Money can solve all problems, or many problems. We have nearly solved
our corruption problem with money. We can easily solve our traffic
congestion with monetary solution. A $6 pass through an ERP gate is
going to deter many drivers. A $10 pass will deter even more. A $50 pass
will make it very convenient for those who can afford it to use the
road as their private road.
These kinds of solution and mentality do not take into consideration the
human factor, the empathy and compassion on those who need to pass
through the gantry come what may and either have to pay painfully or be
as good as drop dead.
Dropping dead at an ERP gantry may not be a common occurrence when one
just cannot afford to pass through. Dropping dead could be a high
probability when many simply cannot afford to pay for hospital bills.
The latest suggestion of pegging hospital beds to inflation is one such
monetary solution with a missing heart. It is an inhuman suggestion. The
need for hospitalization cannot be measured in terms of monetary value.
To minimize a hospital bed shortage problem by making the beds
unaffordable is a very mean solution. Get it?
When there is a shortage of beds, why not increase the supply? It will
add to cost in building more hospitals or providing more beds. But this
provision is not a luxury, not liposuction to look better, not a hairdo,
it could be a matter of life and death. The need for hospitalization is
a genuine need and has to be provided. When the demand for more basic
food is high, should the price be raised to reduce the demand?
Reducing the demand for road usage or even housing may not be life
threatening, just an inconvenience or a difficult choice for some. Don’t
build enough roads or no land to build more roads, don’t build enough
housing, would create some pain and frustration. But life goes on.
People who cannot afford the housing or cars would check their
expectations or look for other cheaper alternatives.
Can the sick look for cheaper alternative beds elsewhere other than to
cheaper medical practitioners like TCM or self medication or going to
the temples or to voodoo doctors? Alternative medicine could do well
when expensive conventional medicine is beyond the reach of the poor. At
least there are voodoo alternatives available. But when they are so
sick and needed to be hospitalized, price them out? Price them out to
lower the demand for beds? Though it is an economic problem, a monetary
problem, it is still wicked to think in such terms. A commercial
decision, a private enterprise, got to think of shareholders’ profit?
Actually if I were the head of government, I think it is a correct thing to use monetary solutions, inhuman though it may be at times.
ReplyDeleteHowever I need to ask myself a few questions. They are:
1. Can my strongest opponent contest 100% of seats as one party at the next election?
2. In a by election, can my party still get at least 40% votes?
3. Are voters Sinkies? Are there many new citizens?
If yes to all of the above , then I will not hesitate to use monetary solutions, even if RB consider inhuman. Who is RB, anyway?
Any party that can contest 100% of seats as one party is more than ready to be government. No need for them to say.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if a party contest only 20% of the seats and even if they say they are ready, I also don't believe them. I think majority Sinkies also don't believe them, unless Sinkies are daft.
When the last tree has been cut down, the last forest razed, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, the air we breath polluted, only then will we realise that one cannot eat money...North American Indian proverb.
ReplyDeleteThere is no problem with the supply of hospital beds. One has to simply ensure that one is prudent throughout one's life to prepare for end of life expenses. Everyone gets sick at some stage -- even fit and healthy people. Everyone will die -- even non smokers, exercise buffs and those with "good" genes.
ReplyDeleteSince these are known facts of reality, the attitude of personal responsibility should come into play.
Whilst I am no supporter of socialised medicine, I will heap the praise onto the public medical system in Singapore. It is one of the best in the world, beyond doubt. The Canadian, UK and Aussie public health systems are all fucking up, whilst in Singapore the men and women at your local Polyclinic are doing excellent work and are excellently resourced. Singapore now enjoys one of the highest life expectancies in the world, and that figure came to bear in a very short time -- less than 30 years.
ERP: I have also defended the rationale behind the ERP. During peak periods, road space -- an already scarce resource -- becomes more scarce, as the amount of road space remains fixed, but the amount of vehicular traffic increases. Therefore the PRICE for using such space should also increase, and there should be NO LIMIT to what the fee might be.
One criticism I have about the ERP is that the fees structure is fixed. I would prefer a REAL TIME price structure -- like any good on an exchange. If for some reason during peak periods the traffic happens to be light, then the ERP price for that road drops. This real time info could be easily streamed to a smart phone app or GPS unit. Drivers can then make an informed choice of whether they to go ERP or take alternative routes.
Pls don't consider the old and sick as troublesome and financial strain/burden to the nation.......
ReplyDeletePls remember that growing old is a natural process the day you are out to this wonderful world....
Pls note that one cannot choose to grow old or not.... it is a blessing/lucky if you are able to grow old ......
Although we work hard to increase new born population, but we must provide enough low cost healthcare/hospitals (free if possible) for the old and sick.....
Remember, growing old/sickness is natural....... before one say BYE BYE ............
But Sinkieland no forest, no rivers and no fishes worth mentioning what. Simply put, no natural resources except a 700 sq km hot and humid island, tio bo? And sometimes very hazy some more.
ReplyDeleteBut then how come so many foreigners, rich and poor, talented or not, want to come here?
How come Sinkie ministers are the highest paid in the world?
Why ah?
P.S. There is nothing inhuman about money. Money afterall, is a human invention -- it evolved spontaneously so that we could use it to trade goods and services and to keep accounts.
ReplyDeleteWithout money -- no civilisation. On a personal level -- no money means you are fucked. You cannot move. You cannot eat. You can't do anything. No money = Misery. (maybe not if you life in a tree in the forest, however those of us using computers live in modern society)
"Money doesn't necessarily buy happiness...but it sure as hell can pay for the search!" -- The Artist Formerly Known As 'Prince'.
redbean
ReplyDeleteyou are a very bad influence to all your readers.
Not enough hospital beds ... so build more hospital beds !!!
What will you think of next?
1. Reduce immigration to reduce demand for hospital beds!
2. Control the dengue fever outbreak to reduce demand for hospital beds!
3. Better safety measures for our NS boys during training exercises?
Are you saying that the PAP gahmen is responsible for the hospital bed shortage because they are a bunch of incompetent stupid fools?
No wonder you dun't get invited to tea parties and sit on the management committee of grassroots organizations.
"How come Sinkie ministers are the highest paid in the world?"
ReplyDeleteAnon August 02, 2013 10:05 am
Because the strongest Sinkie opposition is not even ready to be govt. So they cannot become ministers even if they want to have lower pay.
So are you saying if gahmen give free vaccinations to old people, then demand for hospital beds will be reduced is it?
ReplyDeleteSo what type of free vaccinations?
Flu vaccinations?
Shingles vaccination?
Pneumonia vaccinations?
Vaccinations costs a lot of money you know.
Can be about $10 if you buy in bulk you know.
Compare with a few thousand dollars for a "subsidized" hospital bed.
What you want?
A vaccination, a hospital stay or a funeral?
"No wonder you dun't get invited to tea parties and sit on the management committee of grassroots organizations."
ReplyDeleteAugust 02, 2013 10:12 am
If I were RB, this really hurts.
But sometimes the truth hurts, especially hard truths.
@1012:
ReplyDelete>> Not enough hospital beds ... so build more hospital beds !!!
There are enough beds. What is needed is policy to ensure those beds are put to the best use.
Not everyone needs to be in a hospital bed. The less serious cases can rest at home in their own beds. As suggested previously, hospital beds could be priced better, to reflect the "seriousness" of the resource.
I'd guess and say that most shortages are caused by bad management.
The best policy is to have the best national preventive medicine programme in the world.
ReplyDeletePractice preventive medicine rather than curative medicine.
Preventive medicine like vaccinations.
Something so simple.
Do we really need to employ a doctor as a Minister to tell us that?
Oh sorry!
We already have that one there already.
Overspent $300 million dollars on an 18 day exercise programme for children.
With free condoms provided as preventive medicine.
How many free vaccinations can $300 million dollars buy for Singaporeans ah?
ReplyDeleteHow much additional cost savings because hospital beds are 'heavily subsidized" and the vaccinations would have prevented the need for hospitalization?
Which is cheaper you tell me lah?
Preventive medicine or curative medicine?
A doctor could have made Singapore history for himself because he founded modern preventive medicine in Singapore.
Implemented a national framework for preventive medicine.
Make Singapore into a shining hub for the practice of preventive medicine.
Drastically reduce medical costs in Singapore for the gahmen and Singaporeans.
Did this doctor completely miss the big picture?
Did he confuse political ideology with the Hippocratic Oath?
You tell me lah!
Aiya matilah..I don't see universal acceptance of either the Singapore health system or the ERP system..the whole world is daft eh..what has the ERP system achieved besides fattening the coffers of the government..dedicated bus lanes have effectively reduced available driving areas by between 20-30% and this is used as an excuse for traffic congestion? How many percentile of the traffic population is public/government /private..the answer may shock you...if the traffic problem is so bad why is the government not legislating to prevent usage..the hungry green eyed monster will consistently come up with excuses to increase their coffers ..even if usage n car population comes down!!
ReplyDeleteHi anon 10:12 and 10:18, just for your info, I was the first batch of RC Chairman, invited, and also invited as secretary of CCMC: )
ReplyDeleteOur housing and congestion problems are caused by over population. Period.
ReplyDeleteWho says no bed in hospital and no house to buy in Sin???
ReplyDeleteYou must be earning less than $500SID. If You make $50k a month, You can have king size bed and 10 Room with attached toilet bungalow.
You can learn from expurt here on how to live well. You can even treat Sin as just a hotel; but if You are like me, born poor and slow in the head, gods bless. Consign to whine and cry till heaven calls.
@jigg:
ReplyDeleteSingapore is crowded. Therefore you're not going to get rid of congestion. The use of private transport is excellent for personal freedom. Yes, freedom costs money. So those who want to drive/ take cabs can jolly well pay for their freedom. The traffic problem (really, problem.??) is not so bad. Given Singapore population density I think the traffic management is working fine.
@redbean:
Seriously dude, Singapore is far from being "over crowded". Indian and China cities have far greater population densities and more fucked up infrastructure but people still live and work.
Singapore has room to at least double it's current population.
Don't be such a wet blanket lah. Singapore is awesome, and more people will only make it more awesome.. A throbbing, thriving modern metropolis.
Matilah, you are talking based on a few assumptions. 1. Singapore is crowded and there is nothing the people can do about it. 2. Sinkies chose to let the island to be crowded and cannot do anything about it. 3. Sinkies want the country to be more crowded. 4. The more crowded the better, the more throbbing.
ReplyDeleteHow many Sinkies will agree with you?
I support 100% what RB said at 1.22pm ......
ReplyDelete'Because the strongest Sinkie opposition is not even ready to be govt. So they cannot become ministers even if they want to have lower pay'...
ReplyDeleteSticking with the devil you know should never be an option, its a one way ticket to hell. That's how you end up with the hellish deal that you should not deserve. A sad sad situation, when a meek population is afraid of change.
Redbean:
ReplyDeleteI'm a card carrying, globally networked anti-theist, skeptic and libertarian... seriously dude, how many people do you really think agree with me? What's more, I'm a loud mouth, often dirty mouthed.
I probably have more enemies and detractors than friends :-)
No worry mate. They know when you are talking sense and when you are talking nonsense. But they will still regard you as friends. No need to feel insecure : )
ReplyDeleteEgo is not a dirty word but daft is.
ReplyDelete