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Private hospitals doing well: Khaw
Revenue drop marginal
despite economic slump
and H1N1 flu outbreak
BY SALMA KHALIK
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
THE health of Singapore’s private hospi-
tals is better than expected despite the
economic downturn and outbreak of
H1N1 flu, Health Minister Khaw Boon
Wan said yesterday.
Private hospitals suffered only a mar-
ginal drop in revenue compared to last
year, he added, disclosing that a surge in
domestic demand helped make up for the
loss of foreign patients at these hospitals.
But last year, they did very well, he
told Parliament. Foreign patients had to
be turned away because the “market was
bigger than we can cope”.
He believes that Singapore is poised to
capture the foreign medical market when
the region recovers from recession.
Mr Khaw gave his health report when
replying to Dr Lam Pin Min (Ang Mo Kio
GRC) who asked about the ministry’s
plans to boost medical tourism.
However, Mr Khaw acknowledged that
the target of one million medical tourists
by 2012 now appears unrealistic.
Latest available figures show that in
2006, Singapore treated just over
400,000 foreign patients.
Still, Singapore will strive to reach the
View of the 2008 Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix race circuit from the 65th level of Swissotel The Stamford. ST FILE PHOTO
F1 road closures to be
shortened where feasible
ALTHOUGH the Formula One champi-
onship is a street race both here and in
Monaco, Singapore needs more time to
prepare for it for three reasons, said Mr
S. Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for
Trade and Industry, yesterday.
One, the Singapore race, being the
world’s only F1 night race, poses unique
logistical requirements.
Second, Singapore’s 5km-long track
is 1.5 times longer than Monaco’s
3.34km track.
Third, the track here is much wider.
In fact, Monaco’s widest stretch is
10m-wide, which is equivalent to the
narrowest – and slowest – sections of
the Singapore circuit, namely parts of
Anderson Bridge and around the Marina
Juvenile offence ruling set for apex court
BY K. C. VIJAYAN
LAW CORRESPONDENT
THE issue of whether juvenile convic-
tions should be held against those who re-
turn to court as adult offenders looks set
to be decided by Singapore’s highest
court, the Court of Appeal.
The issue was tackled in the High
Court last month after the prosecution ap-
pealed against the sentence of repeat
drug offender Muhammad Noor Indra
Hamzah, 22, whose first offence was com-
mitted when he was a 14-year-old.
Justice Lee Seiu Kin decided in the
High Court that a drug offender’s convic-
tion as a juvenile should be taken into con-
sideration by the court when meting out
sentence.
Even though the Children and Young
Persons Act states that juvenile convic-
tions are to be disregarded when offend-
ers return to court as adults, the judge
noted that the Misuse of Drugs Act speci-
fies different punishments for repeat of-
fenders.
Mr Khaw believes that Singapore is poised to capture the foreign medical market when the region
recovers from recession. PHOTO: PARKWAY HOLDINGS
goal, he said. Hence, more facilities and
manpower are being added to cope with
the expected higher demand.
To Nominated MP Paulin Straughan’s
query on how the ministry will ensure
that Singaporeans do not suffer as a re-
sult of the influx of foreign patients, Mr
Khaw said public hospitals are “crystal
clear” that their priority is the Singapo-
rean, especially the poor.
Mechanisms are in place to ensure sub-
sidised patients are not neglected, he
said, adding that it has never been the
Bay floating platform.
“These elements allow Singapore to
stage a unique and exciting event,” said
Mr Iswaran.
He was replying to Nominated MP
Calvin Cheng, who asked if road clo-
sures could be shortened to reduce the
impact on businesses near the circuit.
Mr Cheng had said that roads in the
Monaco race were closed only several
hours before and after the race and prac-
tice sessions.
Mr Iswaran said the differences in
the two tracks meant more work for the
Singapore authorities, who have to com-
ply with safety and technical require-
ments set by the International Automo-
bile Federation, F1’s governing body.
About the case
MUHAMMAD Noor Indra Hamzah was
convicted on various charges of drug
consumption and robbery in a
Subordinate Court in January and was
sentenced to a three-year jail term.
The prosecution appealed for a stiffer
sentence, arguing that he was a repeat
offender, having had two previous
convictions for drugs.
However, the first conviction
happened when he was 14.
Under the Children and Young
Persons Act, juvenile convictions are to
But the lawyers who represented Mu-
hammad Noor are now seeking permis-
sion to pursue the matter further.
The team of three lawyers from Wong
Partnership, led by Senior Counsel Tan
Chee Meng, wants the Court of Appeal to
ministry’s aim to chase the foreign dollar.
Foreigners seeking treatment in public
hospitals is an inevitable outcome, he
said, as the reputation of these hospitals
spread.
“We have a competent health-care sys-
tem, with world-class facilities and a
well-deserved reputation for high medi-
cal and ethical standards.”
The minister also explained that Singa-
poreMedicine, the brand name the nation
is promoting in its effort to be a world
medical hot spot, has another major com-
This is why “a longer lead time is re-
quired to prepare and inspect the cir-
cuit”, he added.
For instance, almost 1,500 pieces of
concrete and high-tech barriers have to
be precision-fitted to separate the race
track from spectators, he said.
But Singapore has learnt from last
year’s inaugural race and this year, the
road closure will last seven days, not 12
days, said Mr Iswaran.
The race will be held next weekend,
from Sept 25 to 27. But specified roads
will be closed from Sept 23 and most
will re-open by the morning of Sept 29.
The main arteries, however, will stay
open during the morning rush hour,
from 5am to 9am, except on the race
day (Sept 27), to minimise inconven-
ience to road users, said Mr Iswaran.
He assured the House that the organ-
isers will use each year’s experience
to see whether the period of road clo-
sures can, where feasible, be further re-
duced.
be disregarded when adult offenders go
to court.
District Judge Sarjit Singh, when
sentencing Muhammad Noor, 22, said
his juvenile conviction should not be
taken into account.
But Justice Lee Seiu Kin said in a
judgment last month that juvenile
convictions should be considered when
dealing with repeat drug offenders under
the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Justice Lee, however, did not increase
the sentence.
settle the issue once and for all.
They said Justice Lee’s ruling raised
questions of law which were in the public
interest.
In particular, they want the Court of
Appeal to decide whether Justice Lee’s
THE STRAITS TIMES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 2009 PAGE B7
S’pore sewing up deal to get H1N1 vaccines
SINGAPORE is finalising a deal to obtain
vaccines against the Influenza A (H1N1)
bug that is causing the current
pandemic.
Details will be out later this week,
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told
Parliament yesterday. Dr Lam Pin Min
(Ang Mo Kio GRC) had asked for an
update on the situation here.
Mr Khaw said vaccines are the most
important measure to prevent death
from H1N1. A safe vaccine, once found,
will be made “widely available”. The
ministry will recommend it to frontline
staff and people at high risk of
developing complications from the flu.
So far, 18 people have died from this
ponent, besides attracting foreign pa-
tients.
This is the production of useful health-
care solutions from research and innova-
tions. “The world is hungry for practical
solutions to help people stay healthy,
manage their chronic illnesses and reduce
their medical bills,” he noted.
This need is the reason for the public
sector’s investment in clinical and transla-
tional research, which aims to improve pa-
tient care.
Mr Khaw said his ministry is working
PARLIAMENTSHORTS
Most top-scoring students
live in HDB flats
MOST of the top scorers in the Primary
School Leaving Examination (PSLE) live
in HDB flats, said Education Minister Ng
Eng Hen yesterday, citing figures.
They make up more than 60 per cent
of the top 10 per cent of PSLE scorers.
As for Secondary 1 students enrolled
in Integrated Programme (IP) schools
this year, more than half live in HDB
flats.
In IP schools, students skip the
O-level examinations and sit for their A
levels after six years.
Dr Ng, in disclosing the figures, said:
“Our education system aims to provide
opportunities for all students to go as far
as possible, regardless of their home
background.”
He made the statement in his written
response to Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine
Parade GRC), who asked for the
proportion of students in the top 10
secondary schools living in HDB flats.
About 82 per cent of Singaporeans
live in public housing.
ComCare scheme has
helped 86,000 since 2005
THE ComCare programme for needy
residents launched in 2005 has helped
85,600 people.
This includes 27,000 who received
assistance in the first half of this year –
a 15 per cent increase compared with the
number at the end of last year.
In disclosing these figures in a written
reply yesterday, Community
Development, Youth and Sports Minister
Vivian Balakrishnan said the
Government expects to spend about $77
million on the programme this year, a 37
per cent increase from last year.
ComCare provides financial
assistance to needy residents, including
subsidies for their children’s education.
Dr Balakrishnan was responding to
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade
GRC), who asked about the income gap
between the top 5 per cent and bottom 5
judgment would apply to all cases where
the law stipulates different punishments
for repeat offenders.
These would include offences under
the Road Traffic Act and the Vandalism
Act, and even more common crimes un-
der the Penal Code, such as theft.
Justice Lee’s ruling reinforced a deci-
sion from 10 years ago when a district
court also took a repeat drug offender’s ju-
venile record into account during sentenc-
ing.
Meanwhile, lawyers say that motions
filed to settle questions of law in the pub-
lic interest are rare.
But one such case, involving convicted
lawyer Bachoo Mohan Singh, was heard
last month by the Court of Appeal.
Singh, who was convicted of helping
to file a false claim, said he brought up
the case as he was contesting a point of
law of public interest.
He said his case raised a question of
law regarding the scope of lawyers’ du-
ties.
The decision of the court in Singh’s
case is still pending.
new strain of flu, including some with
no underlying medical problems.
“This continues to baffle the doctors
and scientists and we do not have good
answers as yet,” Mr Khaw said. This is
the reason why Singapore is still in alert
code yellow, and not green, which
signals that things are back to normal.
Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC)
asked if the coming northern winter is
cause for greater concern.
Mr Khaw replied that the fear is the
virus will mutate to a more dangerous
form. But close monitoring so far has
not shown such a change.
SALMA KHALIK
with the Economic Development Board to
“position Singapore as a future-oriented
Living Lab”, with industry players and
public hospitals cooperating to conceptu-
alise, test and adopt new treatments and
procedures.
Areas of interest include the use of IT
in health care, medical technology and
ways of preventing serious diseases.
Successful innovations could be export-
ed, he said. “The prospects are promising
and exciting.”
salma@sph.com.sg
per cent of wage earners here, and how
the Government intended to narrow the
gap.
Dr Balakrishnan did not provide the
wage gap figure, but instead cited the
Gini coefficient – which measures the
income distribution within a country –
as a proxy.
It fell from 0.489 in 2007 to 0.481
last year. This signals a narrower wage
gap. If government benefits are taken
into account, the figure is further
reduced to 0.462.
Dr Balakrishnan also noted that lower
income workers were given help to
upgrade themselves through training and
by redesigning jobs.
The monthly income of workers in
the bottom 20th percentile was $1,310
last year, compared with $1,200 in
2006.
Dash to beat red lights
cause of many accidents
MANY of the accidents at road
intersections are caused by motorists
who dash past red lights.
Every year for the past five years,
these errant drivers cause about 300 of
the more than 2,000 accidents at
intersections.
About 19,700 summonses were issued
yearly to motorists who beat red lights.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home
Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng made
these disclosures in a written reply to Dr
Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang), who asked
about the number of accidents at
intersections and the installation of
countdown timers.
Mr Wong is pessimistic as to whether
countdown timers at traffic lights would
make a difference. He said a 2003 trial
done at the junction of Rochor Road and
North Bridge Road found a timer could
even cause accidents.
The reason: Drivers react differently
to timers approaching zero.
“Some motorists applied the brakes
to stop, while others accelerated in an
unsafe manner to beat the lights. This in
fact increases the likelihood of rear-end
collisions,” he said.
CASEFILE
Cabby dies after
heart attack on PIE
A MAN who suffered a heart
attack while driving along the
Pan-Island Expressway (PIE)
died after striking another car
and hitting the central divider.
At about 11.20am on Sunday,
taxi driver Chew Poh Soon, 52,
is believed to have stopped his
vehicle on the left lane of the
PIE after running into difficulty.
Another driver spotted him in
distress and tried stopping her
car along the road shoulder to
help.
Mr Chew’s vehicle, however,
suddenly lurched forward,
striking the back of her car
before veering to the right and
hitting the divider.
An unconscious Mr Chew
was taken to Changi General
Hospital and died there about an
hour later.