Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Just to the Senior Minister of State on this point again, is it possible to increase the number of walk-in slots at the polyclinics in view of the feedback that many Members of this House are receiving from seniors who have difficulties in accessing the online system and making a booking? Can the Senior Minister of State also give us an indication of the percentage of these slots which are walk-in slots?
The other supplementary question pertains to the number of feedback MOH has received on complaints of not being able to book a slot through the online system. Does the Senior Minister of State have some numbers for us, so we can understand the extent of the problem?
Dr Janil Puthucheary: Madam, I thank Mr Pritam Singh for the questions. I do not have the data to answer his second question; that was not part of the Parliamentary Question that was filed. For his first question, yes, there is the possibility to increase the proportion of walk-in slots. I would point out that that does not change the overall capacity available at the polyclinics. That is actually the heart of the issue.
I understand there is frustration with the online system for seniors, but there are also people who are able to use the online system and as a result, the availability of the resources and the capacity for the services at the polyclinics are better matched to those patients. It means that the clinical notes are available ahead of time, preparations can be made ahead of time for investigations, tests and the allied health services that support, given the instance of someone coming down to the polyclinic.
So, I think we have to have a balance. If we went to a fully walk-in system, that would have an implication on the ability for the care teams to deliver the service that they are used to delivering. If we went to a fully online system, indeed, the frustrations that Members in this House have highlighted will become worse.
So, we need a balance: we need some walk-in slots and some pre-booked slots. The question then is, what is the best way of determining that balance. This is left to the operational teams running the polyclinic to take into account their capacity, the services that they deliver, the demographics of their population. And it can vary over time.
So, I take the feedback from the Leader of the Opposition and other Members of the House, and will continue to work with our cluster management and operational teams that run the polyclinics and see how we can optimise the correct balance of online appointments made ahead of time, same-day appointments and walk-ins.
Ministry of Health
4 July 2023
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=oral-answer-3265
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 