Day one of the Budget wayang in session kicked off with this figure of $3.6 billion allocated for the Wage Credit Scheme, which has the present Government co-paying 40 percent of wage increases for Singaporean workers for the next 3 years. Forget for a moment how much of this amount will actually trickle down to benefit the bottom feeders, and that the next general election is conveniently 3 years away.
The estimates for pregnancy and delivery of a child ranges from a low of $4,000 to a high of $20,000. The VIP maternity package at Gleneagles Hospital’s new Tanglin Suite is priced at $12,998 for normal delivery (2 days) or $16,988 for Caesarean delivery (3 days). In 2012 1,739 babies were delivered at Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) with a 90th percentile bill size of $4,197 for an average stay of 1.9 days (Straightforward vaginal delivery no complications). Assuming a round number of $10,000 per baby brought into the world, $3.6 billion will easily pay for the birth of 360,000 babies.
So why didn't the good doctor who tells us he served national service by "saving lives of babies" propose free deliveries at public hospitals?
Instead Puthucheary, son of the Dominic Puthucheary rounded up in the treacherous Operation Cold Store of 2 February 1963, suggested commuters travel for free during off-peak hours. Apparently that's what they tried in Melbourne in 2008, letting passengers who arrive at their destination by 7 a.m., Mondays through Fridays, travel free. Not sure if the transport situation there is the same, but in Australia, babies delivered at public hospitals are still free of charge. You pay only if you opt for private.
Transport experts say dangling free travel may not have a significant impact in alleviating congestion. Lest we forget, the congestion came about when foreigners were brought in en masse supposedly to address the pathetic birthrate of Singapore babies. Instead of beating about the bush, these nattering nabobs of self-servitude should focus on rebuilding the Singapore core the right way.
The estimates for pregnancy and delivery of a child ranges from a low of $4,000 to a high of $20,000. The VIP maternity package at Gleneagles Hospital’s new Tanglin Suite is priced at $12,998 for normal delivery (2 days) or $16,988 for Caesarean delivery (3 days). In 2012 1,739 babies were delivered at Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) with a 90th percentile bill size of $4,197 for an average stay of 1.9 days (Straightforward vaginal delivery no complications). Assuming a round number of $10,000 per baby brought into the world, $3.6 billion will easily pay for the birth of 360,000 babies.
So why didn't the good doctor who tells us he served national service by "saving lives of babies" propose free deliveries at public hospitals?
Instead Puthucheary, son of the Dominic Puthucheary rounded up in the treacherous Operation Cold Store of 2 February 1963, suggested commuters travel for free during off-peak hours. Apparently that's what they tried in Melbourne in 2008, letting passengers who arrive at their destination by 7 a.m., Mondays through Fridays, travel free. Not sure if the transport situation there is the same, but in Australia, babies delivered at public hospitals are still free of charge. You pay only if you opt for private.
Transport experts say dangling free travel may not have a significant impact in alleviating congestion. Lest we forget, the congestion came about when foreigners were brought in en masse supposedly to address the pathetic birthrate of Singapore babies. Instead of beating about the bush, these nattering nabobs of self-servitude should focus on rebuilding the Singapore core the right way.