By Tania Tan

MORE local training is needed to plump up the pool of physiotherapists here to better cope with Singapore's greying population.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday said that his ministry was already in talks with universities to offer physiotherapy degrees here.

But no immediate plans have been made and the decision to offer courses here would ultimately lie with the institutes, he said.

'It's up to the universities to decide when they are ready to offer (the degrees),' said Mr Khaw.

Most physiotherapists are trained overseas on scholarships offered by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

'There's a limit to the number we can send overseas,' he added. This would make local training the best solution.

Nanyang Polytechnic is currently the only institution here to formally train physiotherapists.

Now, one physiotherapist is shared by about 9,000 people here - a far cry from the ratio of 1 to 2,000 in Australia.

Mr Khaw was speaking at a break fast event in Sembawang, where he is also an MP.

He sat with some 300 Muslims who ended their day of fasting by feasting on traditional Malay goodies like pastries and cakes. Chinese residents were also there, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with paper lanterns and halal mooncakes.

When asked about a recent spate of errant doctors who issued false prescriptions, Mr Khaw said that 'by and large, most doctors here are ethical'.

The medical community came under fire last week after news surfaced of doctors being investigated for prescribing sleeping pills too freely.

The MOH will investigate complaints on a case-by-case basis. 'We will not go on a witch hunt,' said Mr Khaw.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on September 15, 2008.

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