Top 10 Medical Consumables Used in Private and Public Hospitals and Affordability

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Health (a) what are the top 10 medical consumables used in private and public hospitals; (b) what are the differences in median prices for such consumables between private and public hospitals; and (c) how are medical consumables sourced and priced in public hospitals to ensure that healthcare remains affordable and accessible to all.

The top 10 medical consumables by volume used in public hospitals, excluding personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies are: (a) alcohol swabs; (b) body wipes; (c) ear thermometer probe covers; (d) medicine cups; (e) kidney dishes; (f) gauze swabs; (g) swab sticks; (h) cotton wool balls; (i) adult diapers; and (j) hypodermic needles.

All of these consumables have unit cost of less than a dollar, with most having unit cost less than 10 cents. In general, MOH does not determine the prices of consumables charged by public and private hospitals. To improve transparency for patients, MOH publishes on its website bill size information of public and private hospitals. This allows patients to make comparisons on bill sizes so that they can make informed choices on where to seek medical attention.

To continue to keep the cost of medical consumables low, MOH ensures that the demand of public hospitals is consolidated to achieve economies of scale and that the consumables are procured through an open and competitive tendering process.