Clarification by Minister for Health

The following statements were made in the speech by the Minister for Health (Mr Ong Ye Kung) during the debate on the Motion “Supporting Healthcare” at the Sitting of 10 May 2023:

The Minister for Health (Mr Ong Ye Kung): I explained in this House before, I think it was during the White Paper debate on COVID-19, that the main reason for the crunch is that within a very short span of two years, you suddenly see average length of stay going up significantly. It used to be six days. Now, it is 7.1 days. [Please refer to "Supporting Healthcare", Official Report, 10 May 2023, Vol 95, Issue 104, Motions section.]

Written Statement by Mr Ong Ye Kung circulated with leave of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Order No 29(5):

I wish to make the following factual correction to the speech made during the debate on the Motion “Supporting Healthcare” at the Sitting of 10 May 2023. It should read as follows:

The Minister for Health (Mr Ong Ye Kung): I explained in this House before, I think it was during the White Paper debate on COVID-19, that the main reason for the crunch is that within a very short span of two years, you suddenly see average length of stay going up significantly. It used to be 6.1 days in 2019, and it has increased to 7.0 days in 2022.