A penalty for having more children?

A penalty for having more children?
TODAYonline • April 3, 2007
Letter from See Lay Keng
I am due to deliver my fourth child in a few weeks' time. Friends and relatives who have
heard about my pregnancy have congratulated me and my husband for helping to up the
national birth rate despite the impending Goods and Services Tax hike.
We enjoy raising our children and thus do not mind having more if we can afford it. We are
not well-to-do but with a little sacrifice and belt-tightening, we can still enjoy family
life with the new addition.
I was shocked recently when I checked with KK Hospital about the admission and
hospitalisation charges for the delivery of my fourth child. If I book a B1 ward, the
estimated bill size for the fourth child is $2,840, while that of the first to third child
is $2,210. As the Medisave claimable is fixed in all cases, I am expected to pay an initial
cash payment of $1,140 for the coming delivery, instead of $510 for the first to third
child. The difference is a significant sum.
I was told that the charges by the doctor for the fourth birth is about double that of the
first to third births. For example, for a normal delivery, an associate consultant will
charge $1,057.80 for a fourth child but will charge $456.80 for the first to third child.
I am bewildered. Am I being penalised for having more children? I thought with our low
national birth rate, the government is trying desperately to encourage all those who can to
have more children. Or is this an old policy that has not been changed to reflect the
current situation? Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/181132.asp