NUH professor among panel of doctors guiding SDP's health policies

Thursday, 05 May 2011

Singapore Democrats (source) Adding to the growing list of high-calibre professionals who are with the SDP is a team of seven medical professionals who are guiding the party's proposed Shadow Healthcare Plan: Healing With Care. In the panel is Associate Professor Paul Tambyah. Prof Tambyah is with the Department of Medicine at the National University Hospital. He is also part of the Infectious Diseases Programme there. You can catch Prof Tambyah as he scheduled to speak at the SDP's lunchtime rally today, 5 May 11, at the UOB Plaza starting at 12 noon.   The panel also includes SDP candidate for Holland-BT GRC Dr Ang Yong Guan, a renowned psychiatrist who headed the psychological medicine unit at the Singapore Armed Forces. Dr Ang, who was a Colonel at SAF, is now in private practice with his clinic at the Paragon. The other members of this panel are: Dr Wong Wee Nam, Dr Patrick Kee, Dr Leong Yan Hoi, and Dr Tan Lip Hong. It seems hard to believe but these very capable medical professionals are now assisting the SDP to craft our healthcare plan which is spearheaded by Dr James Gomez, SDP's candidate for the Sembawang GRC. The SDP is growing with more and more high-calibre professionals either joining our ranks or assisting us. This bodes well for the party's present and future. Voters of Bukit Panjang, Holland-BT, Sembawang and Yuhua have reason to feel secure that they will be good hands when the elect our candidates. With such a high-powered team, the party is able to present a credible alternative healthcare plan which has made the PAP's candidate for the GRC, Mr Khaw Boon Wan who is also the health minister, go on the defensive. Mr Khaw concedes that he shares the SDP's objective to make healthcare convenient for the people - an admission that the current system is not convenient. What Mr Khaw takes issue with is that there isn't enough doctors and nurses to fill the need. He should not be criticising the SDP's plans but his colleague Mr Ng Eng Hen who is education minister, for failing to meet the needs of a growing population. How is it that after so many years in charge, Messrs Khaw and Ng are unable to produce a steady stream of medical professionals to meet the demands of the people? Isn't this a clear signal that the PAP has not been up to scratch in their job performance? The SDP has proposed the following recommendations in our healthcare plan: Expand healthcare budget by three times the current amount. The PAP hoards our reserves instead of investing it in our people's health. Convert void decks into polyclinics where people can have easy access to medical care.   Increase healthcare personnel by encouraging our doctors in private practice to perform consultation in our public hospitals and polyclinics. Our education ministry must also look into expanding our medical schools to train more doctors and nurses. Make health insurance universal where all Singaporeans are covered for medical treatment. For a more comprehensive view of our Shadow Healthcare Plan, please click here.