Prof Tambyah: Public hospital should not be competing with private sector

SINGAPORE: Singapore Democratic Party’s chairman Professor Paul Tambyah replied to a comment on Tiktok that said the government needs the class A ward so that they are able to earn revenue and subsidise the other wards. This will enable the government to retain good doctors in hospitals.

In the video reply, the infectious disease expert said, “There are many ways for the government to make money, and our government is very clever at using these ways. Trying to make money out of people suffering is never a good idea.”

@paultambyah

Replying to @Sqman Why get rid of A class ward??? #tiktoksg #DidYouKnow #fyp #sgpolitics #xyzbca #teamSDP #singapore #politics #sgtiktok #fypシ #sg

♬ original sound – Paul Tambyah – Paul Tambyah

The SDP’s chairman then cited an example of the HDB financing model where he alleged that ‘the government is actually providing huge subsidies to wealthy foreigners.’

“Wealthy foreign patients in A class wards pay a rate which is much lower than what they would pay in a private hospital in Singapore. Thus, if you use the HDB’s way of calculating a market subsidy, they are receiving huge subsidies and the government is actually losing millions of dollars by having A class patients,” explained Prof Tambyah.

The rate for a standard A ward at Singapore General Hospital is from $535 per day compared to from $37 per day in the C ward, and it is from $57 per day in the B2 ward.

At the National University Hospital, there is a deluxe suite which is $851.72 and the one-bed A1 ward is $535, these two are private rates. The subsidised wards, B2 island C is $45 and $41 per day respectively.

A check on Raffles Hospital shows that their presidential suite costs $5,933 per day, while Raffles and Victoria suite costs $3,357 per day. A two-bedded room is $425 per day, and a four-bedded room is $365 per day. Over at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, a royal suite can set you back at over $10,000 per night, or you can opt for the VIP room with a connecting lounge which costs slightly cheaper at $4,308 per day. A two and four bedded room is $425 and $293 respectively.

There are other options too that won’t cost too much, such as the Farrer Park Hospital where the hospital wards start from $250 and goes up to $1,530. 

“The government should basically not compete with the private sector. In actual fact, the reason why senior doctors stay in the public sector is not because of money. It is primarily because they love research, teaching, and looking after poor Singaporeans,” explained Prof Tambyah.

“Many of my surgical colleagues have told me that if they just wanted to make more money treating private patients, they would go to Orchard Road. So just simply depending on making profits out of A class patients to cross subsidise is just not going to work. It never has.”