THE recent move to draw up a master plan for disability services is certainly heart-warming. I would like to share my past experience while helping a chronically-sick 38-year-old widow who was on Bipap (ventilator support), and hospitalised in a restructured hospital during the past few years.

This patient was caught in a most unfortunate situation. Nursing homes are not able to manage Bipap cases. By staying in the restructured hospital, she deprived others of acute care. She did not qualify for inpatient hospice care either.

Fortunately, she was weaned off the ventilator a few months ago and is now looked after by a nursing home. This is not an isolated case where the patient is "out-of-place".

I reckon there is a gap - the lack of a special home for the chronic sick. While helping the disabled, the government should also give the chronic sick a special home where they can live and die with dignity.

Lee Soh Hong (Miss)