COS 2013 Debates: MOH – Ambulance Subsidy (MP Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap)

By MP for Aljunied GRC, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap
[Delivered in Committee of Supply on 12 March 2013]

Madam, there are currently two types of ambulance services in Singapore, (i) the Emergency Ambulance Service (EAS) operated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and (ii) the Non-Emergency Ambulance Services managed by private entities.

The Non-Emergency ambulances provide services such as ferrying patients to-and-fro hospitals, polyclinics and medical centres for their checks, scheduled appointments and follow-ups. The non-emergency ambulance service costs a family between $60 and $120 for a one-way trip. For two-way trips, the cost for basic transport services is between $70 and $180. Additional surcharges would be imposed in the event that additional medical attention is required.

Madam, I would like to touch upon a family of three that I came across recently. The sole breadwinner was previously employed and earns about $1,500 a month. However, due to his wife’s medical condition, he left his job to take care of his wife, who is wheelchair bound and has multiple medical conditions. Her condition requires her to frequent the hospital for her check-up and in order to ensure smooth and safe transfer to-and-fro the hospital a private ambulance is engaged. I subsequently wrote an appeal letter to the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) but I was informed that there are currently no subsidies in place for families who engage a private ambulance. For this family and many other families who have to use these services on a regular basis, the cost of hiring a private ambulance constitutes a financial burden for them.

As such, I urge the Ministry to introduce a Non-Emergency ambulance subsidy scheme for families with a monthly household income of $1,700 and below or a per capita income of $550.

Thank you.