Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Tracking the Time Between a Prison Inmate Lodging a Medical Complaint and Receiving Medical Attention

Question:

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry systematically tracks the time between (i) a prison inmate lodging a medical complaint and receiving medical attention and (ii) an inmate seeking emergency medical attention and receiving such attention; and (b) what procedures are in place to ensure that inmates who seek medical attention and emergency medical attention get attended to promptly.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1.   The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) works with its medical service provider to attend to inmates' medical needs. There are daily in-house clinics on weekdays, and the prison doctor will attend to inmates who report sick. After office hours, on weekends and on public holidays, nurses and an on-call doctor are available.

2.   Inmates may also alert any prison officer at any time if they are feeling unwell, and they will be referred to medical staff for examination. While awaiting the arrival of medical personnel, inmates may also receive first aid and other medical attention from prison officers who are trained to provide such assistance. Inmates can raise with prison officers, if they have any issue with the medical help they are seeking.

3.   SPS tracks the medical service provider's response time, for medical emergencies.