An overview of the history of healthcare
Providing Basic Health Care in the 1960s (concerns during early independence)
• More hospitals and clinics started to be built• Island-wide Inoculation /vaccination
Programme– Tuberculosis, smallpox common– Routine Examination of children in schools
• Clean-up of Singapore streets– Environmental pollution, indiscriminate littering &
improper disposal of rubbish– Deterrents Fines– Public Campaigns
Improving Health Care Services in the 1970s – improvement in economy and better standard of living
• Specialisation of Medical Services– Plastic & Reconstruction Department at the
Singapore General Hospital (1972)• Polyclinics replaced outpatient dispensaries– One-stop Health Centres• Outpatient Medical Care, Maternal & Child Health
Care– Conveniently located all over Singapore
• Improvement in hospital facilities & quality of healthcare
Healthcare in Singapore
• How has the approach to manage healthcare changed since the 1980s?– Rising cost– Finite resources• Healthcare cost should not put a strain on government
spending• Healthcare should encourage individual responsibility
and community support BUT government should also make healthcare affordable
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WHY IS IT NECESSARY FOR A COUNTRY TO HAVE HEALTHCARE?
• Ageing population means more people require medical services
• What happens when you are sick?• Who will pay for the doctor’s fees/ medicine
and further treatments?• Not everyone can afford to pay for everything
Why Must the Government Pay for Healthcare?
Healthcare is a public good which governments have to provide for the
people.Public Good= a good or service that the government provides for society
What role should the government play in managing healthcare?
• Do you think the government should be helping the public to pay for their healthcare costs?
• Are you able to afford your bills on your own?
What is the distribution of your CPF?
CPF
Ordinary Account
Special Account
Medisave Account
Encouraging self-reliance
Medisave
• Workers put $$ into their own account• Used to pay for certain expensive medical bills• Usually for short-term healthcare costs• What about self-employed workers?
Medishiel
d
• National healthcare insurance scheme• Pay for large medical bills which medisave can’t cover• Long-term hospitalisation/treatment such as dialysis
Medifund (governme
nt)
• Government fund set up to help those who cannot afford• Given to public hospitals to provide help for needy patients• Apply for it where you are treated
GovernmentInitiatives
Means-Testing
Restructured Hospitals
Government subsidies
• What is the role of the Community?• Buzz in your groups or with a partner..