MOH mulling grants for S'porean medical students studying overseas
MOH mulling grants for S'porean medical students studying overseas
By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 March 2010 1621 hrs
Photos 1 of 1
SINGAPORE: Public hospitals are studying the idea of offering pre-employment grants to Singaporean medical students studying overseas, to help them with their cost, in return for a bond to serve after they graduate.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan revealed this in Parliament as he laid out his ministry's priorities for the year.
19-year-old Singaporean, Evetor Sim, recently graduated from an international school in China. In September, she will head to the University of Manchester to study medicine. Her parents are forking out some $300,000 in tuition fees.
A grant, she said, will help ease the financial burden, but the concern is the bond that may be tied to this grant.
She said: "I would definitely take into serious consideration the grant because doing a medical degree overseas is very expensive and the living expenses also are very expensive. I think the only thing that holds me back from signing on for this scheme is the inflexibility of having to return back after your studies and having to serve your bond with the government hospitals."
Locally-trained doctors, who receive subsidies in the medical school, are already bonded to work at public hospitals for up to five years after graduation.
NUS medical students are bonded for five years. Duke-NUS Graduate medical students who are Singaporeans are bonded for four years, while PRs and international students are bonded five years.
The Singapore Medical Association says bringing in locals trained overseas will plug the gap to meet demand for doctors in the years ahead.
Dr Chong Yeh Woei, president of Singapore Medical Association, said: "I think with the shortage of doctors, the most important thing is we can bring in foreign doctors but I believe our local patients would still want locally-trained doctors or local doctors to treat them. I think this is because of the cultural context and the languages that we speak."
The proposal to get more local doctors is part of the government's plan for healthcare as Singaporeans grow older and live longer.
There will be greater emphasis on geriatric as well as mental health, with S$120 million set aside to strengthen specialist training over the next five years.
Another S$57 million will go into enhancing follow-up care for mental health patients.
Mr Khaw said: "Our follow-up care is getting better but we know there are still gaps. MPs' comments earlier confirm this. I am therefore adding a further $57m for mental health initiatives, on top of the $123m already committed. This is a significant $180m commitment to enhancing our mental health programme.
"Part of the new budget will be used to increase psychiatric nursing manpower. Another will go towards setting up a long term monitoring and risk assessment system. It will help identify and provide support for patients who default follow-up appointments for treatment, thereby reducing the number who relapse because they do not take their medication."
Responding to concerns that the increase in foreign worker levies will hit nursing homes, Mr Khaw said his ministry will raise the subsidies for such homes by about 7 percent to help them cope with the higher cost of operations.
Other healthcare initiatives include plans for three new nursing homes and rebuilding three old ones in larger facilities in better locations within HDB towns.
The minister described the restructuring of the healthcare system in Singapore as a quiet revolution. He said if done well, results will show in 10 years. The key is to avoid unnecessary hospitalisation, have better integration between hospitals and community partners as well as help patients achieve successful aging at home.
- CNA/ir
0 Comments
Leave a Comment