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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“Under the Community Mental Health Masterplan (CMHMP), primary care providers receive support to improve early identification and access to mental health care for persons with mental health issues. Mental health services have been set up in the polyclinics. Family physicians, nurses, psychologists and medical social workers sited at these polyclinics are trained to recognise early signs of mental distress among patients so that they can provide timely mental health assessment and intervention. In addition, over 220 general practitioners (GP) have been trained under the Mental Health General Practitioner Partnership Programme (MHGPP) to identify, diagnose and manage persons with mental health issues in the community. Government subsidies are available at polyclinics and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) subsidies are available at CHAS GPs for Singaporeans who seek treatment for mental health issues in the primary care setting. In November 2019, CHAS Green was introduced to allow all chronic patients, regardless of income, to enjoy CHAS subsidies for mental illnesses under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) (namely major depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia) at CHAS GPs clinics. Currently, patients can also withdraw up to $500 per year from their MediSave for the outpatient management of conditions under the CDMP. For patients with complex chronic conditions, this annual withdrawal limit will be raised to $700 from 1 January 2021. Lastly, those aged 60 and above may tap on Flexi-MediSave. In addition to providing accessible and affordable care for persons with mental health condition(s), the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) helps to coordinate care across the health and social sectors for persons with mental health issues.”
“I would like to assure the Member that our public healthcare providers will consider, among other things, changes to a patient’s circumstances, such as loss of income or private insurance coverage, in assessing whether to accede to requests to switch to subsidised care. Patients facing financial difficulties should approach the medical social workers to discuss their options.”
“Upon admission, Singaporeans can choose to be admitted into private or subsidised ward classes regardless of their means and hospitals provide financial counselling to patients to help them select a ward class appropriate to their needs. To receive subsidised specialist outpatient (SOC) treatment, a patient needs a referral from a subsidised inpatient ward class, emergency department or a polyclinic. Hence, patients who opt for private ward will be considered as private patients and charged unsubsidised rates should they require follow-ups at the SOCs after discharge. Nonetheless, should they need to switch to subsidised care due to financial concerns, for both the inpatient and SOC settings, they can approach the staff at our public healthcare providers for assistance. The providers assess such requests on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration patient’s financial circumstances and ability to continue to pay unsubsidised rates. For patients facing genuine financial difficulties, the providers will exercise some flexibility and allow them to switch to subsidised service and pay subsidised rates. In the past three years, on average, we have received about 2,400 requests a year to switch from private to subsidised inpatient or SOC care, out of a total of 80,000 admissions from private wards and 1,000,000 private SOC attendances a year. About 70% of these requests are approved. Patients with Integrated Shield Plans make up about 35% of all requests in the inpatient setting. Our public healthcare providers’ administrative records do not capture whether a patient’s insurance scheme is employment-linked.”
“The number of calls has since decreased by about 42 percent post CB. To provide information and self-help tools to improve mental well-being, Temasek Foundation, AIC, and the Ministry of Health Office for Healthcare Transformation have developed online mental health platforms such as the "My Mental Health" Microsite (www.stayprepared.sg/mymentalhealth/), and Mindline.sg. Users will also be able to find out more on the support services that are available to them through these platforms. To address the challenges of working from home, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has issued an inter-agency Advisory in April this year to advise employers and workers on practical steps to take and to tap on counselling resources to support one’s mental well-being during the COVID-19 period. Recommendations for employers include regular checking in with staff, provide flexible work schedules for parents of young children; and provide employees with access to external counselling service. Employees are also encouraged to maintain a circle of social support; and stay active and healthy during this period. The Ministry of Health will continue to work with its partner agencies to monitor the trends of utilisation of support services and provide timely intervention if necessary.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about shifts in the way we work and interact with others, with more Singaporeans working from home during the pandemic. In the period of April to July 2020, there was a decrease of 36 percent in the number of attendances at the Specialist Outpatient Clinic and a decrease of eight percent in Emergency Department visits at the Institute of Mental Health, as compared to the same period last year, in part due to the Circuit Breaker (CB) measures. However, for the same period, there was an increase of 60 percent in the number of calls to the IMH Mental Health Helpline as compared to last year. Similarly, the number of community referrals for mental health issues to the Agency for Integrated Care’s (AIC) Care-in-Mind online platform more than doubled during this period with demand returning to normal levels in July 2020 post CB. In summary, with the exception of IMH Mental Health Helpline, the utilization of mental healthcare services has returned to the level seen prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. To further support the mental health needs of Singaporeans during the pandemic, the National CARE Hotline was launched in April 2020 to provide support to those facing mental health concerns such as anxiety and adjustment issues related to COVID-19. As of 20 August 2020, the hotline has handled approximately 27,900 calls. About 11,800 of these calls were directed to trained volunteers to provide psychological first aid, while the remaining calls which are specific to other needs such as finance and employment issues were directed to the appropriate hotlines. Individuals who needed more targeted and continued support were referred to help services such as counselling centres or specialised helplines.”
“Our vaccination approach aims to protect individuals who are more vulnerable or at higher risk from the disease, as well as those who may be more likely exposed to infection, while progressively expanding the coverage of vaccination to our population. The vaccination strategy and schedule would depend on several factors including the suitability of different vaccines for different population subgroups and the quantity of vaccines available at any point in time. We will continue to adapt our vaccination strategy as more information from the various vaccine candidates becomes available.”
“The Government is closely monitoring the global progress in the development of COVID-19 vaccines, and taking active steps to ensure that Singapore has timely access to an effective and safe vaccine when this becomes available. Besides ongoing discussions with multiple pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines, Singapore is also actively engaged in international discussions to accelerate development and promote fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. In particular, Singapore has been working closely with the World Health Organisation, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and like-minded countries to establish a multilateral collaboration called the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility that will enable countries to pool risk and resources to gain access to a portfolio of vaccines from different vaccine developers. Ensuring equitable access to vaccines will help to better contain and eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic, not just in Singapore but also globally. At the same time, we are supporting local efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Duke-NUS Medical School is collaborating with a United States biotechnology company, Arcturus Therapeutics, to develop an mRNA vaccine. Phase 1 human clinical trials for this vaccine candidate started in early August at the SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit (IMU). Singapore is also building up vaccine manufacturing capacity, which can provide fill-and-finish contract manufacturing services to vaccine developers and ramp up production of vaccines when they are available.”
“For example, we have been conducting rostered routine testing (RRT) on targeted groups such as workers living in the migrant worker dormitories; workers who returned to work in the construction, marine and process sectors; and workers supporting our frontline COVID-19 operations. Currently, over 200,000 such individuals are tested every two weeks. In the last two-week cycle, about 200 of such individuals tested positive for COVID-19. Majority of these cases are likely to be past infections. Third, as we reopen our economy and resume social activities, MOH will be expanding testing to more community groups. For a start, we have identified community groups such as taxi and Private Hire Car drivers, food delivery personnel, key vendors servicing foreign worker dormitories, as well as stallholders at selected hawker centres, markets and F&B establishments such as coffeeshops. While there has been no local evidence that these community groups are of higher risks of getting infected, MOH will be offering tests to them as part of our expanded testing and surveillance efforts given the nature of their working environment, such as the high frequency of interactions with members of public. These one-time testing operations will help to provide a better picture of population prevalence. Agencies and private providers supporting the testing operations endeavour to turn-around the test results as soon as possible. The current mean and median lead time between the conduct of the swab test and when the test results are made available from the laboratories are 30 hours and 22 hours respectively. Confirmed cases will be notified by the relevant parties expeditiously for the necessary public health actions to be taken.”
“While the individuals tested were not close contacts of the confirmed cases, targeted deployment of such special testing operations allows earlier detection of any underlying cases among the group even if they are asymptomatic. Beyond active case finding, MOH has put in place targeted surveillance testing in the community. First, PCR testing is provided for all individuals aged 13 and above diagnosed with acute respiratory infection (ARI) at first presentation to a doctor. As clinical and scientific evidence shows that an infected person is most infectious right before and immediately after the start of symptoms, testing all individuals diagnosed with ARI early allows MOH to detect infected individuals quickly to contain further spread. From 1 July 2020 to 16 August 2020, 76% of the patients aged 13 and older diagnosed with ARI at the Polyclinics and Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) were PCR tested for COVID-19. Of these, a small percentage – 0.03% - tested positive, indicating that the community prevalence of COVID-19 is low. We continue to encourage all individuals who are unwell to seek medical attention immediately and adhere to the medical advice received. As we re-open our borders and facilitate travel, we are also testing incoming travellers either on-arrival or during their Stay-Home Notice period, to detect cases and reduce onward community transmission. Second, surveillance testing is also done for identified groups who are more vulnerable or have higher risk of exposure to COVID-19.”
“COVID-19 testing is a key enabler in our efforts to fight COVID-19. Our testing strategy is focused on active case finding, as well as targeted surveillance on identified groups. Such testing is based on a holistic and concerted strategy to detect and ring-fence active infections as early as possible to prevent further transmission. The majority of linked cases are detected through active case finding around confirmed cases. Once a case is detected, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will quickly contact-trace all potential close contacts and place them under quarantine. As part of the quarantine process, all persons-under-quarantine (PUQs) will be subjected to a swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 at the start and end of the quarantine period. The swab test at the start allows us to quickly identify infected persons under quarantine, provide the appropriate medical support and expand the ring-fence of close contacts if necessary. The swab PCR test at the end will pick up any remaining cases who could have been incubating the virus at the start of his quarantine, and gives us additional assurance that the PUQ is not infectious before releasing him from quarantine. If the PUQ presents with symptoms during his quarantine, he will be tested for COVID-19 immediately. MOH has also conducted special operations to test selected groups of individuals where there is a higher risk of transmission of COVID-19. Examples include the testing of identified households and their visitors at Block 111 Tampines Street 11, and the testing of bus drivers and staff working in public bus depots and interchanges.”
“We will manage the rollout of these initiatives expeditiously and securely, whilst strengthening cybersecurity across MOH, its statutory boards, and the healthcare sector. Our healthcare workers are integral to our transformation efforts. For our existing healthcare workers, who have played a crucial role in keeping Singapore safe during COVID-19, we will continue to explore how we can improve their career development and welfare. At the same time, MOH will create and facilitate new job opportunities and traineeship positions for Singaporeans over the next few years, in both the public healthcare sector and community care sector. To attract more to the community care sector, we will introduce leadership development and scholarship programmes, and review salaries for competitiveness as well as in recognition of the sacrifices made by our healthcare workers. Our healthcare transformation journey is a multi-year endeavour. We must keep innovating and improving to make Singaporeans healthier and our healthcare system better for all, in partnership with public, community-based, and private healthcare providers. We will continue to reach out to all Singaporeans, to help us continue our journey to build a strong and sustainable health system for the future together, so that all Singaporeans can live well, longer, and with peace of mind.”
“We will also evolve regulation of the healthcare sector through the implementation of the Healthcare Services Act (HCSA) and work with industry on the safe introduction of new care delivery models. To provide better value, we will continue to keep healthcare affordable and sustainable for Singaporeans as our population ages, partnering with Singaporeans to prepare for their long-term care needs. These include three new initiatives from 2020: ElderFund, launched in January 2020, as well as CareShield Life and MediSave Care, to be launched by the end of this year. In addition, we are working with the MediShield Life Council to review MediShield Life benefits and premiums to ensure that the scheme continues to provide adequate protection against large medical bills and remains sustainable. Our subsidy frameworks will also be reviewed to ensure that they remain adequate and directed at those who need it most. Although it has presented us with many challenges, COVID-19 has also strengthened our resolve to transform healthcare. We will push forward with digital transformation and research efforts which will support better and more integrated care across providers, facilitate better patient experience, and improve operating efficiency within our healthcare sector in all environments. We are accelerating several digitalisation projects to support telehealth initiatives, help our healthcare workforce work remotely, and improve pandemic preparedness. In research, we will build and support a greater pool of talent, improve data infrastructure, and strengthen research and development (R&D) in a wide range of translatable areas.”
“In addition, we will extend more help to proactively manage the health of vulnerable groups in the community such as our seniors through our review of the Action Plan for Successful Ageing, and by forging more partnerships with members of the public as well as corporate and community partners to transform our seniors' lived experience. Beyond the elderly, we will also continue to collaborate with the relevant Ministries and agencies, as well as people and private sector partners, to support the mental wellness of our entire population, through targeted programmes like the Integrated Youth Service for youths at risk of mental health conditions. Our War on Diabetes will likewise continue, with screening for diabetics and those with pre-diabetes to detect those who have and are at risk of developing the condition, as well as continuing to optimise our care for diabetics and preventing long-term complications. Finally, we will look to identifying best practices that can help us in our fight to better manage other chronic diseases. We also remain committed to enhancing healthcare accessibility and providing better care. While COVID-19 has pushed back the completion timelines for some of the upcoming new facilities, we will continue to expand our healthcare capacity, such as by building a new hospital in the east and new polyclinics across Singapore by 2030. We will enhance our community-based services, by progressively expanding the service scope of eldercare centres to include active ageing programmes for well, befriending services for the lonely, and information and referral for care services for frail seniors.”
“In the meantime, for as long as COVID-19 is still with us, we must remain vigilant as a nation and continue to encourage the public to practice social responsibility and good personal hygiene habits. We will work together with businesses, workers, civil society, and members of the public alike to find new and safe ways to operate. We will all have to adapt our daily practices and develop new habits so that we can work, learn, and play in a safe manner. We will also learn from these experiences, to better prepare ourselves for future pandemics and other threats that can affect the health and lives of Singaporeans. Even as we tackle COVID-19, we must not lose sight of our long-term vision for health and healthcare. We must continue to ensure that quality healthcare remains accessible and affordable, and that our healthcare system can better and more sustainably serve the evolving health needs of Singaporeans. To achieve this, we will press on with three major shifts in our healthcare system, to move Beyond Healthcare to Health, Beyond Hospital to Community, and Beyond Quality to Value. First, and most importantly, we will continue to strive for better health, and keep Singaporeans healthy. We will continue our efforts to improve the diets and lifestyle of Singaporeans, and we will find new ways to do this safely in light of COVID-19. We will also push on with our initiatives to make preventive healthcare more affordable and accessible, such as by enhancing subsidies for vaccinations in various settings.”
“Their adaptability, resilience, and determination have led to innovations in caring for patients both within the existing healthcare institutions and in in new settings such as the various isolation and recovery facilities. We are grateful to them and the many Singaporeans who have stepped up to volunteer for the SG Healthcare Corps, and contributed their valuable time and skills to augment our manpower needs in many key areas of our COVID-19 defence. COVID-19 will be with us for a long time, and until a vaccine becomes available, there is always a risk of further waves of the disease. MOH will ensure sufficient healthcare resources to care for our COVID-19 patients, and support our Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs), private hospitals, community hospitals, Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs), and Nursing Homes (NHs), to help them continue their vital roles in the fight against COVID-19. We will also continue to maintain adequate quarantine and community isolation capacity, to remain prepared for any sudden surge in cases. We will continue to leverage data and technology to improve our capability to respond quickly to evolving situations and contain outbreaks We will continue to work with international partners to deepen international cooperation in the global fight against COVID-19, by sharing data and information on cases, and on the disease. We remain actively involved in vaccine and therapeutics development, including in clinical trials with global partners, and will continue to invest in and further develop our research capabilities in public health and strengthen our research partnerships.”
“The Ministry of Health's (MOH) mission is to deliver health and healthcare in a sustainable way so that all can benefit from a healthy life well-lived. To achieve this, we promote good health and reduce illness, ensure access to good and affordable healthcare appropriate to needs, and pursue medical excellence. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge for our healthcare system. We are committed to continuing our fight against COVID-19, while also continuing to transform and strengthen our health systems in a sustainable way for the long term. MOH will strive to keep the public safe by coordinating Singapore's public health response against COVID-19. Following SARS in 2003 and H1N1 in 2009, we enhanced our capabilities in infectious disease management, expanded our laboratories and set up our national stockpiles of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and drugs. We established the National Centre for Infectious Disease, which had its official opening in September 2019. We will press on with our strategy to fight the disease: First, to collectively prevent spread of COVID-19 through practicing safe management in how we conduct our daily activities; Second, detect new cases as early as possible; Third, contain close contacts of new cases to prevent further transmission; and finally, provide quick and effective care for patients to allow them to recover and return to their normal lives. We have been able to respond well and adapt quickly to COVID-19 because of our healthcare workers and partners who have led the charge against COVID-19.”
“Licensed healthcare institutions and clinics providing mental health services have systems in place to ensure that psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals are adequately trained. They also need to have mechanisms to monitor the quality of services provided and address any complaints. The list of registered doctors and their credentials are available on the Singapore Medical Council's website. Psychologists may choose to register with their professional associations. The public can refer to the websites of private psychology associations, such as the Singapore Psychological Society, for listings of psychologists registered with them. Both MOH and our healthcare institutions have systems in place to look into feedback or complaints against mental health practitioners. Patients may also lodge a complaint against doctors, including psychiatrists, with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC). To uphold and improve standards, the SMC requires doctors, including psychiatrists, to undergo continuing medical education before their practicing certificates can be renewed. For other professionals such as psychologists, the Skills Framework for Social Service spells out the skills and competencies required for each job. The framework helps healthcare providers, training providers and the professionals to identify training needs and develop training programmes to upskill these professionals. In addition, MOH and our healthcare institutions provide fellowships under the Healthcare Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) to send mental health professionals for specialised training. The HMDP scheme also facilitates visits by reputed overseas experts to Singapore to transfer knowledge and capability to local mental health professionals.”
“SafeEntry information has been used to strengthen the movement history information provided by confirmed COVID-19 cases, for purposes of contact tracing and epidemiological investigations. This includes the confirmed COVID-19 cases who had visited Jurong Point. The Ministry of Health (MOH) had used the check-in information from SafeEntry to confirm that COVID-19 cases had separately visited Jurong Point, and the specified outlets there. The information was used to formulate the list of public places that the cases had visited, and this has been made available to the public. Persons who had been at the locations during the specified times should monitor their health, and promptly seek medical care if they develop COVID-19 symptoms. MOH will continue to leverage on different modes of technology to better support the efforts to prevent and control the COVID-19 outbreak.”
“I thank the Member for the question, which has been addressed to a similar question filed by Mr Leon Perera on 4 June 2020.”
“There are over 162,000 views of the exercise videos, a 13-fold increase in monthly viewership since the campaign started. For seniors, who may use social media less often, Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and HPB have partnered Mediacorp to roll out the "Learn Together with Me Season 2" television series on Channel 8, as well as the "Stay Well to Stay Strong" series in Malay and Tamil on Suria and Vasantham respectively. Viewership for the Channel 8 series averaged 113,000 people aged 50 and above per episode; the other two series are currently on air. Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we will continue to provide Singaporeans with various health initiatives and use alternative platforms to encourage Singaporeans to remain healthy.”
“There is currently no effective vaccine to boost immunity against COVID-19. However, keeping healthy will help ensure that our immune system is functioning properly. This means a well-balanced diet with sufficient intake of fluids, adequate physical activity, as well as having enough sleep and rest. Smokers should quit smoking as there is evidence linking tobacco smoke1 with immune dysfunction. Similarly, alcohol consumption2 should be avoided as it impairs the body's ability to defend against infection. For persons with chronic conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, particularly among our seniors, complying with medication and regular medical follow-up to ensure that their condition remains under control is important to keep up the body's defences against infection. They should also go for the vaccinations recommended under the National Adult Immunisation Schedule (NAIS), such as vaccinations against seasonal flu and pneumococcal diseases. It is equally important to take care of one's mental well-being3 during this period. Taking up one or two hobbies such as music, reading a book or learning a new skill online, as well as using relaxation techniques, can help improve mental well-being. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) launched the "Stay Well to Stay Strong" campaign in February to provide Singaporeans with bite-sized videos and articles on practising good personal hygiene, healthy eating, physical activity, and mental well-being. With Singaporeans staying at home during the circuit breaker period, this has proven to be a valuable resource. In a span of three months from February till mid-May 2020, HPB's resources on the Stay Well to Stay Strong resource hub have seen over 360,000 page views, with a 17-fold increase in monthly viewership since inception.”
“CareShield Life is a new long-term care insurance scheme, and MediSave Care provides cash withdrawals for long-term care needs. Both schemes were originally planned for launch in mid-2020. In light of various steps taken amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, such as safe distancing precautions and the circuit breaker measures, there has been a reduced pace of development and testing work that can be undertaken by teams across our implementing agencies and vendors. This has caused a delay in the completion of IT systems needed to implement both CareShield Life and MediSave Care. As such, both schemes will be launched by end 2020. CareShield Life will be launched first for future cohorts, who are Singaporeans born in 1980 or later. Singaporeans in these cohorts who are aged 30 to 40 years old in 2020 will be covered from end 2020, while those aged 29 or younger in 2020 will be covered when they turn 30. The delay will also affect the launch date of CareShield Life for existing cohorts, who are Singaporeans born 1979 or earlier. This was originally planned for mid-2021. The launch date will now minimally be deferred till end 2021. MOH will review the situation and announce more details on the launch dates for future and existing cohorts when ready. In the meantime, disabled Singaporeans and their caregivers who require assistance can continue to receive help from existing disability assistance schemes, such as the Home Caregiving Grant, Interim Disability Assistance Programme for the Elderly and ElderFund. If they require additional support for living costs, they can also tap on other schemes such as ComCare, the Temporary Relief Fund and the COVID-19 Support Grant.”
“Mr Speaker, perhaps I could assist in explaining the rationale behind that. As we move into Phase One of our opening, we will see increased interaction within the community, among people. And therefore, we will have to make sure that additional safeguards are put in place. Given that face shields do not provide a full coverage of your face, your nose and your mouth because there are gaps between the shield and your face, it poses certain risks. These risks are less of a concern during the circuit breaker period when most people are asked to stay home. Therefore, we allowed face shields to be used. But when we open up the community and the economy, we expect more interaction and therefore, we need to enhance the protection where possible. Therefore, we encouraged people to use the full-face mask instead of a face shield. But we still allow face shields to be used in specific situations where mask-wearing is not practical. One example which we gave was during teaching. Teachers need to make sure that their teaching is clearly heard and it is important for them to see and to interact with the children. We have therefore allowed face shields to be used for teaching. But in other circumstances, we will require a mask to be used.”
“As of 1 June 2020, we have conducted over 408,000 tests1 for COVID-19, or 71,700 tests per million population. Among these, over 202,000 tests were for the community population, which includes Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and all long-term pass holders living in the community, but excluding migrant workers living in dormitories. This translates to more than 37,500 tests per million population in the community. These tests are used for community diagnostics, active case finding to prevent further transmissions, and surveillance testing, in particular for vulnerable populations such as our seniors in nursing homes and other residential care facilities. We are ramping up our capacity to be able to conduct as many as 40,000 tests a day in the later part of the year. With this, we will continue to expand testing in the community to detect cases early and reduce the risk of large clusters from developing.”
“The global scientific community is focusing efforts on research and development of an effective vaccine against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Singapore has been contributing to these efforts. The Duke-NUS Medical School has partnered with the US-based Arcturus Therapeutics in the development of a vaccine. The school supports the pre-clinical studies by conducting rapid screening of vaccine candidates for effectiveness and safety, as well as by conducting animal trials. Local doctors and researchers have also engaged academic groups and vaccine companies from Europe, North America, Australia and China, on participation in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine. For example, the Duke-NUS Medical School has partnered with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) on a clinical trial which involves monitoring of side effects and immune response of trial vaccines among healthy individuals. Singapore has also registered as a trial site for the World Health Organisation's multi-country Solidarity Vaccine Trials. Apart from vaccine development, Singapore has also been involved in the research and development of therapeutics to improve the treatment of COVID-19 patients. For example, the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and public hospitals are participating in multi-national clinical trials involving the experimental drug, Remdesivir, which has shown to improve the recovery of COVID-19 patients in some studies.”
“MOH will continue to monitor the emerging evidence, and work with our clinical experts to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for our COVID-19 patients.”
“The Ministry of Health has been monitoring the emerging data globally on the increased risks of blood clots and heart disease in COVID-19 patients. MOH issued an advisory to all doctors on 20 May 2020 to highlight the emerging data on these risks, to advise them to be watchful for cardiovascular symptoms in COVID-19 patients, and to provide guidance on the evaluation and management of such patients. Among our local cases so far, about one in 1000 experienced cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and blood clots. Due to the small numbers, we are unable to definitively conclude whether this is higher than average compared to non-COVID patients here in Singapore. This is an ongoing area of research and MOH will continue to support studies on this issue. From international data, we know that patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit are at higher risk, as they are immobile for prolonged periods and may have multiple co-morbidities. For such cases, our doctors take extra precautions, such as monitoring their coagulation status or the propensity for the blood to clot closely. In some cases, anti-coagulants are used to prevent blood clot formation. However, use of anti-coagulants must be weighed against the risk of bleeding, and our doctors will decide on a case by case basis. In the dormitories, community care facilities and community recovery facilities, we have been educating workers and patients on preventive measures for cardiovascular complications, such as good hydration, staying active, smoking cessation, and early recognition of symptoms. They are advised to seek medical attention immediately if they feel unwell. As COVID-19 is a new disease, we are learning more about it as we go along.”
“Since end April 2020, countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain and the United States of America have been reporting cases of children requiring intensive care due to a rare paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome. A possible link with COVID-19 infection was suggested because some of these children had tested positive for COVID-19 infection. However, no strong evidence of such a link has been seen so far in Asian countries, such as Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore. In Singapore, as of 28 May, 61 patients below the age of 16 years have tested positive for COVID-19. These patients were either asymptomatic, or had only mild symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and diarrhoea. None of these patients had the symptoms suggestive of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or required intensive care or high dependency care. The Ministry of Health notes that this paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome remains very rare, and information is still emerging. Nevertheless, MOH is monitoring the situation closely, and had issued an advisory to all medical practitioners on 11 May 2020 to refer potential cases that present with clinical features suggestive of this condition to the Children's Emergency at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital and the National University Hospital. MOH has also advised paediatricians managing COVID-19 cases to be watchful for this condition.”
“But we also understand that because these involve a large number of people in a congregation, and therefore, additional safeguards have to be put in place. Similarly, for the F&B, we want to reach out and discuss with them what are the measures that we can put in place to ensure safe distancing and minimise mixing. But because it involves the public, consumers in the community, it has to be aligned with the opening of the community, which is generally in Phase Two. I know everybody wants to be in Phase One, but I need to explain that Phase One is a safe opening phase, which means that it is likely to be very restrictive and we are not prepared to open it up too early, too quickly because that, in fact, may result in more cases emerging and in turn, will require us to re-impose some of the measures and as a result, may differ and slowdown Phase Two. So, we prefer to keep Phase One safe so that we can open Phase Two safely, and hopefully faster, rather than to delay further because there are cases that will emerge. We have seen from other countries' experiences. If we open too quickly, the community is not ready, the businesses are not ready, then you will allow infections to seep in and you have to re-introduce some of the measures and as a result, in fact, you will in turn slow down the opening process. There is a Chinese saying, "欲速则不达". That means we want to make haste but less speed. It is better for us to take a more cautious approach. We fully understand the challenges faced by businesses. We have measures to put in place and we do all we can to make sure that we do not delay the opening so long as we are able to ensure safety.”
“I thank the Member. We discussed this at length within the Multi-Ministerial Task Force on how we can open safely. There are a lot of requests from different economic sectors and social sectors. We are fully mindful that any prolonged closure of the businesses will have a severe impact. And today, many of the F&B outlets are allowed to do takeaways so they have some ability to sustain a basic level of business activities. But I know that is not enough because they do want to bring back their customers. And there are also F&B outlets that cannot do delivery and so on; it is not economical for them to do so, and therefore they really do want to bring back customers. But we need to remember that opening F&B is not just allowing the workers to work. It also means that you must allow the customers to go there and eat and dine in. When you allow that, that means you must allow gatherings. And if you allow gathering in the F&B, you must also allow gatherings outside because then it does not make sense to only allow the gatherings in the F&B. Therefore, it will lead to a general opening of the society, of the community and allow social gatherings of certain number of people. This will be a consideration for Phase Two. Even in Phase Two, we need to look at what are the settings that we will allow earlier opening. As I have mentioned, some of the dining in will probably be earlier, with some safeguards in place. Some of the venues, for example, even religious organisations, we are in discussions with them, we want to engage them to discuss with them what are the safeguards that can be put in place so that they can also open early.”
“The proactive screening of migrant workers in the dormitories will take some time because we have to do it systematically and carefully. They may take up to August or even September. So, we want to do it systematically. But as we do so, when the workers have been cleared through this process, they will then be able to start work. Therefore, we want to make sure that those who are able start work are safe in the community. And therefore, that will allow us to continue the process of opening our economy and if we are safe and remain safe in Phase One, we will then be able to proceed to Phase Two, hopefully – if all goes well – before the end of the month.”
“As restrictions are eased and more activities resume, it becomes even more critical that each of us exercise strong social responsibility to ensure that community transmission remains low. We need everyone to play their part: wear a mask when outside your home, maintain good personal hygiene and observe safe opening measures. Our combined efforts will help smoothen our journey of safe transition, and together, we can keep Singapore COVID-safe.”
“However, to ensure that we do not undo the efforts of the circuit breaker period, we will continue to adopt a more cautious approach for higher risk activities, such as those involving large numbers of people interacting with one another in enclosed spaces for prolonged periods of time. These include religious services, cultural venues such as arts performances, cinemas, museums and libraries. Nightclubs and bars, karaoke outlets and other public entertainment establishments have similar risk factors. Overseas and local experience has indicated that these settings can seed large clusters of transmission. At least 255 cases were linked to a nightclub cluster in South Korea’s Itaewon entertainment district in early May. In Singapore, the Hero’s Bar cluster is another example. Organisers of these activities and business owners would need to convince relevant agencies that they have robust plans to ensure safety, before we let them open. If community transmissions remain low and well contained, we will continue to ease measures and even increase the pace until we reach a new COVID-safe normal in Phase Three, which we expect to remain in, until an effective vaccine or treatment is developed. We understand the anxiety that our people are facing and are acutely aware of the economic and social impact of prolonged closure of various sectors. All of us want to get back to normal as soon as possible, as quickly as possible, and to be able to see our friends and family members whom we have not seen for some time. However, if we resume too many activities too quickly, there is a real risk of a resurgence in the number of COVID-19 cases or clusters, which may require us to re-impose strict measures and slow down the pace of resumption.”
“We will also strengthen health surveillance by conducting regular testing of the residents and having them report their health conditions daily. Any residents that test positive and their close contacts will be isolated expeditiously. While the number of cases we detect among the migrant worker population may remain high for some time, some of them may be past infections and are not active cases. Schools, student care centres and pre-schools will also reopen progressively, with precautionary measures in place. However, social gatherings are still not allowed, and everyone should only leave home for essential activities and should continue wearing a mask when doing so. The Multi-Ministry Task Force will closely monitor Phase One. If the community transmission rates remain low and stable, and the dormitory situation continues to be under control, we can move to Phase Two. In Phase Two, a broader range of activities will resume and we expect most of the economy to be able to reopen. In response to Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Lim Biow Chuan’s questions, retail, food and beverage dine-in services, as well as personal, health and wellness and home-based services will resume in Phase Two, subject to safe management measures being in place. Some may start earlier, others may need a bit more time to put in place the necessary safeguards. We will also allow small groups to meet up in Phase Two, including dining together, so long as they do not exceed five persons. We will also gradually re-open our borders for Singaporeans to conduct essential activities overseas. We will share more details later, nearer the date.”
“The Multi-Ministry Task Force has therefore taken a cautious and graduated approach to ensure safe opening in Phase One. We have decided to first resume economic activities that do not pose high risk of transmission, such as manufacturing and production operations, and work in office settings which have no or minimal interactions with customers. To keep workers safe, employers are required to put in place safe management measures such as enabling employees to telecommute where possible, avoiding face-to-face contact meetings and ensuring regular disinfection of common touch points and equipment at work premises. At work premises, workers should also avoid social interactions with colleagues, including meal times and break times. One of the areas that has a high risk of transmission is at the pantry area where most workers, while taking a break, are likely to let their guard down. At the same time, they remove their masks in order to enjoy a cup of coffee. So, that area is an area of high risk of transmission and we would like to remind everyone to exercise extra caution when you are at the pantry area and enjoying your break times. We have also worked with the dormitory operators to strengthen management practices, so that workers can live safely in the dormitories. These include tighter control of entry and exit, measures to limit inter-mixing of residents between blocks and levels, and staggered use of common facilities. Only those workers who have recovered or tested negative will be allowed to leave the dormitories. Even then, it would initially only be for the purpose of work, and with tight arrangements to transport them to and from work.”
“The United Kingdom and Germany limited social gatherings to two persons. Singapore has decided to maintain tight restrictions on social gatherings and household visits in Phase One, except for visits to parents and grandparents. We will allow gatherings of up to five persons in Phase Two initially and possibly relaxing this further if the situation remains under control. Many countries have also continued with basic preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission in public places and workplaces and we must do the same. These include safe distancing measures and wearing of masks. Taiwan has made mask-wearing mandatory on public transport and we have done so too. New Zealand allows businesses to operate subject to implementation of measures like maintaining safe separation between patrons, keeping contact tracing registers and regularly disinfecting shared surfaces. Likewise, we require workplace premises that are permitted to open to put in place safe management measures. Digital solutions have been used in many countries as well, such as Australia, China, Israel and South Korea to support the gradual resumption of activities by enabling faster contact tracing and identification of clusters. Singapore has similarly introduced TraceTogether and SafeEntry. The last and most important lesson we have learnt from other countries is that we cannot be complacent as there is always the risk of a second wave of the virus. We have seen a steady decline in community cases, to four cases per day in the past week. But we should be mindful that this is probably the effect of the circuit breaker. We expect to see a rise in new community cases as the activity levels and person-to-person interactions increase after the circuit breaker.”
“However, we must be mindful that there are still infections in dormitories, and there are still undetected cases in the community as evidenced from the unlinked cases we discover from time to time. The global situation has also not fully stabilised. Some countries are seeing a second wave of infection, after reopening their economy and allowing social activities, as pointed out by Mr Christopher de Souza. Therefore, we must remain vigilant even as we exit the circuit breaker. Mr Chong Kee Hiong and Mr Christopher de Souza asked what we can learn from other countries. The Multi-Ministry Task Force has been monitoring the global situation and learning from the experiences of other jurisdictions, including their strategies for opening the economy and the community. For example, New Zealand had moved from Alert Level 4, which is their highest alert level, to Level 3 on 28 April, and subsequently transitioned to Level 2 about two weeks later. In making these moves, the authorities took into account factors such as the number of daily cases to ensure the situation is under control, healthcare capacity to ensure the system can cope with potential rise in new cases once the restrictions are relaxed and adequacy of safety measures to prevent transmission. While the situation differs for different jurisdictions, most have taken a cautious and risk-based approach in lifting restrictions. While workplaces have reopened, many authorities have retained measures to limit social interactions and restrict mixing of households in the early stages of opening, as these are known sources of transmission. Hong Kong, for example, limited social gatherings to eight persons and this has just been extended by two more weeks because of a new cluster.”
“Thank you. Members will recall that we implemented the circuit breaker from 7 April, just two months ago. I am sure to some, it feels like two years ago. At that time, the number of COVID-19 cases was rising rapidly, with community cases averaging more than 30 a day, compared to just a handful in early March. This is coupled with an outbreak in the migrant workers' dormitories in early April. The circuit breaker imposed strict safe distancing measures, keeping people at home and only allowing basic essential services to continue. The number of community cases then began to decline and we extended the circuit breaker to 1 June in order to slow the infection further. We understand the impact that the measures have had on people’s lives and livelihoods. The economy practically came to a standstill. Community activities and social interactions ceased. No one went out except for essentials and work. Stress at home went up. Anxiety of seniors from physical isolation grew. We introduced measures to help Singaporeans cope with the circuit breaker but it was nonetheless a challenging two months. Overall, the circuit breaker was painful but necessary to slow the transmission in the community. Eventually, the daily number of community cases came down to low single digits towards the end of the circuit breaker. While the number of cases in the dormitories remained high, as pointed out by Mr Murali Pillai, it was partly due to proactive screening as part of our plan to clear the dormitories and prepare the workers to return to work. The situation in the dormitories had come under control. The time had come to begin our journey to resume activities, gradually and cautiously. Let me thank all Singaporeans for your patience and cooperation during the circuit breaker.”
“Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 1 to 5, please.”
“Individuals can achieve good health outcomes by taking charge of their health, seeking timely treatment and adopting healthy lifestyles. MOH facilitates this by reducing cost barriers to healthcare. For example, on health screening, subsidies under Screen for Life were enhanced in September 2017. Under this revised scheme, Pioneer Generation pays $0 for screening whereas Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) blue/orange cardholders (as well as Merdeka Generation since November 2019) pay only $2, and all other Singaporeans pay $5. This payment covers screening tests, doctor's consultation as well as the first follow-up consultation at CHAS GP clinics. MOH will continue to monitor health inequalities and put in place measures to ensure that all Singaporeans have access to quality and timely healthcare.”
“Data on life expectancy, hospital 30-day re-admissions and prevalence of chronic conditions by income groups is not available. There are many factors that influence hospital re-admissions. For example, the patient's age, presence of any pre-existing conditions, reason for initial hospital admission, quality of inpatient care, transition to community care, and follow-up care. Home environment and family support are also important contributing factors. Public hospitals have introduced various programmes to reduce re-admissions. This includes the Hospital-to-Home (H2H) programme, which supports patients' transition home and links patients and care-givers with appropriate community-based services. The H2H programme has served more than 14,000 patients. For chronic conditions, using educational levels as a proxy for socio-economic status (SES), men with primary education and below were more likely to have diabetes (1.3 times), but less likely to have hypertension (0.9 times) or high cholesterol (0.6 times) when compared to men with post-secondary education. However, for women with primary education and below, the chances were higher at 3.4 times for diabetes, 1.9 times for hypertension, and 1.4 times for high cholesterol compared to those with post-secondary education.1 Persons in the lower SES group with chronic diseases have good access to healthcare services and health outcomes. Among Singaporeans with primary education and below who have chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and high blood cholesterol, more than 90% had visited their doctor in the previous year for their condition. They had comparable disease outcomes with better educated Singaporeans in managing their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, although less so for blood pressure control.”
“MOH has not received any complaints against psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors from self-declared LGBTQ patients in the past three years. MOH and our healthcare institutions have systems in place to handle feedback or complaints against psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors. Patients may also seek assistance from the Singapore Mediation Centre for complaints against psychologists and counsellors or lodge a complaint against psychiatrists with the Singapore Medical Council. Psychiatrists are regulated under the Medical Registration Act which sets out the disciplinary processes and the set-up of disciplinary bodies, namely the independent Complaints Committees and Disciplinary Tribunals. The Complaints Committee will review each complaint and decide on one of the following actions: (a) dismiss the complaint, (b) issue a Letter of Advice, (c) issue a Letter of Warning, (d) refer the doctor to the Disciplinary Tribunal or the Health Committee for a formal inquiry. The Disciplinary Tribunal has the power to remove the doctor from the register, suspend the practicing license for a certain period of time or impose a fine of up to $100,000.”
“The number of patients who have appealed for financial assistance for medical treatment since January 2020 has remained about the same as that over the same period in previous years. Notwithstanding this, MOH has already put in place measures to improve healthcare affordability during this period. These include: (i) Free COVID-19 treatment for Singaporeans, except for those who choose to continue travelling against travel advisories during this period. (ii) Special subsidies for Singaporeans at the Public Health Preparedness Clinics for Acute Respiratory Infection diagnoses, to remove financial barriers to care. (iii) Extension of CHAS subsidy and MediSave for video-consultations of selected chronic conditions, to allow suitable patients to receive treatment at home. We will continue to work closely with healthcare institutions to identify patients who might be in need of financial assistance, exercise flexibility for appeals, and implement enhancements to our healthcare financing schemes to ensure that healthcare remains affordable for all Singaporeans.”
“In addition to funding suicide prevention services, NCSS has launched Belle, an interactive Helpbot to consolidate and provide 24/7 access to information about helplines and mental health services to make it easier for users to seek help when they need it. MOH will continue to work with public hospitals and service providers in the community, including schools, social service agencies and family service centres, to ensure that we provide holistic and timely support for persons with mental healthcare needs.”
“Singapore adopts a multi-prong approach to suicide prevention based on building mental resilience, encouraging help seeking and early identification, supporting at-risk groups, and providing crisis support. The reasons for suicides are often complex and multi-dimensional requiring a holistic management approach. Consequently, funds have been allocated for overall mental health awareness, prevention, detection and intervention and not specially for suicide prevention. In FY18, MOH's expenditure on mental health was approximately $310 million, comprising operating subvention to Institute of Mental Health (IMH), psychiatry services in Public Healthcare Institutions and intermediate and long-term care facilities, including funding for the various programmes under the National Mental Health Blueprint and Community Mental Health Masterplan. Social service agencies also have a key role in suicide prevention, by providing community-based intervention and support to individuals who are in distress. Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) provides support to individuals facing crises, thinking about or are affected by suicide. In addition to SOS, agencies such as Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) and TOUCH community services provide helpline and counselling services to the general public and youths respectively. These early intervention and upstream support help to reduce suicide ideation and suicide attempts. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) provided $8.7 million and $5.7 million in funding to Social Service Agencies (SSAs) for mental health support services and counselling programmes respectively in FY18.”
“The Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) supports seniors to age in place, by providing eligible Singaporeans aged 60 years and above means-tested subsidies to offset the cost of assistive devices and home healthcare items. Between 2017 and 2019, the Ministry of Health (MOH) disbursed $89 million in SMF subsidies. SMF subsidies are meant to support seniors with the purchase of their first device. Nonetheless, we recognise that there may be exceptional circumstances, where seniors may need to purchase a replacement device but have no financial means. In such cases, the Agency for Integrated Care will assess and approve applications on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the senior's circumstances.”
“The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10), which is the current standardised medical classification list by the World Health Organisation (WHO), states that sexual orientation alone is not to be regarded as a clinical disorder that needs to be cured. Homosexuality has not been considered a psychiatric diagnosis since 1973 (by the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and 1977 (by the WHO International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems). MOH expects doctors and other healthcare professionals to practice according to evidence-based best practice and clinical ethics, and to consider and respect patients' preferences and circumstances (including sexual orientation) when providing care. For individuals who seek care with a desire to change one's sexual orientation through clinical means, healthcare professionals should care for and support these individuals with empathy and sensitivity. Mechanisms for the public to feedback on care provided already exist at public healthcare institutions and members of the public can submit a formal complaint to the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) if a doctor is acting unethically or providing inappropriate treatment. The SMC takes complaints against doctors seriously and will investigate and impose disciplinary action if the doctor was found guilty of misconduct.”
“Thank you. I must say that we had the same debate in the task force. It is not an easy decision, but I will take Er Dr Lee Bee Wah's feedback seriously – I always take her feedback very seriously – and we will look at whether or not we could further liberalise for TCM practitioners, including the medical halls. But, today, medical halls that have a resident TCM practitioner are already allowed to do so. Basically, this is starting from the point of view that these TCM halls have to be opened. When the TCM practitioners are seeing patients and they cannot give them the medicine, then how are the patients going to be treated? Therefore, we allow the medical halls to be opened if the TCM is seeing a patient. Previously, we only allowed the patient whom the TCM practitioner had seen to purchase from the hall. Now, we have opened the hall to other people who can purchase from these halls. Even your residents can go to these halls to purchase their medication and we will look at how else we can expand this further.”
“For the TCM practitioners, we consult them, we get their views and we also want to share with them our plans going forward. But I would assure Er Dr Lee Bee Wah that we will continue to engage them. At the appropriate time, when we are more confident, and having done this first step of opening, if all goes well, we hope to be able to liberalise further.”
“I will answer them. Let me see whether I can remember. First, let me just state that the TCMs play an important part in our healthcare system. It is complementary to our western medicine and we do want to allow them to continue to operate in a safe and managed way. Therefore, we have always been allowing these TCM practices to continue, particularly through teleconsult, and for helping to look after the chronic patients. For chronic patients, we have always allowed them to purchase medicine from the medical halls when they consult the TCM practitioners. We have now actually liberalised it and we allow medical halls which have resident TCM practitioners to open, to be able to serve other customers. But we will continue to look at whether we can liberalise it further. But as I have said, as soon as the task force announced lifting some of the circuit breaker measures, we have a list of appeals from quite a lot of people all wanting to be part of the liberalisation. I can understand the anxiety of everybody because we have been on this circuit breaker for about a month, and tighter circuit breaker measures for about two weeks and I think everyone wants to see whether we can go back to normal. I must share with you that we have very heated debates within the task force to decide what to liberalise and what not to liberalise. But the top of our concerns is to make sure that infection remains under control, the reproductive number remains low. Therefore, it is important for us to do it in a calibrated way, in a managed way. I know there is still a lot of interest to open it up and we will continue to do so and we will be happy to get the task force to look at where else we could do so in a safe way.”