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AS I was driving to work on Monday morning, one topic caught my attention on the radio. It was a discussion of whether the Government should allow Medisave to pay for overseas medical treatment. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that, subject to careful evaluation, he supported use of Medisave funds for treatment by overseas doctors. The worry seemed to be a deliberately planned drain of retirement money outside Singapore.
I am heartened that Mr Khaw holds the view that having overseas medical experts compete with local ones for patients will put a check on local medical costs. Putting the issue of a deliberate drain on Medisave aside, I am sceptical whether the expertise of foreign medical experts far surpasses that of our own experts, who are already well known, for example, those involved in the separation of Nepali twins Ganga and Jamuna at Singapore General Hospital in 2001.
I immediately thought of Dr Tony Tan who was instrumental in bringing foreign universities to Singapore so our children need not go overseas to study. In the same fashion, perhaps the Ministry of Health can arrange for foreign medical experts to visit Singapore to attend to patients. If patients need to use Medisave to pay for their expenses, the Government could allow this. In worst cases, the Government could subsidise needy patients.
I thought of this also because I know our hospitals have access to the latest medical equipment, with world- renowned medical systems companies having set up their Asean regional headquarters here. Singaporeans will not be in want of advanced medical equipment and have to travel overseas to seek treatment for this reason.
Patrick Sio
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