Press Releases

Transcript of Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

Following is the transcript of a media session by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, after attending radio programmes this (November 6) morning:

Reporter: Dr Yeoh, can you explain why you insist on pressing ahead with the new charge in November?

Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food: I think there is a lot of misunderstanding relating to the fee assistance scheme. At the moment, we already have had a fee assistance scheme or a waiver system for individuals who have difficulties paying even this very highly subsidised rate of $68 for in-patients. When we have the charges for Accident and Emergency, Accident and Emergency is a service that is usually one-off, but for individuals who need to use emergency services more frequently, these are likely to be patients who are already in the system who have chronic illnesses, perhaps major illnesses, who have no incomes and they will be frequently admitted. They are really likely to be individuals who are being followed up in our special clinics. So these are individuals who are already being dealt with by the present system that they have already got partial or full waiver. When Accident and Emergency charges kick in, they will also be waived or exempted from payments. So, most of these individuals have been taken care of within our present waiver system. There may be certain individuals, but these will be a few and far between, because of the Accident and Emergency charges which will impose unnecessary burden on them and they are not already in the system. These numbers will be small and limited, they can be dealt with by our present waiver system. So there is no need to have a new system to cater for just the Accident and Emergency charges. But when the whole new fee structure kicks in, and that will only kick in after the fees in public sector has been lifted, then the impact will be greater. More people will be affected by the changes. We cannot use the present system because it is administratively cumbersome to deal with the future fees and charges structure. When we have the new fee structure to be implemented, then we need a new system to be in place.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)

Wednesday, November 6, 2002