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Synopsis :

In this forum, Dr Gwee Ah Leng of the General Hospital, Dr Maggie Lim, Senior Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child Health Services and President of the Singapore Family Planning Association and school teacher Mr Francis Thomas discuss whether there is an urgent need for family planning in Singapore. Dr Lim and Mr Thomas say that the adverse effects of having too many children on the mother's health and the social suffering of women burdened with caring for them warrant family planning. They see an urgent need to cut down the present rate of population growth. Dr Gwee feels however, that the need for family planning is not urgent. He argues that family planning is associated with birth control and having less children. To a childless couple, it can refer to conceiving and having a child. He says that although Singapore's 3% rate of population growth is one of the highest in the world, an increase in population will not mean that people will have a poorer standard of living. He thinks that Singapore has the physical and economic space to accomodate more people and can  boost its present 1.7 million population by three or four times.