Gan Kim Yong
Singapore
“Consumer complaints relating to the secondary resale market for tickets to major events and concerts have generally remained low. Nonetheless, to protect the public from scams on secondary ticket resale platforms, the Police have imposed Code of Practice requirements under the Online Criminal Harms Act to require designated online service…”
“Singapore does not condone the use of forced labour. We criminalise forced labour in Singapore under various laws. Relevant Government Ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore Police Force, play their part in investigating complaints of suspected breaches in domestic laws that relat…”
“The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) discontinued the PayNow nickname feature as scammers had been exploiting the use of nicknames to impersonate legitimate entities and trusted individuals.”
“As of end-2025, around 6,900 private residential buildings have registered their solar installations with SP Group for the export of excess solar-generated electricity to the grid. The installed solar capacity of these residential buildings is 115.3 megawatt-peak (MWp), or around 5.5% of all current installed solar capacity in Singapore.”
“The one-year pilot extension of liquor trading hours has seen strong interest from businesses. As of 31 May 2026, the Police have approved 88 applications for the extension of liquor trading hours from public entertainment outlets in these areas.”
“The Government does not make projections of domestic or regional demand for renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel. Demand depends on commercial considerations, evolving market conditions and regulatory developments across different jurisdictions.”
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“Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are often referred to as electronic vaporisers (e-vaporisers), e-cigarettes or vapes. It is an offence under the Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Amendment Act (TCASA) 2017 to sell, use, possess for sale, import or distribute imitation tobacco products. This includes ENDS and Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs). The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) works closely with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to interdict ENDs and HTPs at the checkpoints. ICA staff are trained to identify prohibited tobacco products and there is a joint ICA-HSA standard operating procedure (SOP) on the handling of such smuggling cases. HSA enforcement officers also conduct active surveillance and work closely with online purchasing platforms, including Carousell, Instagram, Lazada and Shopee, to address the illegal sales of ENDS and HTPs. In 2020, more than 2,000 postings were removed. Research by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) among youths in 2019 found that more than 70% of respondents were unaware that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, carcinogens and fine particles. Leveraging these insights, HPB developed a public education campaign in 2019 to create awareness and understanding on the health harms of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). Targeted at youths aged 18 to 25 years old and parents with teenage children, the campaign's objective was to raise awareness of the harmful ingredients found in e-cigarettes, including benzene and formaldehyde which are known carcinogens. Information on the negative effects of vaping is also available on HealthHub.”
“The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination approve vaccines for use in Singapore based on the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccines. Each vaccination centre will only administer one type of vaccine at any time. Individuals may select their preferred vaccination centre when making their appointment via the booking system, subject to availability of appointment slots. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which are currently the only COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorised by HSA for use in Singapore, did not use abortion-derived cell lines in their production and development. We have not been notified of any concerns regarding the use of the vaccines by any religious bodies or authorities in Singapore. We encourage all Singaporeans and long-term residents who are medically eligible to come forward for vaccination when your turn comes, so that as a society, we can keep each other safe from the disease.”
“As more vaccine stocks arrive, we will continue to expand our vaccination programme to more segments of the population, so that all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore will have the chance to be vaccinated by end-2021.”
“Whilst Singapore continues to make steady progress on our vaccination programme, our supply of vaccines is limited by the ability of the vaccine manufacturers to deliver given the high levels of global demand. As such, we have had to prioritise vaccines, starting with our healthcare workers and those involved in COVID-19 operations. Protecting our vulnerable seniors, who are most likely to be severely affected by COVID-19, continues to be a key priority. Vaccinations for seniors aged 70 years and above and those aged 60 to 69 commenced in February and March respectively. We have also just commenced the vaccination for those aged 45 to 59 years. The Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination had also recommended to prioritise frontline workers at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 infection, such as those in the aviation and maritime sectors, as well as those who are of critical importance to the functioning of Singapore. This includes personnel involved in safeguarding our borders and maintaining law and order, and those ensuring that utilities such as water, energy and telecommunications services are not disrupted. Selected workers who ensure the supply of essential food and household items, such as those involved in the frontline operations of handling, processing and managing our importation and distribution of food supplies and stockpiles, have been included within this pool. As is the case for other organisations/sectors providing essential services, only a proportion of workers employed within the food sector will be prioritised to ensure the continuity of essential services, due to the constraints on vaccine supply.”
“Seniors who require services or caregiving support may call the Agency for Integrated Care's (AIC) hotline or approach a nearby AIC Link for further assistance.”
“The Ministry of Health works with our partners to put in place various programmes and services to enable seniors with different care needs to age well in the community, regardless of their housing type. To ensure that seniors remain connected with the community, the Silver Generation Office, eldercare centres, and befriending services regularly reach out to seniors to check on their wellbeing. Seniors can also subscribe to CareLine, a 24/7 telephone service, for personal care support. These outreach channels will help to identify and refer seniors with care needs to appropriate care services. These care services include home-based care and centre-based care. For instance, seniors can engage in activities such as exercises, music therapy and handicraft sessions at day care, or attend centre-based rehabilitation sessions. Transport services to and from these centres are also available. Homebound seniors can also receive home-based medical, nursing and personal care services or have meals delivered to them if needed. Seniors with significant mobility difficulties can also access medical escort and transport services to help them with their medical appointments. They may also enrol in the Integrated Home and Day Care programme, which offers a combination of home and centre-based care services. Eligible seniors may receive up to 80% subsidies for these home and centre-based services. The Government also has other programmes to support care in the community. For example, the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) provides a monthly $200 cash grant to eligible individuals with permanent moderate disability to defray the cost of care-giving. Eligible seniors can also apply for the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund to offset the cost of assistive devices and home healthcare items.”
“To date, the RDF committee has received applications from eight patients and only one application was not supported as the cost of treatment was assessed to be within the family’s means. Groups like the Rare Disorders Society (Singapore) (RDSS) and Rainbow Across Borders (RAB) have been helpful in raising awareness and providing support to patients with rare diseases. The RDSS and the RDF have collaborated in raising awareness about rare diseases as well as in fundraising. As our population is small, the number of patients with rare diseases is correspondingly lower than most countries. Our public healthcare institutions diagnose or treat most patients with rare diseases and are therefore able to monitor the prevalence, condition, and support provided to the patients. Due to patient confidentiality and the number of patients is small, this information is not published. Nevertheless, it continues to be important that public awareness for rare diseases is raised, and the Government will continue to do so through the RDF and with interest groups like the RDSS and RAB. As the RDF can only support patients according to the funds it has available, we encourage Singaporeans to take an interest and contribute generously to supporting those in need.”
“Often diagnosed in childhood, most rare diseases are genetic in origin. Many rare diseases do not have treatment available and patients have shorter lifespans as a result. For some rare diseases where effective treatments are available, medicines can substantially extend their life expectancies and improve their quality of life. In 2019, the Rare Disease Fund (RDF) was established to support Singapore Citizens suffering from rare genetic diseases where medication is very costly and required for life. The fund is sustained through a combination of society’s contributions and the Government’s 3:1 co-matching of funds raised. Medications can be considered for coverage when there is clear evidence that they are clinically effective. When there are sufficient funds to generate the income needed to fund the pay-outs to the beneficiaries, more medications can be added to RDF’s support list, and more patients can be assisted. Singaporeans undergoing treatment at public healthcare institutions can apply for assistance through medical social workers for medicines that are covered by the RDF’s support. Each RDF application is carefully assessed by an independent RDF Committee comprising members with diverse backgrounds from the community sector, private corporations, and healthcare. They consider various factors such as whether the patient is clinically eligible and therefore likely to benefit from the treatment, the family’s ability to afford the treatment either in part or in whole, as well as any extenuating circumstances faced by the patient and family. Beneficiaries are also expected to make a co-payment commensurate with the family’s means.”
“MOH and HPB have formed a new workgroup to first focus on the Malay-Muslim community, before expanding our efforts to other ethnic minority groups, to design culturally relevant programmes and help rally the Malay-Muslim community against poor health habits. This will entail the co-creation and implementation of year-round healthy living activities in the Malay community with the overall aim to help improve the health and well-being. HPB also works with likeminded partners and key stakeholders such as the Singapore Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Foundation and Regional Health Systems to improve awareness of screening and increase screening uptake for cancers especially during the cancer awareness months. This is done by organising specific campaigns and activities to educate the public on the importance of regular health screening and follow-up. We welcome suggestions from the public on how to further improve the health aspect including screening uptake amongst Singaporeans.”
“MOH and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) encourages Singapore residents to go for regular health screening and follow-up. The Screen for Life (SFL) programme provides subsidies for chronic disease and cancer screening at CHAS GP clinics. These include screening for conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer. The SFL subsidies were enhanced in September 2017. Under the SFL programme, Singaporeans will pay not more than $5 for the screening tests, screening visit consultation and first follow-up consultation if required. Between September 2017 and December 2020, over 100,000 individuals have benefitted from the enhanced SFL subsidies. Of these, about 86% were Chinese, 7% were Malays, and 4% were Indians. About half are eligible for CHAS Blue and Orange, who would have access to the lower SFL co-payment of $2. Of those screened for cardiovascular risk, around 40% had abnormal screening results and their follow-up rates have improved from 56% in 2016 to over 85% in 2020 since the enhancement of the subsidies in 2017. We recognise that cultural preferences may influence health behaviours, and we have designed tailored, culturally relevant programmes with our community partners to deepen engagement with the various ethnic minority groups. For example, discussions on the importance of health screening and medication adherence have been held at places of worship to assist the Indian community address misconceptions that could prevent them from coming forward for health screening.”
“All nurses registered with the Singapore Nursing Board must hold a valid Practising Certificate to practice. Nurses who have not practised for a continuous period of five years or more will need to attend a refresher course under the Return-to-Nursing (RTN) programme to ease them back into their roles. From 2016 to 2020, there were about 380 local Registered Nurses (RNs) per year who had stopped practising for a continuous period of five years. Based on survey data from our public healthcare institutions, the main reason for local RNs leaving the public healthcare sector is because of family commitments. We do not collect specific data on how many of these nurses are still working in non-nursing fields in our healthcare institutions. We welcome non-practising nurses to return to nursing practice. To facilitate this, we have enhanced the RTN scheme over the years. Through a Place-and-Train format, returning nurses first secure employment before commencing the refresher course so that there is more certainty in employment and they receive a monthly salary during their training. For locals, this course is fully funded by employers and the Government. Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak last year, a shorter programme was introduced to encourage more non-practising nurses to return to nursing practice. In the past year, about 40 RNs have been trained through the programme.”
“We have been releasing information on the progress of our vaccination programme over the past few weeks, including the number of people vaccinated, through a variety of channels, including the MOH website.”
“Perhaps I can just give a very quick answer. First, we take into account all the costs that healthcare institutions incurred, because someone has to pay for these costs – whether it is the Government, whether it is the patient, whether it is the institution. So, we have to cost them fully. Having costed them fully, the Government then provides subvention to cover the bulk of the cost of operation and the cost of investment in the building of the infrastructure. On top of that, we provide subvention for the patients when they go and see the doctors or they receive treatment at these healthcare institutions. So, yes, we account for the cost of the building and the delivery of services. But at the same time, we provide subvention and subsidies for the patients and for the institutions' operations.”
“Thank you, Mr Chairman. Let me just add on to what Senior Minister of State Janil has explained. Mental wellness is quite a complex issue. And, very often, is not just a medical issue. Therefore, very often, when we want to address challenges of mental well-being, it will have to go beyond MOH. That is why we are forming a multi-agency platform to allow the various agencies including MSF, and including MOM to look at the workplace mental well-being; and including MOE to start from young. So, it is a multi-pronged approach and it requires a whole-of-society involvement in this, particularly in preventive mental health. Because it requires a lot of support in the community to work with us, work with various Ministries and agencies, so that, together, we can better address the challenges of mental well-being and help our Singaporeans, particularly, the young, to be better prepared for the challenges that they are going to see, so that we can strengthen their resilience against mental challenges.”
“They are our most precious resource, and we will continue to provide them with better progression, more training opportunities, and greater recognition of the work and risks they undertake. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will elaborate on this. To conclude, as Prime Minister Lee said, it has been a year of uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. Many of us would have emerged slightly different from how we first entered. A little more tired, more stretched, perhaps a little tougher and, I hope, a little wiser. Partner with us as we journey forward and as we transform our healthcare system to be future-ready. Let us work together and help all Singaporeans to stay healthy, and live well, every day of your life. [Applause.]”
“Minister Masagos will share our thinking on improving Child and Maternal Health, how to better support our children and their families, and to bring agencies together to co-deliver services and solutions for better outcomes. Our care transformation journey will continue. As we plan for our future health system, we will study how we can develop a longitudinal system of care services and programmes, to journey with you and design programmes with a life-course approach, taking care of each Singaporean from birth and throughout their life. The National Healthcare Group has, in fact, developed a River of Life framework to test this approach. As staying well often involves not just health but also social and other factors, we will also explore how we can pull in resources across agencies and service providers to support your overall well-being. SingHealth, for example, has started trials to prescribe not just drugs but also social programmes, such as diet, exercise and social activities. Dr Tan Wu Meng will be happy to know that they too have care coordinators to help guide their senior patients. Finally, the built environment also plays a key role in nudging our choices. Therefore, the built environment should be designed to promote healthy living and digital tools can also be used. NUHS, the National University Health System, is working on this with the various agencies. We will share more on these efforts at a later stage. Anchoring all these transformation efforts are our healthcare staff who will continue to play a central role in our future health system, much like how they have been at the forefront line in our battle against COVID-19. We are blessed with a very dedicated, driven and professional team.”
“Currently, they are treated as private patients at the SOCs. Next, we will align the means-testing basis in the acute hospitals to per capita household income which is more reflective of patients’ means, similar to the basis used for most healthcare schemes, rather than rely on personal income of the patient today. Lastly, we will also enhance subsidies at community hospitals, to keep them more affordable and facilitate the flow of patients from acute hospitals. Taken together, these moves will ensure more targeted use of our healthcare resources, stretch our healthcare dollars, and encourage appropriate care. Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will go into greater detail in his speech. In the longer term, the best way to manage healthcare costs is through our third thrust – staying healthy. We encourage all Singaporeans, young and old, to partner us on this journey: attend your recommended health screenings regularly, go for vaccination, and adopt healthy living habits. I encourage all to also continue the good fight to win our on-going War on Diabetes and keep chronic conditions at bay. Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu will share more on this, as well as our other health promotion efforts. Earlier I talked about the three key thrusts, better care, stretching your dollar, and staying healthy. These are not isolated initiatives. All our policy and measures work together to take care of the health of every Singaporean, starting from birth and throughout their life journey, keeping them as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. The best place to start is right at the beginning.”
“Further, the proportions of those with acceptable control of their medical conditions are close to the national averages. Nonetheless, we must continue to support them to improve health outcomes and we will need to start from young, which I will talk about in a short while. Through enhancing our healthcare financing system over the years, we have kept healthcare affordable, especially for the lower income patients. In fact, the lowest income quintile’s share of total subsidies was 37% in 2018, the highest across all income quintiles. Our healthcare financing framework is a progressive one, overall. Further, the amount of subsidies received per household for the lowest income quintile has increased by over 70% from 2013 to 2018. Overall, government spending on healthcare has grown year after year and is likely to continue to increase. But as Dr Tan Yia Swam mentioned, and I quote, "government subsidy is a finite thing". That is why we have to be prudent in how we allocate limited resources, to ensure that the support we provide is more targeted to benefit those with greater need. This is our third effort – to better target subsidies, such that those with less will receive more, healthcare is kept affordable for all, and patients can be cared for at the most appropriate facilities. We have recently enhanced the subsidies for low-income patients at the public Specialist Outpatient Clinics or SOCs. We will further adjust subsidies at the SOCs by introducing two new tiers of 30% and 40% subsidy for higher income patients. This will enable more subsidies to be channelled to those in greater need. With more targeted subsidies at the SOCs, we can now allow private patients discharged from our acute hospitals to choose subsidised follow-up care at the SOCs.”
“The Agency for Logistics Procurement and Supply, or ALPS for short, has also achieved cost savings of about $180 million in two years by driving economies of scale through group procurement. Even with our best efforts, we will still be spending more on healthcare over time, given an ageing population and increasing consumption of healthcare services. The Government continues to bear a significant and growing share of the National Health Expenditure, from 40% in 2013 to 46% in 2018. We want all Singaporeans to be healthy and have access to good and affordable care. We pay particular attention to lower income households, as Mr Leon Perera highlighted, and provide them with additional support to ensure healthcare, including preventive health, remains affordable and accessible to them, and they can improve their health outcomes. Health outcomes are influenced by multiple factors, including social, biological, cultural preferences and environmental factors, in addition to Social Economic Status, or SES. Local studies showed that adults with lower SES do have differences in chronic disease prevalence. We have been publishing health data regularly. More data has been collected in the last two years including breakdown by education level as a proxy for SES, and this data will be published later this year. We will continue to refine the data we publish. From local studies, we also know that adults with lower SES do have good access to care and are able to control their health conditions well. Again, using educational attainment as a proxy for SES, among persons diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension and high blood cholesterol, over 90% of those with below Secondary school education had visited their doctor for their condition at least once in the preceding year.”
“Dr Tan Yia Swam asked about Integrated Shield Plans (IPs), and I agree with Dr Tan that we can all benefit from more information-sharing and a better understanding of insurance products. Towards this objective, MOH has facilitated several engagement sessions with insurance providers and professional bodies to foster a better understanding of the parties’ concerns. Dr Tan herself was present at these sessions and we benefited significantly from her contributions. We have resolved some issues – not all – but discussions are still on-going. An important progress we have achieved is the establishment of a multilateral platform comprising Life Insurance Association, Academy of Medicine, Singapore and the Singapore Medical Association. This platform will allow discussions to resolve issues of common concern. We are also setting up a claims management mechanism to facilitate resolution of claims-related matters. Our common objective is to ensure patient care is not compromised and allow patients adequate choice, while ensuring that fees and claims remain reasonable. I am confident that with this common understanding, we can find workable solutions that will benefit all parties, insurers, doctors, as well as patients. Ms Hazel Poa asked about whether IPs can be made fully portable. As IPs are commercial products, their features and pricing are ultimately determined by private insurers. But what is important is that all Singaporeans are covered under MediShield Life, regardless of their medical conditions. Second, we will continue to improve the healthcare system’s cost effectiveness and efficiency. As Minister Lawrence Wong mentioned, the Agency for Care Effectiveness has enabled us to save $300 million since 2016 and benefited over 375,000 patients.”
“Beyond Hospital to Community, to provide better care closer to home; Beyond Quality to Value, to help Singaporeans stretch their dollar; and Beyond Healthcare to Health, to help Singaporeans stay healthy. We will continue to anchor care in the community by strengthening primary care. We will be building 12 new polyclinics, bringing the total to 32 by 2030. The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) has been expanded recently to allow more Singaporeans to receive subsidised care from private GPs, who are our key partners in primary care. 3.30 pm We are also expanding community care, especially for our seniors. We have expanded the Community Nursing teams to cover 29 regions across Singapore since September 2020, with a total of 185 Community Nursing Posts to make care more accessible to our seniors. We will add new Community Nursing Posts where needed. Our second thrust is to stretch your health dollar. Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Leong Mun Wai asked about how we manage healthcare costs. We keep care affordable and sustainable through a multi-pronged approach. First, we leverage risk pooling. Insurance plays a useful role in helping us stretch our resources through pooling, so that those who are ill can tap into the pool to pay for the healthcare services they need. That is why we introduced MediShield Life. But insurance has an inherent risk of over-consumption. This is because of OPM syndrome. What is OPM? Other People's Money. Because through insurance, we are pooling resources and we are tapping on other people’s money in the pool to pay for our healthcare services. So, we need safeguards to encourage prudence when deciding on healthcare services.”
“Over 40,000 seniors aged 70 and above have received their first dose. We will soon begin the vaccination of seniors aged 60 and above. Mr Chairman, allow me to say a few words in Mandarin please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Seniors are most at risk of severe outcomes if they are infected with COVID-19. Therefore, we have prioritised seniors in our vaccination programme. The vaccines approved for use in Singapore must meet stringent safety and efficacy standards. I urge Singaporeans to get vaccinated. Some Singaporeans with chronic diseases are worried about being vaccinated. Do not worry, because we will arrange for healthcare professionals on site to assess if you can be vaccinated safely. In fact, most people can be vaccinated safely, including those with diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, asthma, chronic lung disease, heart disease and cancer patients in remission. Hence, I encourage Singaporeans with these conditions to register for vaccination as soon as they are invited. (In English): Let me emphasise that only COVID-19 vaccines that meet strict standards of safety and effectiveness will be used in Singapore for our Singapore Residents. We will monitor the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and adjust our measures accordingly. We will also continue to strengthen our defences for future health system crises, such as Disease X. Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will share more. Even as we mobilise the nation to fight COVID-19, we have to remain focused on long-term issues. Members may recall our Three Beyonds to meet our challenges in the future.”
“Mr Chairman, I would like to thank Members for their speeches and their remarks. Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Ang Wei Neng asked about the COVID-19 situation. Let me provide a brief overview. Globally, the number of new cases and deaths continue to trend down, although there was a spike in the last week of February. So, we need to watch. Within Singapore, the COVID-19 situation has stabilised, with one or two new community cases on some days. Imported cases are isolated on arrival and the risk of transmission to the community is low. However, the World Health Organization has just warned that we need to stay vigilant as the pandemic is not likely to be over within this year. I want to thank everyone – Singaporeans, healthcare workers, businessmen, businesses, enterprises, Government agencies – for playing your part this past year. Your sacrifices have helped Singapore weather this storm. Mr Ang Wei Neng asked about the impact of COVID-19 on our infrastructure projects. As I have informed the House earlier, the pandemic has delayed many of our healthcare infrastructure projects by up to a year or so. Construction works have since been ramping up progressively and we are working on contingency measures to ensure we are able to meet the needs of our people. We are making steady progress in our vaccination programme. As of 4 March, more than 350,000 Singapore Residents have received their first dose, including some 80% of our healthcare workforce, and 215,000 have received their second doses. We have started with our seniors, too. I would like to thank our community volunteers from the People’s Association and Silver Generation Ambassadors who have worked hard in reaching out to our seniors and helping them to make their appointments.”
“Based on available data, the numbers of assisted reproduction treatment cycles undergone by women annually from 2015 to 2019 are as follows (rounded off to the nearest hundred): 7,100 cycles in 2015, 7,200 cycles in 2016, 7,700 cycles in 2017, 8,500 cycles in 2018 and 8,700 cycles in 2019.”
“MediSave is primarily intended to help Singaporeans put aside savings for their basic healthcare needs in retirement, including hospitalisation expenses, costly outpatient treatments, and premiums for national health insurance schemes. The withdrawal limits for Assisted Conception Procedures (ACP) are designed to strike a balance between supporting couples with their immediate expenses, and preserving sufficient savings for old age. These limits are generally sufficient to cover the cost of ACP at public Assisted Reproduction (AR) centres, after co-funding. After co-funding and MediSave usage for the first cycle, 8 in 10 eligible Singaporean couples would incur no out-of-pocket expense, while 9 in 10 eligible Singaporean couples could expect to pay no more than $500. Nevertheless, some couples may encounter unexpectedly large bills for ACP. Each appeal is assessed holistically and on a case-by-case basis, taking the patient's unique circumstances into account, such as the family's financial and social situation. For instance, we have in the past approved appeals from couples who were unable to afford the cost of their treatment even after co-funding and MediSave use, due to unexpected medical complications during a cycle. The Government will continue to support Singaporean couples in their pursuit for parenthood. We will continue to review our healthcare financing schemes for ACP to ensure that they remain relevant and adequate for Singaporeans' needs.”
“Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) is currently available to any woman who fulfils one of the following clinical criteria: (i) 35 years and above regardless of prognosis, (ii) suffered two or more recurrent implantation failures, or (iii) experienced two or more pregnancy losses. At present, eligible patients from all private assisted reproduction (AR) clinics and hospitals can be referred to the three public AR centres, namely, National University Hospital (NUH), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and Singapore General Hospital for in-vitro fertilisation treatment and embryo biopsy. The biopsied samples will then be sent to the NUH PGS laboratory. The Ministry of Health is reviewing ways to increase patient recruitment to the pilot study, and we will give careful consideration to the Member of Parliament’s suggestion.”
“The Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) co-funding scheme supports couples who face difficulty in conceiving naturally. In January 2020, the scheme was enhanced to allow women who had attempted an ART or Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI) procedure before 40 years old to tap on up to two of the six co-funded ART cycles at age 40 or later. This aims to encourage couples to start their families early and those with difficulty conceiving to consider the ART procedures early. The age criterion of 40 years old is set based on clinical evidence that the success rate of conception for a woman who undergoes ART treatment decreases with age, with significantly lower success rate after 40. Nonetheless, we do consider appeals on a case-by-case basis for couples with extenuating circumstances.”
“Medical institutions accredited for the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP), including all public specialist outpatient clinics and polyclinics as well as participating private clinics, are required as part of their accreditation to inform eligible patients that they are able to tap on CHAS chronic subsidies and/or MediSave for treatment of their CDMP conditions. This will help patients to offset out-of-pocket payments. There is no need for patients to apply for the CDMP. The Silver Generation Office (SGO) also conducts outreach to share with seniors about the CDMP and CHAS subsidies, and encourage eligible seniors to seek treatment at accredited clinics. As of 31 December 2020, there are more than 1,150 GP clinics that are both CHAS and CDMP-accredited. This forms a good network of accredited clinics island-wide, which enables seniors to better access the healthcare services needed for the management of their chronic conditions. We will continue to improve our outreach programmes to improve public awareness of the CDMP and its benefits.”
“On the other hand, private hire cars, which must be pre-booked, allow passengers to indicate if they require child seats at the point of booking. The current approach for taxis and private hire cars strikes a balance between safety and practicality.”
“Under the Road Traffic Act (RTA), a person below 1.35 metres in height should be properly secured by an approved child restraint appropriate to their height and weight, or a body restraining seat belt when seated on a booster seat cushion or when using a seat with an approved adjustable seat belt when travelling in a motor vehicle. Over the past five years, data from the public acute hospitals showed that of the children aged 10 and below1 who were treated at public acute hospitals for injuries due to motor vehicular accidents, about 35% reported (by patient or parents) that child car seats and/or seatbelts2 were used. There is no data on whether or not child car seats and/or seatbelts were used for the remaining 65% of cases. The data does not show whether the injury sustained from motor vehicle accidents was a direct result of not using child car seats and/or seatbelts. Nonetheless, it is well established in international literature that the use of appropriate protective gear and child restraints such as car safety seats, booster seats and seat belts when travelling in motorised vehicles is potentially life-saving and reduces the risk of sustaining severe injuries. Therefore, the Government consistently recommends motorists and their passengers to use appropriate restraints at all times while riding in motor vehicles. Taxis are exempted from the child seat rule under the RTA because they can be street-hailed, and it is not practical to expect taxis to be sufficiently equipped with child seats at all times to cater to families of different sizes and children of different ages, while providing sufficient boot space for passengers' needs.”
“Since 2016 to present, five persons have been prosecuted for offences under section 23(1) of the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA), among whom three have been convicted of the charges. The two other cases are ongoing in Court. Section 23(1) of the IDA requires persons living with HIV to inform their sexual partners of the risk of HIV transmission, so that their sexual partners can make an informed decision whether to proceed with the sexual encounter, and to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, which will in turn reduce the risk of HIV transmission.”
“Mental health services are provided by a multidisciplinary team (which includes psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, counsellors, psychologists and occupational therapists etc), to cater to individuals with varying needs and conditions. The professional practice of psychiatrists, nurses and occupational therapists are regulated by the Singapore Medical Council, the Singapore Nursing Board, and the Allied Health Professions Council respectively. Counsellors and psychologists are not regulated, but professional bodies such as the Singapore Association for Counselling and Singapore Psychological Society provide guidance on the professional and ethical conduct for its members. In addition, under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act (PHMCA) at present, and the Healthcare Services Act in future, MOH regulates the provision and advertisements of licensable healthcare services to safeguard patient safety and welfare. This ensures that the conduct of mental health services within the auspices of a licensed healthcare service is subject to appropriate regulatory standards. Organisations and individuals who claim to be offering licensable healthcare services such as medical clinic and hospital services, which may include mental health and psychological treatment, without an appropriate licence will be liable to the penalties under the various relevant legislations for service licensing and professional registration.”
“This is allowed under their contractual terms with their policyholders. MOH has encouraged the insurers, in considering these changes, to ensure that their policyholders' interests are safeguarded even as insurers seek to ensure the sustainability of their portfolios. As an additional safeguard, insurers are required to clearly explain these changes to their policyholders at least 30 days before they take effect. To provide their policyholders more assurance after these changes, we understand that some insurers have also introduced co-payment limits for treatments that are provided by their panel doctors, or for pre-authorised treatments. Policyholders can also continue to tap on MediSave to pay the co-payment amount under their riders, subject to the MediSave withdrawal limits. All stakeholders, including the Government, healthcare providers, insurers and policyholders, have a part to play in keeping healthcare costs affordable and sustainable. These changes, together with other efforts by the Government, such as the publication of fee benchmarks and appropriate care guides and drug guidances, will further encourage prudent use of healthcare services, and contribute towards keeping healthcare costs sustainable for all Singaporeans. MOH will continue to work with all stakeholders to encourage appropriate and cost-effective treatment.”
“Co-payment is an important principle in the design of healthcare insurance. It encourages policyholders and their doctors, to consider the necessity of the medical treatment and its cost, so that they can make an informed decision on the appropriate healthcare services. This encourages prudence and keeps healthcare cost, and health insurance premiums, affordable and sustainable in the long term. This principle applies regardless of hospital category. Integrated Shield Plan (IP) full riders that covered the entire co-payment under the IPs were not in line with this principle. Such riders allowed policyholders to avoid co-payment regardless of their bill size, and had contributed to over-consumption, over-servicing and over-charging. Between 2015 and 2020, the compound annual growth rate of claims incidence was about 15% for full riders of private hospital IPs, and about 9% for full riders of restructured hospital IPs. For riders with some form of co-payment of private and restructured hospital IPs, this figure was close to 0%. Over the same period, the average bill size for claims from full riders were at least 20% higher than riders with some form of co-payment, for private and restructured hospital IPs. This was one of the reasons why MOH had announced the requirement for a minimum 5% co-payment for new riders across all settings in March 2018. This would apply for new riders sold from 1 April 2019, while riders sold after the announcement, between 8 March 2018 and 31 March 2019, would have to transition onto these new co-payment riders by 1 April 2021. While this co-payment requirement was not mandated for riders purchased before 8 March 2018, some insurers have recently announced that they will also be including a co-payment component to these riders.”
“IMH also provides day programmes at its Occupational Therapy, Activities, Vocation, and Empowerment (OcTAVE) Centre, which offers a range of outpatient rehabilitation programmes. MOH will continue to improve access to mental health care services and facilitate the recovery of patients in the community.”
“The Government's review of the mental health strategy is currently in progress and more details will be announced at a later date. To support persons with mental health conditions and improve accessibility to mental health services, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) have been working with the public healthcare institutions and community partners to strengthen mental health services within the primary care and community settings. Mental health and/or dementia services have been set up in 14 polyclinics, and over 220 general practitioner (GP) partners have been trained to identify, diagnose and care for persons with mental health conditions. In the community, 48 community outreach teams have been set up as of June 2020, to reach out to persons who have or are at risk of dementia or depression. In addition, 21 community intervention teams have also been set up as of June 2020 to support GP partners and community partners in managing clients with mild to moderate mental health conditions. Persons with stable mental health conditions who do not require acute inpatient care can tap on a range of psychiatric intermediate care services for residential or day care support. These include psychiatric rehabilitation homes and psychiatric sheltered homes for persons who require short term accommodation, and psychiatric day centres which provide day care and ongoing living skills training for those living in the community with care-givers. In addition, the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) operates day facilities such as the Mood Disorders Unit (MDU) day hospital, where patients with stable conditions attend customised day programmes with group therapy and support group sessions.”
“The Taskforce had taken stock of the mental health and well-being initiatives introduced across agencies to address the impact thus far, and will be working to address the identified gaps to better meet the mental health needs of the population during this time.”
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) has not observed any increase in postpartum complications and infant health issues at the public hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers who cite issues with family support and caretaking are referred to the Medical Social Workers who will assist in equipping the new parents with parentcraft skills prior to discharge and arranging for post-discharge support. The Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline saw a 48% increase in number of calls from April to December 2020 as compared to the same period last year. However, while this increase seemed to be largely caused by COVID-19-related anxieties and pressures, we cannot attribute the increase specifically to family support and caretaking issues. Since April last year, MOH has been working with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and the community partners to support the mental wellbeing of families and individuals during COVID-19. During the circuit breaker, AIC's community teams supported their clients through phone outreach. For high-risk clients who require urgent assistance, the community intervention teams will conduct home visits, while taking precautionary measures. In addition, the National CARE Hotline was launched in April 2020 to support those facing mental health concerns such as anxiety and adjustment issues related to COVID-19. As of end-December 2020, the hotline has handled almost 38,000 calls. The monthly number of calls has decreased by about 80% since its launch. MOH and IMH have set up the COVID-19 Mental Wellness Taskforce in October 2020 to address the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population.”
“Medical certificates (MCs) are issued to patients only on proper medical grounds when they are unwell or unfit for work or school, to allow them to rest and recuperate at home. Due to the medically invasive nature of IVF treatments, women undergoing these treatments are issued MCs for them to take time off work to attend the treatments and get proper rest after. As is generally the case for individuals who accompany patients for other procedures, MCs are not provided to husbands who accompany their wives for IVF. However, doctors may provide memos to the husbands, which some employers recognise by extending a day off. Employers are encouraged to be understanding and supportive of the needs of their employees or spouses who are undergoing IVF treatments, and consider exercising greater flexibility at the workplace. This could include allowing husbands time-off, or providing work-from-home arrangements so that they could be with their wives during recuperation.”
“Last year, close to 2,200 youth received smoking cessation counselling from SHAs, and amongst these, more than 58% managed to reduce smoking or quit the habit one month post-counselling. Counselling support is also provided by certified Quit Consultants via HPB's QuitLine (Tel: 1800 438 2000) services. Beyond the government's tobacco control measures, tackling smoking also requires a whole of community effort. Positive role modelling and support from family members and peers are also important in encouraging our youth to lead a tobacco-free and healthy lifestyle for the longer term.”
“Increasing the Minimum Legal Age (MLA) progressively from 19 years old in 2019 to 21 years on 1 January 2021, has reduced opportunities for our youth to take up smoking. This is part of a set of measures we have introduced to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use. Based on the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) 2020, smoking prevalence among our youth aged 18 to 29 years was 8.8%, a decrease compared to 9.8% in 2017. As the MLA was just raised to 21 years less than two months ago, it is still too early to assess the impact of the latest adjustment. MOH will continue to monitor smoking prevalence rates in Singapore and introduce new measures or adjust existing ones as needed. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has a range of programmes to educate youths and raise the awareness of the benefits of leading a tobacco-free lifestyle. HPB works closely with the Ministry of Education and Institutes of Higher Learning to incorporate anti-tobacco messages into the curriculum. Our focus is on counselling and education to help under-aged smokers quit smoking while enhancing enforcement actions for retailers or persons caught giving or furnishing tobacco to under-aged smokers. HPB’s smoking cessation programmes for youth smokers adopt a strengths-based approach to build confidence for behaviour change. It also imparts them with knowledge and skills to kick the habit, and positive coping strategies to better deal with stress, anger, frustration or boredom. In addition, there are Student Health Advisors (SHAs) in more than 60 educational institutions who provide tailored counselling to youth smokers on quitting smoking. These counselling sessions help them to understand the harms of smoking and equip them with strategies to cope with withdrawal symptoms and quit the habit.”
“The Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care have to date set up 10 Dementia-Friendly Communities (DFCs), and we will set up another five DFCs this year. These DFCs have reached out to over 102,000 people to raise awareness on dementia and provide information on how to communicate with and support persons with dementia and their care-givers. In addition to the DFCs, we have also expanded the network of Go-To Points (GTPs) in the community to over 300 nationwide, to serve as dementia resource centres and "safe return" points in the community. If there is a need for additional capacity, we will work with our partners to scale up the DFCs and GTPs. We will continue to provide a supportive environment for persons with dementia and their care-givers. We will also expand the supply of home-based care services, such as home medical, home nursing and home personal care services in line with the growing needs of frail and home-bound patients who require assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), including persons with dementia. In addition, we will continue to evolve our home-based interventions to meet seniors' changing needs. For example, we have worked with Social Service Agencies to set up community outreach teams who conduct home visits to clients with dementia and their care-givers, to provide them with information on dementia care, basic emotional support, and to connect them with social and health services as needed. We have also piloted the Integrated Home and Day Care programme that allows individuals, including clients with dementia, flexibility to receive home-based care services, centre-based care services, or a combination of both, to cater to their unique care needs.”
“Local studies1 have estimated the prevalence of paternal postnatal depression (PPND) to be 1.8% at six weeks after the birth of the child. The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not routinely track PPND prevalence. Currently, hospitals may assess the spouse as part of the mother's consultation during clinic appointments, especially when risk factors such as maternal postnatal depression are present. This would involve monitoring for signs of distress, tiredness or being generally emotional, or checking with the mother if her partner is coping well. Where PPND is detected, the affected father is offered the appropriate management, including referral to polyclinics or other mental health professionals. Within the community, initiatives such as KidSTART, led by the Early Childhood Development Agency, actively screens for paternal depression during home visits and directs appropriate individuals to polyclinics for further assessment. MOH will continue to monitor and respond to the mental health needs of the population.”
“For example, seniors requiring greater social support will receive befriending and buddying services, while those with higher care needs and require assistance with their activities of daily living will be referred to the appropriate care services such as home personal care. With this transition, we hope to better enable our seniors to age-in-place within the community.”
“Launched in 2014, the Care Close to Home (C2H) pilot aimed to assist seniors in HDB public rental estates to age-in-place. Nurse-led care teams were deployed to selected precincts, with a focus on supporting seniors in their activities of daily living and monitoring of medical conditions, in their homes. The pilot is currently running at 15 sites across Singapore, with around 6,000 enrolled clients. The Ministry of Health undertook a review of the scheme from 2018 to 2020. Based on our findings, clients perceived the services to be easily accessible. However, we also found that the services did not always meet clients’ needs. For example, the majority of clients enrolled onto C2H were relatively well and did not require assistance with activities of daily living which the programme focused on. On the other hand, clients with complex health and social needs required deeper and more intensive services beyond what C2H was able to provide. In order to address seniors’ needs better and scale up the services to all seniors in the community, we will be transiting the C2H pilot to the new eldercare centre service model. Under the new model which will be rolled out progressively at eldercare centres in phases from May 2021 to 2024, all eldercare centres will provide a common suite of services, comprising active ageing programmes, befriending or buddying, and information and referral to care services. On top of this set of common services, centres may also layer on additional care services such as day care or community rehabilitation to cater to seniors who are frailer. As part of the transition, the Ministry of Health will work with seniors, their caregivers, the C2H and eldercare centre providers to transit clients smoothly to the relevant services.”
“There were around 1,820 health attendants working in the public healthcare institutions1 as at end 2020. Of these, about 1,050 were outsourced workers. Overall, the number of direct hires for health attendants had decreased from approximately 850 in 2013 to 770 in 2020 and their average monthly salaries had risen by 21% from $1,520 in 2013 to $1,840 in 2020 (see Table 1 for details). Due to changes in data definition, we are only able to ascertain the number of direct hires and their salaries from 2013 onwards. The public healthcare institutions only have information on the number of outsourced workers deployed as at end 2020 since this is recent. They do not have data on the salaries of outsourced workers who are employed by third-party contractors. Nonetheless, the third-party contractors engaged by our public healthcare institutions are required to abide by the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices to ensure that their staff are remunerated fairly according to the terms and conditions as stated under the Employment Act.”
“There were around 1,160 patient care assistants, also known as healthcare assistants (HCAs), working in the public healthcare institutions1 as at end 2020. Of these, about 10 were outsourced workers. Overall, the number of direct hires for patient care assistants had decreased from approximately 1,710 in 2013 to 1,150 in 2020 and their average monthly salaries had risen by 25% from $1,680 in 2013 to $2,100 in 2020 (see Table 1 for details). Due to changes in data definition, we are only able to ascertain the number of direct hires and their salaries from 2013 onwards. The public healthcare institutions only have information on the number of outsourced workers deployed as at end 2020 since this is recent. They do not have data on the salaries of outsourced workers who are employed by third-party contractors. Nonetheless, the third-party contractors engaged by our public healthcare institutions are required to abide by the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices to ensure that their staff are remunerated fairly according to the terms and conditions as stated under the Employment Act.”
“There were around 3,680 housekeeping and cleaning staff working in the public healthcare institutions1 as at end 2020. Of these, about 3,550 were outsourced workers. Overall, the number of direct hires for housekeeping and cleaning staff had decreased from approximately 170 in 2013 to 130 in 2020 and their average monthly salaries had increased by 33% from $1,380 in 2013 to $1,830 in 2020 (see Table 1 for details). Due to changes in data definition, we are only able to ascertain the number of direct hires and their salaries from 2013 onwards. The public healthcare institutions only have information on the number of outsourced workers deployed as at end 2020 since this is recent. They do not have data on the salaries of outsourced workers who are employed by third-party contractors. Nonetheless, the third-party contractors engaged by our public healthcare institutions are required to adopt the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) for cleaners and abide by the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices to ensure that their staff are remunerated fairly according to the terms and conditions as stated under the Employment Act. Information on the number of staff deployed to patient care areas is also not available due to the dynamic nature of the staff rotation across different areas within the public healthcare institutions.”
“We adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse and harassment of our healthcare staff and will not hesitate to take appropriate actions against persons who do so.”
“The Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) protects all individuals, including healthcare workers, from harassment. Public healthcare workers receive enhanced protection under Section 6 of the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) while they are on duty. Based on data provided by our public healthcare institutions, the number of abuse or harassment cases of public healthcare workers while on duty, has been increasing over the past three years from about 1,080 in 2018 to about 1,300 in 2020. Over the same period, the number of such cases which were reported to the Police under Section 6 of the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), has also similarly risen from 40 in 2018 to 58 in 2020. Our public healthcare institutions are committed to ensure a safe workplace environment. Members of the public are reminded through prominently displayed signages to treat healthcare workers with respect and dignity, and that any form of verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated. Our public healthcare institutions are also committed to protecting and supporting their staff who face harassment. They have established escalation processes for frontline healthcare workers who are verbally or physically harassed, including notifying their immediate superiors, referral to security officers on-site or reporting to the Police. Frontline healthcare staff are also trained to assess and de-escalate potential conflicts in the first instance and manage abusive situations. Aside from the incident reporting process, the institutions also provide support through helplines for affected staff, anonymised counselling support services, and peer support programmes for staff. MOH and our institutions treat all cases of abuse and harassment against our healthcare workers seriously.”