” for a community hospital bed. This is “the cost to society”, said Mr Khaw at the sidelines of an event yesterday. “If I don’t actively shift patients down, our total cost will just be heavy.” Reported in Today We are now starting to get a little dosage of what life would be like when we double our population. We will simply break at the seams if we continue to push to the limits.

14 comments:

The Oriental Express said...

Aiyoyo. True mah.

Not only hospitals. Now buses, mrt and roads are vely vely bee zee you know hor.

If cheng hu wants to increase population, must also build more hospitals, make mrt trains longer and longer mah. Must also get rid of those old buses and put more bendy buses on the road, otherwise, bus like packed sardines. This is why I am moving to Little India.... so can use my own no 11 bus lah.

Anonymous said...

Just Up the costs and everything is solved.

"Foreign talent immigration benefits everyone", here's how.

Now, costs got to go up and "it cant be helped."

Anonymous said...

When demand for everything is up, cost and prices will definitely go up too.

But who owns most of the land, the transport infrastructure, the toll gates? Who builds public flats for sale and will benefit most from price increases? Not you or me.

And yes, it can't be helped.

Anonymous said...

"Stressful in the sense that, every day, our doctors have to go down to beg the patients (to be discharged).” Occupying a hospital bed for acute illness costs the Government an average of $1,000 a day, compared to “a few hundred dollars” for a community hospital bed.

This is “the cost to society”, said Mr Khaw at the sidelines of an event yesterday. “If I don’t actively shift patients down, our total cost will just be heavy.” Reported in Today




I dont get it, wasnt all these shifting supposed to be factored in, when the doors to high paying foreign patients are openned? I mean, attracting high rollers from abroad to our health care system, will obviously strain our local health resources.

I worry the bottom line effect may work against poor paying patients when resources are depleted given that healthcare is an extremely lucrative and competitive business.

Anonymous said...

sure that it cant be helped?

who says bringing foreigners is good for us?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

we always think that we are america but forget that we are a little dot of america. we just cannot afford to keep growing the population at such a frantic pace.

we need some foreigners to grow with us, have a little variety and confusion. but we cannot confuse ourselves with what we are.

Anonymous said...

Gahmen say what what lor!
We all know: in Sengkapoh, can die but don't get ill haha! ;P

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

there was this sunday morning and i was having breakfast in a kopitiam. and there was a table of grey and white hair elders, all probably in their 70s chitchatting.

and they shared the same sentiment of resignation as far as medical bills are concerned. one commented loudly that even with 100k, it would be wiped out in one major operation. they acknowledged that they cannot afford to get sick.

this is how much money we have and saved to donate to the hospitals at our dying years. just when we need the money to last every day when working is no longer an option, the hospitals are waiting to clean up all our savings.

it looks like we will leave this world empty of every cent. or every cent will be taken from us before we leave this world.

Anonymous said...

Sad isn't it, that why I try to stay at more frequently watching DVD to avoid going out b'cos it ready terrible too crowded everyway (foodcourt, shopping centre, swimming pool,gyp,buses, mrt & even now neaby shopping mall).

I think we shld concentrated on how to make more $ like investing on option, stock, commodity or other trading materials to generate our capital to get out of this $$$ sucking gang.
By the way anyone out there, good in trading or currently making good buck can provide some tips.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi turaikiller,

i also spend most of my time at home rather than going out. it is all money once you step out of the house. the cheapest way of passing time is to hit the keyboard at home.

trading stocks is another way to keep one busy. and no one is really an expert. you make one day you lose another. i do put up some stock information in www.redbeanforum.com, including recommendations from broking houses. if you need more assistance you can pm me at my forum site.

cheers.

Anonymous said...

Ya, I too prefer to stay at home, its cheaper. You know, everytime they renovate a hawker centre, the rental goes up and the hawkers charge more. You slog hard to benefit the landlords ultimately.

Thankfully, I like to eat at home.

Anonymous said...

Staying at home being enclosed by the 4 walls of the pigeonhole is even more stressful. And that's without rowdy, uncouth neighbours spoiling your serenity. Let's face it, Singapore is a shithole, no matter where you go within the place.

Anonymous said...

Hi RedBean,

Thank for your info, I do found your forum interesting with allow us to interacting & express oneself or sharing perspectives view.

Hope to see more interesting forums from you.

Keep it up.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

thnaks turaikiller,

this forum can only be interesting if all of you post diverse and mindblogging views that challenge our conventional way of looking at things.

if we can try to think oddly.

the unreasonable man changes the world to suit him. bernard shaw i think, said this. and we have progress as we go along.