Monthly Archives: April 2013
Difference in public and private sector pricing of clinical services
A recent query on why the difference in public and private sector pricing I received that I solicited feedback from friends and colleagues. Decided to post some of the comments here with my perspectives embedded in [—]. Will be grateful for comments on this very important and interesting issue. ======= “In a recent consultation, I needed a brain […]
Sick Leave and Free Train Rides
It has been an interesting week of ‘radical’ policy changes. First, the Civil Service decision to permit public servants up to 2 non-consecutive days of sick leave without the need for medical certification was picked up by the media (Civil servants can call in sick without MC for 2 days- Today, April 13, 2013). Then […]
Misunderstanding European Healthcare Once Again
It is hard to be European. Despite substantial changes in healthcare financing in Europe over the last 2 decades with a shift towards larger use of cost sharing, many in Singapore still believe that European healthcare is ‘free’. The latest is a remark attributed to a minister by Channel News Asia: “… said the government […]
Re-Publishing and Citation for Non-Commercial Purposes
Dear readers, Thank you for your support over the last 3-odd months since the blog was created. This has been a labor of love and part of an overall effort to offer perspectives on healthcare and health policy issues. I feel rather strongly health policy discussions have been unncessarily confined to the ‘elite’ and ‘experts’ […]
Policy Reform: The Fears of Change
The optimism of the ‘new normal’ appears to have given way to a growing frustration with the pace and even the sincerity of reform. But change is difficult; three fears have to be confronted and overcome. **** Change is hard. Ask any smoker, ask any dieter. We want to change, we make public commitments, and […]
New PAP or Party returning to roots?- Relevance to healthcare
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/new-pap-or-party-returning-its-roots Interesting and balanced analysis by Amir Hussain in ‘Today’ on whether the PAP is truly transforming. Guess it all boils down to the balance- How to be popular enough to remain in power. I am not sure that the PAP has not misunderstood the people though. My sensing is that people do NOT want […]
Mitigating the capacity crunch- Whither the private sector?
The incongruence between demand and supply in the public sector is widening, but tapping on the private sector does not seem to be a policy option that is first, or even, second-in-mind. There is still a strongly entrenched view that doctors, once out of the public sector, do not and cannot contribute to the public […]
Insights Health Associates 
Reward docs for keeping people healthy
I was very taken by Philip’s interview with Susan Long in the Straits Times now almost two weeks’ ago (Pity it is behind a pay wall). Here was a man and his institution trying to do everything right from national and public health perspectives, but really swimming against the tide. The ideas and initiatives are […]