Forum: Don’t let smaller clinics get priced out of high-traffic areas
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The recent record-setting rental bid of $52,000 per month for a Tampines HDB clinic highlights an unsettling reality: Healthcare access in Singapore is being shaped by property market forces ( Co-owner of firm behind record $52k bid to rent Tampines HDB clinic says location justifies cost
As a public health physician, I worry that a silent shift is under way. Neighbourhood clinics that serve vulnerable populations could become increasingly priced out of high-traffic areas.
A two-tiered system is emerging, where only large, financially backed providers can maintain presence in strategic locations. But a small, independent practice that has served its community for decades may be more valuable in public health terms than a high-turnover, profit-focused chain.
We must rethink how we support such clinics. Differentiated rental schemes, especially for clinics participating in national programmes like Healthier SG, are urgently needed. So too are payment models that reward continuity and long-term outcomes, not just volume.
Healthcare infrastructure is more than hospitals and polyclinics. It includes community clinics that know their patients, offer early intervention, and prevent system overload.
If we let these clinics disappear, the cost is not just economic. It is social, and it is systemic.
Dr Ang Yee Gary
