Forum: Can polyclinics open 24 hours to take the load off A&E departments?
I agree that the accident and emergency (A&E) departments in public hospitals should attend only to those who need urgent care (Why are we still rushing to hospitals when it is not an emergency?, Jan 17).
The commentary suggested various reasons for the trend, such as patients being unable to assess the seriousness of their condition and hospitals having more facilities compared with general practitioner clinics, not all of which open 24 hours.
I would like to suggest that suitable polyclinics could function as 24-hour satellite A&E units and charge less than hospitals. General practitioner clinics with basic testing and X-ray facilities could also be appointed to operate 24-hour services.
Lim Chong Leong
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