Why is KTP Hosp. giving only free eye screening for Nee Soon GRC residents?

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

what is this fucking favouritism PAP pork barrel politics? How can a public hospital sign a memorandum of understanding with only the Nee Soon GRC to provide up to 5000 subsidized eye checkups for those residents in that constituency. If KTP Hospital is going to subsidize these eye checkups, shouldn't they be made available to ALL singaporeans who want it? After all, its a public hospital. I mean to send an opthamalogical team with all their equipment out to the community centres twice a year should cost more than $6 per person. No? If the normal eye check up fee is $6, and they KTP hospital is willing to charge only $3 for Nee Soon residents, shouldn't they also charge $3 for all residents of singapore? And where is the $3 kicked in by Nee Soon GRC coming from? The GRC is so wealthy they can afford to kick in $3 as subsidy? How do the residents feel about their conservancy fees being used in this way as opposed to cleaning and other maintenance work?

Smells like a pre-election play to me. Probably the PAP have identified Nee Soon GRC as an at risk GRC that could be lost to the oppo as the next election. as a result, they come up with this garner support from the elderly residents. They deliberately say the deal is good until 2019, so that these residents will continue to vote PAP to keep this benefit? Sound about right? Why don't WP ask the parliament why they can't get this goodie for Aljunied GRC residents?

SINGAPORE — About 5,000 residents in Nee Soon GRC will benefit from subsidised eye screening from now till 2019 under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Nee Soon GRC today (Oct 19).

The screening, to be held twice a year in community centres in the GRC, is aimed at those above the age of 50 and are not seeing a doctor for pre-existing eye conditions. Half of the $6 nominal fee will be subsidised by the GRC.

The residents will be checked for primarily for Age-related Maculat Degeneration (AMD), the third most common cause of blindness for people aged above 60 in Singapore, as well as conditions such as cataract and glaucoma.

“Eye care is usually not prescribed as part of a health screening package, and we hope that through this initiative, more people will become aware of the importance of preventative eye screening, especially when our population is ageing,” said Dr Yip Chee Chee, head and senior consultant at the hospital’s Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department.


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