NOTICE PAPER NO. 2883
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 6 AUGUST 2024
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
A/Prof Jamus Jerome Lim
MP for Sengkang GRC
Question No. 6261
To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the average waiting time for patients referred by medical social workers to medical service providers, such as doctors or specialists, to obtain appointments; and (b) whether this matching process is triaged in any way for urgent cases.
Answer
1 Medical social workers (MSWs) in public healthcare institutions (PHIs) do not refer patients directly to doctors in polyclinics and public hospitals. Patients typically make direct appointments with polyclinics, or are referred by family physicians to see specialists.