MANY young medical specialists are interested in research but few take it on, prompting Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan to call on hospitals last week to give such doctor-scientists more support.
Dr Tan Min Han, 33, a young specialist with the National Cancer Centre of Singapore, estimated that, while up to 70 per cent of his peers are keen to do research, 'only about 2 to 3 per cent actually do it'.
He outlined the problems faced by doctors entering research: Lack of track record diminishes their chances of getting funding support; they need to justify taking time off from seeing patients to spend hours in a lab; and paperwork on research adds to their long hours.
The most established doctors doing research here said it is not just difficultto break into such work, it is even harder to stay engaged in the long term.
Professor Soo Khee Chee, winner of the National Medical Excellence Award for being an outstanding mentor to doctors, told The Straits Times more needs to be done to promoteup-and-coming doctors in research.
He said, for example, that work on building endowment funds for young doctor-researchers, was only just starting.
Finding the right candidate is another challenge.
Associate Professor Chong Siow Ann, chairman of research at the Institute of Mental Health, said finding doctors with the right qualifications, experience and inclination is not easy.
'The truth is, research cannot be done by everyone... So we must identify those who have it in them to do high quality research and to protect, nurture and reward them,' he said.
Associate Professor Lee Wei Ling, director of the National Neuroscience Institute, said more funding needs to be channelled to local doctors.
'Research ideas which are relevant, particularly to Singapore patients, come from our local doctors treating these patients. Ironically, these clinical researchers feel they are the lowest priority of most funding agencies in Singapore,' she said.
Last Wednesday, Mr Khaw called on hospitals to review their corporate mission and manage talent better.
'We should maximise our returns through better coordination and integration... We must not waste resources through silly duplication. Our researchers and clinicians must cooperate with one another and share common facilities,' he said.
Hospital clusters SingHealth and National Healthcare Group (NHG), which oversee different public hospitals here, said much was being done to encourage research, ranging from the provision of labs and facilities to giving doctors time out for such work.
SingHealth group chief executive officer Tan Ser Kiat said the Singapore General Hospital Pathology Building, targeted for completion in 2010, will increase its capacity for laboratory services by 50 per cent.
There are currently 60 labs and 300 staff doing research in the Outram campus.
'It will consolidate several laboratory service sites in one location to improve turnaround times and service delivery to benefit patients,' said ProfTan.
NHG deputy chief project officer Eugene Soh said that, by mid-year, it will have set up the NHG Investigator-Clinician Research Career Track for doctors who want to spend up up to 80 per cent of their time in research.
'We aspire to have over 30 of them in the next five years,' he said.<p>Last year, it set up a similar programme, the Clinician Leadership in Research Scheme, which took in 22 doctors.
Added Dr Soh: 'We must govern research activity to ensure safe, high-quality research. We need to build trust with patients for them to be involved in research.'
skesava@sph.com.sg
