Singapore’s health minister ‘dismayed’ at GP clinic with US$40,000 rental bid

Singapore’s health chief Ong Ye Kung has expressed dismay at a local healthcare firm’s record rental bid of more than S$52,000 (US$40,300) per month for a clinic space in a public housing estate.

I-Health Medical Holdings’ bid for the unit – which has a monthly rent of S$52,188 – in Tampines has sparked public debate about rental and healthcare costs in the city state.

In a Facebook post late on Wednesday, Ong said he was “dismayed” at the costly bid that was likely to result in higher healthcare expenses and “negate” the Ministry of Health’s attempts to keep services affordable.

“More importantly, higher rental bids do not necessarily translate to the best healthcare that the community needs,” Ong said.

Andrew Chim, co-owner of I-Health, earlier clarified that the bid was driven by the location’s appeal. The unit is located in an area where five Build-To-Order public housing estates are being developed, which will accommodate about 5,000 households. Additionally, there are plans for future developments, including a shopping centre.

Chim, 37, told the government-owned The Straits Times on Tuesday that these factors made the space the most appealing option among recent public housing units for general practitioner clinics.