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The need for stronger support comes as the Ministry of Health pushes for more patient care to move upstream into the community, with family doctors taking on a bigger role.<\/span><\/p>\n The ministry also aims to reduce pressure on polyclinics, which Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has said cannot cope alone with growing demand from patients with complex chronic diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n But while the burden on polyclinics may ease, GPs said the strain is being transferred to smaller clinics like theirs.<\/span><\/p>\n Dr Vincent Tok of Shalom Medical Clinic, located in Bras Basah Complex, said many clinics are having trouble keeping up with the growing workload using their existing manpower.<\/span><\/p>\n The clinic has seen a 10 to 15 per cent rise in the number of chronic disease and preventive care cases.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRight now, most clinics are struggling with the doctor and the clinic assistants that they had earlier, but that load is getting too heavy to bear,\u201d said Dr Tok.<\/span><\/p>\n He added that if clinics have to increase their level of care, not only will its staff have to take on more responsibilities, but costs will also rise.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause obviously, while we try to help patients as much as we can financially, sometimes we reduce fees or we waive fees,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cObviously that cannot be a mass model, and that’s where we need the government’s help with the fair remuneration for the additional services and costs that we’re now being asked to provide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Last year, the government increased its grants for family clinics by 52 per cent to S$350 million (US$273 million), up from S$230 million in 2022. This works out to an average of more than S$140,000 per clinic.<\/span><\/p>\n Still, Dr Tok said more support is needed as operating costs continue to rise. For his clinic, costs have increased by at least 20 per cent over the past year.<\/span><\/p>\n