Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon's plans to consider promoting mediation as a primary step to settling medical malpractice disputes got some readers talking this week.
Dr Yik Keng Yeong pointed out some problems with mediation over medical matters, saying that because mediation is swifter, cheaper and less confrontational than litigation through a court process, increasingly frivolous mentions before mediators may surface. Still, he said, mediation is the way forward, and makes for a better practice of medicine. Mr Rajan Chettiar urged the courts and the Law Society of Singapore to do more to promote a culture of mediation as the preferred mode of conflict resolution.
The issue of bed configuration in nursing homes got a renewed airing this week, with some doctors arguing for a more balanced and sustainable approach towards designing "person-centric" geriatric care. They said that since this ground is new and evolving in Singapore, dialogue among stakeholders in the industry, as well as experimentation, improvisation and learning from mistakes, would be necessary.
Here are these letters:
Do more to promote mediation culture
Mediation, though not perfect, is the way forward
