Ong Ye Kung
Singapore
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) recently enhanced the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) dental subsidies, which are tiered by income, for common preventive and restorative procedures.”
“Healthier SG GP clinics may also refer their enrolled patients to Active Ageing Centres and Community Health Posts to fulfill their social prescriptions and for subsidised services, such as medication management.”
“Public hospitals, such as the National University Hospital, the Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, have deployed robotic-assisted surgical (RAS) systems for minimally invasive soft-tissue surgeries.”
“The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) welcomes drug producers to choose Singapore as part of their first-wave filings. As long as a pharmaceutical product is approved by at least one regulatory agency, such as China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), it would also qualify for the abridged route.”
“A decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with diabetes can be due to multiple reasons. Doctors will first investigate the underlying cause before determining whether the patient should be referred to a specialist. Some causes are reversible and cause transient reduction in renal function.”
“Information on the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) cannot be made visible on the National Electronic Health Record system as it is protected under the Mental Capacity Act. Such information may only be disclosed by the Public Guardian to specified persons upon satisfactory submission of evidence(s) required under the law.”
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“We must consider both cost effectiveness and patient affordability. From Hippocrates to Hua Tuo (華佗), to AI and robotic surgery, the medical field has been advancing rapidly. We will take a multi-pronged approach to adopt long-term policies and make use of high-quality medical teams and cost-effective technology to bring better medical services to our people. (In English): Mr Chairman, when I informed the House three years ago that we would be a super-aged society this year, it was not to instil fear, but to prepare ourselves. Our transition to a super-aged society has been steady rather than dramatic. It reflects deliberate, long-term planning, including transforming the healthcare system. Indeed, healthcare transformation is fundamentally a long-term endeavour, not one sweeping reform. It is the accumulation of numerous small steps, each taken with judgement and purpose, each carefully planned and executed. And today, we announced further deliberate steps. Mr Chairman, it is my hope that this House continues to support our approach of long-term planning, long-term governance, to anticipate future challenges early and act before they overwhelm us. If we do so, we need not fear being a super-aged society. We can embrace it and we make the best of it. Ultimately, it is not the percentage of Singaporeans above 65 that defines us. We can exercise our wiser minds, to mourn less for what age takes away from us than what it leaves behind. What matters is that Singaporeans are not just living for longer; we are living healthier for longer. We are not just a super-aged society, but we are striving to be a super-healthy one as well. [Applause.]”
“When I asked them which AI application scenario was the most effective amongst all possibilities, they unanimously said that using AI to record patients' medical histories saves both time and effort and is the best application scenario. I agree with this approach. Although the use case seems simple, it allows everyone to benefit from it. It encourages everyone to accept new technology and understand that new technologies can help us, rather than threaten us. In our public hospitals, we have already started using AI to document medical histories. Our AI understands English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and Cantonese. I am not sure why only Cantonese among the dialects but it is currently working hard to learn other dialects. Someone once joked with me that the most experienced doctors will look at the person or the patient; experienced doctors will look at the illness; and less experienced doctors will look at the computers. I believe that in the near future, with the help of AI, most doctors will be able to look at the person and not just at the computers. This year, I also visited China and toured some hospitals and technology companies. I found that Chinese hospitals are also boldly trying out new technologies and their courage to innovate is something worth learning from. However, we must also recognise that there are differences between China and Singapore. For example, in the Chinese hospitals I visited, some traditional surgeries have already been replaced by robotic surgery. However, robotic surgery is very costly, and these expenses are often borne by the patients themselves, causing medical insurance premiums to increase. Therefore, in Singapore, we are very cautious when promoting robotic surgery or any other technology.”
“To better reflect MOH's core policy focus, we will change the Ministry's Chinese name to "保健卫生部", adding "healthcare" into the name. When our name reflects our core policy focus, the words and actions of the Ministry will naturally follow suit. Some may ask whether changing MOH's Chinese name would cost a lot of money. Please be assured that it will not, as most of our logos, legislation, documents, websites and so forth use only our English name. This highlights a separate issue. The name change will mainly affect future media reports and the expenditure will be minimal, but the meaning it conveys is very important. I have also just announced several new policies. First, to make medical expenses for chronic diseases more affordable, we will raise the annual MediSave withdrawal limit from $500 to $700 starting next year, whilst the annual limit for chronic disease patients with more complex conditions will be raised from $700 to $1,000. Second, we will begin providing subsidised genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer for higher-risk women from the end of this year. Third, we will use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist doctors in predicting individual's risk of developing chronic diseases, such as high cholesterol and diabetes. For high-risk Singaporeans, we will encourage them to take preventive measures through Healthier SG. Speaking of AI, over the past year, I have visited the US and China with the MOH team to study their experiences and practices in applying technology in healthcare. In the US, we visited several renowned hospitals.”
“I should also point out that the changes to IP riders affect only new policy holders, but not existing policyholders. We will always watch out for the cancer patients when we make changes to IP riders. Mr Chairman, in Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Two thousand twenty-six marks the year when Singapore enters the super-aged phase. We should view this milestone with level-headedness and a calm mind, much like celebrating a birthday. Whilst we are collectively a year older as a society, life continues as usual without sudden or dramatic changes. Singapore has always prepared for rainy days and we have long been preparing for an ageing society. Over the past decade, the Government has progressively adjusted policies across various domains with the goal of ensuring every Singaporean has support in old age, medical care when ill and a home to live in. The most important point is to ensure that our people remain young at heart despite growing old physically. Therefore, preventive healthcare has become the MOH's core policy focus. Speaking of the MOH or "卫生部" in Chinese, I do have some thoughts on this Chinese name. Strictly speaking, "卫生" is more commonly associated with hygiene, yet MOH does not manage hygiene matters. Hygiene matters are managed by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, which is helmed by Minister Grace Fu. However, from a medical perspective, everyone understands that the concept of "卫生" is about preventing, fighting and treating various infectious diseases, which remains an important mission of ours. However, the medical challenges of modern society differ from those of the past. Non-infectious diseases, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes now cause far more harm than infectious diseases.”
“This scheme helps patients pay for their recurring costs of managing conditions on the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP). Mr Cai Yinzhou and Mr Gerald Giam asked about this. Today, individuals with a simple chronic condition can use up to $500 a year, while those with complex chronic conditions can withdraw up to $700 per year. To provide more support for preventive and chronic care in the community, we will raise MediSave limits from $500/$700 to $700/$1,000. This will benefit over 910,000 patients who currently tap on the scheme, roughly 20% of whom have annual bills exceeding the withdrawal limits. We will also expand the list of conditions covered under the CDMP to include hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. In addition, we are studying whether we can include other chronic conditions, such as eczema, in the CDMP. With the above enhancements, we will rename "MediSave500/700". It is actually a cumbersome name. Every time you change the limit, you change the name. We will rename it to "MediSave Chronic and Preventive Care Scheme", to reflect its scope of coverage. The changes will be effective January 2027. Before I end this section, let me address the question posed by Ms Sylvia Lim. I thank her for watching my TikTok videos. She mentioned the role of riders in providing additional coverage for cancer treatments not on the Cancer Drug List (CDL). The objective of the recent changes to IP riders is to prevent over-erosion of co-payment because that sets off a "buffet syndrome" and then that leads to rapid escalation of private hospital bills. IP riders covering non-CDL drugs for outpatient treatment, do not contribute to this erosion and therefore, this feature will not be affected by the changes.”
“Hence, I can appreciate the repeated and various calls by Members to allow MediSave to be used more flexibly, to cover more chronic diseases, or as Mr Pritam Singh suggested, to pay for higher private insurance premiums. 11.15 am But I also hold the realistic view that no matter how frequently MOH reviews the MediSave scheme, how much we liberalise and expand its usage, the public and Members of the House will continue to press me and MOH to liberalise the scheme every year during the COS and probably, outside of the COS. It is the karma of the scheme – because it is designed to be the linchpin of the healthcare financing system. It must always navigate between present and future healthcare needs, between recurring disease management and the major hospitalisation episodes. Trade-offs are inherent in the MediSave scheme. It is zero sum. Using more balances for recurrent medical expenses means having less in the future when we are hospitalised and vice versa. And when the tension becomes too severe, we will have to consider raising contribution rates so that you have a bigger pot to spend. The tension is therefore deliberate and a design feature. It is a balance we must constantly and carefully manage, to ensure the system of co-payment is held together while ensuring affordability and keeping CPF contribution rates reasonable for everybody. Hence, we continue to have ongoing, regular reviews to study where we can expand the use of MediSave and provide more flexible withdrawals. For example, we recently increased the Flexi-MediSave limit for seniors, and we doubled the annual limit for diagnostic scans. This time, we will make further changes to the MediSave500/700 scheme.”
“Indeed, it is very well documented that hospital expenses escalate almost like a vertical wall towards the end of life. And so, even after accounting for inflation, the average Singaporean living up to their mid-80s spends almost four times as much on hospital expenses in the last 10 years of their life compared to the previous 10 years. But that explains the existing design of the MediSave withdrawal system, and why the system is designed like that, why the scheme is designed like that. It has higher limits for more complex treatments and longer hospital stays, and you can draw on it as and when you need it. This meets the original objective of MediSave, which is to co-pay for major in-patient episodes, whether they happen unexpectedly or in old age. With this design, after subsidies, MediShield Life and MediSave, nine in 10 Singaporeans pay less than $500 out-of-pocket for their subsidised in-patient bills. However, it is human nature to worry about present medical expenses rather than lumpy potential, unexpected or future hospital bills. Hence, as a relief valve, we have schemes, like Flexi-MediSave and MediSave500/700, to provide flexibility for chronic disease management for scans, for dentist visits, and so forth, without overly diluting MediSave's original objective of catering for these big lumpy hospital bills in old age or during emergencies. But the situation has changed since MediSave was implemented in 1984. At that time, people in Singapore lived to about 73 on average. Today, we live to 85 and beyond. On one hand, it continues to be important to preserve MediSave for big hospital bills. On the other hand, as people live longer, the need to spend on preventive care and chronic disease management also go up.”
“It is to keep coverage focused and premiums affordable. Then private insurance takes dressing from MediShield Life. Dr Hamid Razak and Ms Sylvia Lim asked about this. In fact, Ms Stefanie Thio – she is the founder of the non-profit organisation SG Her Empowerment (SHE) – has raised this issue with me several times. I share the concerns. With advances in medical science, the boundary between preventive and curative care is increasingly blurred. If a high-risk individual is unable to undergo preventive mastectomy, she has a high chance of eventually needing cancer treatments, including a curative mastectomy to remove cancerous cells in her breast or cancerous tissue in her breast. There is, hence, a case for MediShield Life to be judiciously extended to cover certain selected preventive surgeries. We are prepared to do so when there is a clear clinical need, minimal risk of abuse, the procedure is suitable for risk-pooling, through insurance, and it does not financially burden the MediShield Life scheme. Risk-reducing mastectomies for breast cancer prevention, and the removal of both fallopian tubes and ovaries for ovarian cancer prevention, fall within these criteria. We will therefore extend MediShield Life and MediSave to cover preventive surgeries for HBOC later this year. I should add that breast reconstruction is also covered, no different from today. This will better support women to harness genomics to better take care of their health. I think this is a meaningful policy change ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March. [Applause.] The third initiative is to inject more flexibility in the use of MediSave to encourage early intervention and reduce downstream complications. Assoc Prof James Lim was right to describe medical expenses as lumpy.”
“And then, we take steps to reduce their risk of future heart attacks and strokes. We will now move on to our next genetic condition, which is hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). In Singapore, it is estimated that one in 150 individuals carry a gene mutation, such as the BRCA1 or 2, that are associated with HBOC. Such mutations substantially increase a woman's lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. From December this year, we will offer subsidised genetic testing to at risk individuals for HBOC, such as individuals with a family history of HBOC. They will undergo genetic counselling before and after the test. And if they test positive, we will also offer the test to their immediate family members – cascade testing. We expect over 2,000 individuals to be eligible for the test annually. We will make the test affordable. In addition to subsidies, the cost of the test can also be offset using MediSave. For those found to have the mutation, they will be offered suitable preventive interventions. Typically, this means more frequent breast MRIs or mammograms or oral medication. Patients will ultimately decide, in consultation with their doctors, which intervention is appropriate. A minority may opt for surgical interventions. Members may recall celebrity actress, Angelina Jolie, after she discovered she had the BRCA1 gene mutation, she underwent a double preventive mastectomy. I came across women in Singapore who chose to undergo preventive mastectomy to reduce their risk of breast cancer, such as Ms Gwendalyn Too, and these women have demonstrated great courage. Unfortunately, they lament that they cannot claim insurance for such surgeries, because MediShield Life generally does not cover prevention. And it is designed to be so for a good reason.”
“If the tool flags a patient as high risk, the doctor may recommend more significant lifestyle adjustments and instead of three-yearly check-ups, maybe annual check-ups. These additional screenings will continue to be subsidised under Healthier SG. The second initiative, I think is an exciting and significant one, and a breakthrough, which is to use genomics to strengthen preventive care. Dr Hamid Razak asked about this. We are born with our genes. They shape our biological blueprint and indeed, many diseases are linked to our genetic characteristics. But we need not be fatalistic about it. Genes are not our destiny. How we live, how we manage risk matters a lot. So, we do not go fumbling through our genetic blueprint, hunting for blemishes and possible mutations that we know little about. It will create a lot of anxiety in all of us, and we will become a nation of hypochondriacs! So, instead of shooting in the dark, we should focus on the parts of the blueprints that are illuminated by science. This means taking a disease-specific approach, identifying genetic characteristics that we know drive certain diseases and for which we know there are established preventive interventions and treatment pathways. This is what we did for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We did that last year. FH is a genetic condition that increases the risk of heart attacks even amongst young people. The FH genetic testing programme offers subsidised genetic testing for individuals with abnormally high cholesterol levels. And if they are tested positive, we will offer the same test to their immediate family members. This is what we call cascade testing. By doing so, we try to identify as many individuals as we can in Singapore with the FH genetic mutation.”
“Ms Mariam Jaafar and Dr Choo Pei Ling spoke about how AI can strengthen healthcare delivery and we agree. When it comes to AI in healthcare, we are guided by two principles. One, care should be AI-enhanced, not AI-decided. Clinicians remain in the loop and healthcare remains a profoundly human endeavour. Two, we take a practical, use case approach. AI should not be a hammer looking for a nail, a solution looking for a problem. We deploy AI where we know it will improve patient outcomes or the delivery of care, and where it can do so cost-effectively. One such use case is in health screening. Around the world, many AI models have been trained to predict if a well person is likely to develop severe diseases in the near future. If we use it appropriately and responsibly, such tools are very useful. It helps the clinicians intervene earlier; it can delay or even prevent the onset of serious diseases. MOH has developed such a model for our local context using anonymised patient data. With this model, by reviewing an individual's current health status, it can identify if he/she has a high risk – high risk defined by 75% or above – of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, within the next three years. We chose diabetes and high cholesterol because they are the key drivers of strokes and heart attacks, which affect 60 Singaporeans every day – every day, 60 Singaporeans either have a heart attack or a stroke. Many of these cases can be prevented if early actions were taken, such as through lifestyle adjustments and medication. This AI risk assessment tool will be rolled out to doctors for all Healthier SG enrolees from early 2027.”
“I think, almost certainly, the share of spending on aged care will grow further, because we need more nursing homes, senior care centres, rehabilitation services and hospice care. As for population health, we do our best to maintain this share at around 19%. With total spending rising, maintaining the share alone requires a strong commitment to continue to invest in population health. Mr Chairman, today, my MOH colleagues and I will be speaking on further steps to transform healthcare and get ready for the future. Senior Minister of State Koh will speak about manpower. It is a key agenda, including how we will significantly shorten the time to train clinical psychologists. We are taking seven to eight years currently; we will reduce it to about five years. Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will speak about anchoring care in the community through technology. And Members heard Minister of State Rahayu speaking about population health and preventive care, including what we are doing in the north, where prevalence of chronic diseases is higher. There was a question by Ms Mariam Jaafar, she missed that part of the speech. I should emphasise – this is in case she asks many clarifications later – preventive care and population health remain the overarching strategic thrust of what we are doing, anchored by Healthier SG and Age Well SG. I thank Ms Mariam Jaafar and Dr Haresh Singaraju for speaking about this. This is at the core of healthcare transformation and MOH agrees with many of the points they have raised. I will now speak about three new initiatives to support healthcare transformation. The first common topic this whole Committee of Supply (COS) and Budget debate – AI, once again.”
“When well, they need preventive care; when sick, they need coordinated care because they tend to have multiple conditions; post discharge, they need rehabilitative care and follow-up care in the community. Good health is not a default; it is a continuous quest for an old person. So, from episodic hospital care, we now need continuous multi-disciplinary care across settings. This shift is reflected in how we have allocated healthcare funding over time. Let me show another chart on screen. [Please refer to Annex 2.] 11.00 am The chart on the left, the height of the chart is our Government healthcare budget in 2021. The right bar is 2024. Members can see that, overall, budget has increased by 1.5 times. But I want to draw Members' attention to the composition. At the start of this decade, 2021, around three-quarters of our operational funding for the healthcare sector went towards acute hospital care – that is the white portion of the bar. The remaining one-quarter was spent on aged care and population health, including preventive and primary care. Today, we move to the right, 2024. The budget is 1.5 times that of 2021, but the share of acute hospital care has fallen, from three-quarters to almost two-thirds – the remaining one-third going to aged care and population health. Specifically, the share of funding for aged care rose from 11% to 13% – that is the green portion – between 2021 and 2024. Over the same period, the share for population health grew from 14% to 19%. These shifts are driven largely by our national programmes, Healthier SG and Age Well SG. Looking ahead, how would this chart go?”
“As a result, private hospital bill sizes have been rising rapidly, and private insurance premiums have been escalating very quickly. Once that genie is out of the bottle, it is difficult to put it back. But it will not stop us from trying. We will try. In our S+3M system, multiple payers pull their weight to pay for this national healthcare bill. Apart from co-payment, we have insurance schemes like MediShield Life. It plays a sizeable role. A big part of it is also paid by charity dollars. We thank all the donors and philanthropic organisations. But the biggest proportion, about half. of the national healthcare bill is paid through tax revenues, redistributed as Government healthcare subsidies. The Government health budget today is about 2.7% of GDP this year, and it is expected to rise to about 3.5% of GDP by 2030. This 0.8 percentage point increase is actually very significant. It means increasing the Government's health budget from about $22.5 billion this year to about $30 billion in 2030. And beyond 2030, the Government's health budget will likely continue to grow. We must ensure that the increase can be supported by economic growth and by rising tax revenues. And at the same time, we must continue to maintain that discipline and avoid unsustainable levels of healthcare spending that we see elsewhere. The next topic I want to talk about is transforming the healthcare system. A healthcare system for a young population is very different from one for an older population, for a super-aged society. For a young person, sickness tends to be episodic. You are admitted to hospital, you get treatment, you get discharged and then you recover. Good health is the default. On the other hand, an older person's care journey is complicated and continuous.”
“Thank you. This is a scatter chart of different countries and you can see Singapore is an outlier, in the bottom right corner. Let me interpret this chart. The vertical axis measures how much the population spends on healthcare. Developed economies, shown by the different dots on screen, typically spend around 9% to 12% of gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare, with the United States (US) – outlier in the other direction – spending 17%. Singapore spends below 5%. The horizontal axis is average lifespan. This is an internationally accepted and generic measure of health outcomes. And Singapore has one of the highest lifespans in the world. But of course, beyond lifespan, there are many other measures of health outcomes and across all these measures, Singapore is comparable to or even better than many developed economies. So, how did we become an outlier like this? I think it has a lot to do with our S+3M healthcare financing system that Members are familiar with. And MediSave is the linchpin of that system. Singaporeans and our employers set aside part of our monthly income into MediSave. The Government also provides top-ups from time to time for various segments of the population, and we did that again this Budget. And we then use MediSave to co-pay directly for a small part of the cost of healthcare. So, even for a modest co-payment, it goes a long way to instil discipline and reduce unnecessary consumption on both the supply as well as the demand sides. We do not have to look very far to imagine what happens when that discipline is eroded. You just look at private healthcare in Singapore. The discipline of co-payment was weakened because of overly generous insurance, including the IP riders.”
“There are international reports about psychological disturbances potentially related to intensive artificial intelligence (AI) use, but this is not an established clinical diagnosis. Other than a few anecdotal cases, no clear trends that these cases are on the rise have been observed locally, but we are monitoring this closely because the potential health risk posed by AI and digital media is of real concern.”
“Telemedicine needs to be delivered appropriately and carefully, especially when it involves third-party medication delivery platforms. Hence, safeguards have been instituted to regulate telemedicine. All telemedicine service providers need to have doctors as licensed holders. Registered medical practitioners providing telemedicine must adhere to the Singapore Medical Council's Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines. Retail pharmacies, under the oversight of a qualified pharmacist, must comply with the Singapore Standard Guideline for the supply and delivery of medication (SS 644: 2025). Pharmacists must also adhere to the Singapore Pharmacy Council's Code of Conduct. Finally, patients must be counselled concerning the proper use of dispensed medications regardless of care setting.”
“Subsidised patients who obtain medications at Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs) for their care will have their goods and services tax incurred fully absorbed by the Government. If a patient requires a medication that is unavailable in one PHI, the PHI can check to see if the medication is available at other PHIs. If not immediately available, PHIs may exercise discretion to procure these medications for the patient or assess the suitability of alternative treatments. Hence, PHIs would not require subsidised patients to obtain medically indicated medications from private sources in the vast majority of cases.”
“In 2025, the Ministry of Health (MOH) ran a public education campaign to educate the public on the Integrated Shield Plans (IPs) and riders, to understand the distortive effects of IP riders, and encourage policyholders to size their health insurance coverage appropriately. In addition, MOH publishes comparisons of benefits, features and indicative lifetime premiums across IPs, as well as service indicators for the insurers. In 2025, MOH and the Central Provident Fund Board also launched the Health Insurance Planner, an interactive tool that helps Singaporeans to make informed decisions about their health insurance coverage. On insurers' profits, aggregate numbers on gross premiums collected and claims settled across insurers are publicly available. As explained in response to Parliamentary Question Nos 1 to 4 on 24 September 2025, the gross premiums collected and claims settled for IPs reveal that most insurers are barely breaking even or making losses on their health portfolios. [Please refer to "Reviewing Regulatory Framework for Integrated Shield Plans and Assessing Practice of Pre-authorisation", Official Report, 24 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 4, Oral Answers to Questions section.] The distortion caused by IP riders is benefitting no one.”
“The LumiHealth programme was designed between Apple and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) as a time-limited, two-year programme, to experiment and discover ways to use digital technology to nudge individuals to lead more active lifestyles. The programme concluded on 31 May 2026, after six years of collaboration, including a four-year extension to the original plan. The programme has engaged more than 377,000 Singaporeans in cultivating sustained healthy habits. However, being a commercial partnership, HPB is not at liberty to disclose numbers on e-vouchers. HPB is now integrating the learnings into our broader digital health ecosystem through Healthy 365.”
“The Ministry of Health does not recommend the routine use of such tracking devices for dementia patients. There are ethical and privacy issues involved in the use of such devices for dementia patients and require careful consideration as part of a broader care plan. Some community trials are underway.”
“Polyclinics handle over 600,000 attendances a month. Telehealth services accounted for about 2% of such attendances in both 2024 and 2025. The volume is modest, partly because we use telehealth when it can be delivered appropriately and safely. For example, it is suitable for reviewing of test results, monitoring patient recovery and follow-up of chronic conditions, but we should not do away with the initial in-person consultation. There are ongoing efforts by the polyclinic clusters to expand the use of telehealth where appropriate and to provide support for patients facing difficulties in navigating technology, including working with community partners. While patients' satisfaction for telehealth services is currently not specifically tracked by the Ministry of Health, the polyclinics do gather feedback from their patients to contribute towards service improvement initiatives.”
“The question raised by the Member concerning the evaluation and enhancement of community mental health teams will be addressed at the subsequent Sitting, together with other similar Parliamentary Questions filed.”
“Under the Tripartite Framework for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare, healthcare workers are encouraged to report all incidents of abuse and harassment as soon as possible. Public healthcare institutions have put in place the necessary protocols, including activating supervisors or security personnel to de-escalate the situation and warning perpetrators against such behaviour and making clear our zero-tolerance stance against abuse and harassment. These are typically done on the spot or within the same day. Thereafter, the public healthcare institutions may adopt further follow-up actions as appropriate. This could include written warnings to perpetrators and barring abusive next-of-kin and visitors from the premises. Serious cases, such as those resulting in physical harm to the healthcare worker, will be reported to the Police, where the length of the investigation depends on the nature and complexity of the case.”
“With heightened awareness since the launch of the Tripartite Framework for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare in 2023, 3,000 and 4,200 abuse and harassment incidents were reported by the Public Healthcare Institutions (PHIs) in 2024 and 2025 respectively. Of these cases, about 7% were considered high severity involving a high level of harm or distress. About 15% of all cases were reported to the Police.”
“The Ministry of Health does not monitor the consolidation of independent clinics into corporate chains. That said, we regulate clinical standards and ethical practice of clinicians. The Government will provide support to healthcare providers, including small practices, to comply with the Health Information Act (HIA). This includes funding support for procuring HIA-compliant information technology systems and training.”
“The Ministry of Health is aware that additional documentation is required for a minority of cancer claims. These usually involve non-CDL drugs where insurers may need additional information, such as whether the treatments have been approved by regulatory authorities or supported by established clinical guidelines. The additional information is requested on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the claim is appropriately and accurately assessed, in order to pay out the correct benefits to the policyholder. We do not track the number nor the processing duration of cancer claims that require additional documentation outside of the national claims processing system.”
“There is a range of programmes as part of Age Well SG to help seniors stay socially connected. Our Silver Generation Ambassadors reach out to seniors and connect those at risk of social isolation to buddying and befriending services at Active Ageing Centres (AACs). Community befrienders visit these seniors at least once a month. The AACs also engage seniors through activities, such as communal dining, and provide regular volunteering opportunities to ensure they are meaningfully engaged. Seniors with more complex conditions, such as dementia and depression, will be referred to more targeted support services. For example, seniors with dementia can participate in cognitive stimulation and social recreational activities at Dementia Day Care centres. Community Outreach Teams (CREST) provide support to seniors with mental health needs, including mental health screening, emotional support and appropriate social activities.”
“HealthHub's Terms of Use were updated in September 2025 and November 2025 arising from Data Protection Trustmark requirements and enhancement of the Caregiver Access module respectively. Since then, there has not been a reduction in the number of monthly unique HealthHub users. Residents who prefer not to use HealthHub have the option of contacting the public healthcare institutions directly through service counters and contact centres.”
“General Practitioners (GPs), including those participating in Healthier SG, already perform routine blood tests for their patients and enrollees. Healthcare clusters also work closely with GPs to enhance collaboration where possible. Today, patients can be referred from public hospitals to their partner GPs or polyclinics for follow-up closer to home.”
“The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has not conducted assessments of smart public outdoor fitness corners. Singapore has adopted our own solutions, with over 3,400 outdoor fitness corners and 28 ActiveSG gyms island-wide that provide accessible exercise options for residents, including seniors and lower-income groups. To support residents in using these facilities, HPB provides online resources on HealthHub that guide users on how to effectively utilise fitness facilities. In addition, the Healthy 365 app enables residents to track their activities and set activity goals and provides digital physical activity programmes.”
“Counsellors work across different sectors, such as health, education and social service. Their scope of competencies vary widely depending on the areas they serve. For example, counsellors in the social service sector attain competencies prescribed in the Skills Framework for Social Service, which is developed by SkillsFuture Singapore and Ministry of Social and Family (MSF) Development in partnership with Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Education and Institutes of Higher Learning. On the other hand, counsellors who also provide mental health counselling develop competencies that are prescribed in the National Mental Health Competency Framework in conjunction with the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy. Professional standards can be upheld through several mechanisms. Within the public healthcare system, counsellors are subject to institutional oversight and governance to meet service delivery standards. Within MSF-funded programmes in the social service sector, counsellors are required to meet hiring requirements and undergo clinical supervision and continuous training to enhance their competencies. Beyond this, the Singapore Association of Counselling offers voluntary accreditation and ensures standards and safe practice though professional certification requirements, a code of ethics, and ongoing training and support for their members. MOH takes a risk-based regulatory approach and regularly assesses the evolving risks of healthcare and mental health services under its oversight, including professionals providing such services and considers additional safeguards where necessary.”
“Tuberculosis (TB) is endemic in Singapore and across the region. Hence, TB screening for short-term visitors is impractical, because it will become a major deterrence for visitors to come to Singapore. As for long-term pass applicants, we adopt a risk-based approach. All except selected Employment Pass applicants are required to undergo screening for active TB disease with a chest X-ray on arrival into Singapore. This also includes periodic health screenings during pass renewal. As for Employment Pass applicants, our surveillance on Employment Pass holders showed that prevalence of TB amongst them is low. Hence, applicants are instead required to submit a medical declaration that they are free of TB. All TB cases are notifiable under the Infectious Diseases Act and subject to mandatory treatment. TB is also highly treatable, with a well-established treatment pathway. The key risk is when young children are infected, as they can develop highly dangerous meningitis. This is why we administer the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine to infants at birth, which will protect them against TB for 10 to 15 years. Communicable Diseases Agency will continue to assess potential enhancements in its screening measures together with the relevant agencies based on the global and local epidemiological situation.”
“The new requirements for Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders aim to moderate the escalation of private healthcare costs. There are other measures targeted at managing healthcare costs, such as developing claim rules and enforcing on inappropriate claims, publishing benchmarks for hospital charges and private specialist fees, and more public education on insurance. Please refer to the response to Parliamentary Question Nos 1 to 4 for the Sitting on 24 September 2025. [Please refer to "Reviewing Regulatory Framework for Integrated Shield Plans and Assessing Practice of Pre-authorisation", Official Report, 24 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 4, Oral Answers to Questions section.] Most Singaporeans use public subsidized healthcare. The most impactful measures to ensure healthcare affordability are in healthcare financing – enhancing subsidies and MediShield Life coverage as costs go up. However, however healthcare is financed, it will translate into taxes, insurance premiums or out of pocket payments by patients, all of which the population ultimately bears. It is therefore crucial that healthcare financing policies are appropriately designed for the long term, so that they remain sustainable.”
“From 2021 to 2025, the unique numbers of school-going children up to 18 years old with a diagnosis of a mental health disorder or a neurodevelopmental condition in public hospitals are shown in Table 1 below. The data comprises newly diagnosed and existing cases seen each year at the public hospitals. The incidence rate is not available as the Ministry of Health does not track the data of children diagnosed and managed in the private healthcare sector. About half of the diagnosed cases in the public hospitals receive medications for their conditions.”
“The Ministry of Health has no plans to allow private healthcare providers to procure drugs not included in the Healthier SG (HSG) Medication List from the Agency of Logistics and Procurement Services (ALPS), because this can be construed as a centralised national healthcare procurement strategy. For a small market, like Singapore, this can have significant consequences. It may mean less favourable prices being secured through negotiations for subsidised patients, less incentive for pharmaceutical companies to enter the market and hence limiting the range of drugs available in Singapore.”
“P-tau217 as a biomarker for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease is still being tested in local research trials. The United States Food and Drug Administration has indicated that the test is not intended as a stand-alone screening or diagnostic test. The Ministry of Health will continue to monitor developments in this field.”
“There are established care pathways for seniors with possible hearing loss. For example, seniors can receive hearing screening at convenient locations like active ageing centres (AACs) and community centres (CCs) under Project Silver Screen (PSS). PSS screening is conducted in convenient locations in the community, like AACs and CCs. Seniors found to have hearing abnormalities will be referred for further diagnostic assessments at the healthcare clusters, such as at Community Audiology Clinics (CACs). Seniors who require hearing aids can receive hearing aid fitting and evaluation services at the CACs. Seniors who have more complex conditions will be referred to specialists in the public healthcare institutions. Besides PSS, seniors who present at polyclinics and GP clinics with hearing difficulties will also be assessed and referred for follow-up at CACs or the public healthcare institutions as required. In addition to the subsidised rates provided for the procedures above, eligible seniors who require subsidised hearing aids may also tap on the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund, which provide means-tested subsidies of up to 90% for eligible applicants. Those with severe hearing loss who require costlier hearing devices, such as cochlear implants, may also tap on subsidies, MediSave and MediShield Life.”
“As of February 2026, there are 56 community dialysis centres (DCs) providing subsidised haemodialysis (HD) services across Singapore. The distribution by planning area is based on the projected demand of patients who require subsidised HD in the area. The Ministry of Health also considers several other factors in siting DCs, such as site availability, accessibility via public transport and co-location synergy with other community facilities.”
“Under the Infectious Diseases Act, measles vaccination is compulsory for all children aged 12 and below residing in Singapore. All foreign-born children aged 12 years and below applying for long-term immigration passes in Singapore also have to be vaccinated or be immune against measles. For children who have yet to receive the vaccinations, we send HealthHub notifications and reminder letters to parents, reach out during preschool enrolment where proof of immunity is required, and provide catch-up vaccination in primary and secondary schools. In some countries, the trust in clinically proven vaccines have unfortunately waned. This explains the spike in measles infection worldwide as societies start to lose their herd immunity. Ultimately, to remain resilient against measles, the Singapore population needs to continue to subscribe to scientific evidence and the benefits of vaccines.”
“The Member may refer to the replies to oral Parliamentary Question No 17 for the Sitting on 24 February 2026 and written Parliamentary Question No 11 for the Sitting on 26 February 2026. [Please refer to "Data on Measles Cases by Residency Status and Sufficiency of Local Herd Immunity", Official Report, 24 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 18, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section; and "Maintaining High Measles Vaccination Coverage Through Enhanced Vaccination Programmes", Official Report, 26 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 20, Written Answers to Questions section.] The recent increase in measles cases in Singapore is largely driven by a global resurgence of measles. Singapore remains vulnerable to imported cases and small clusters due to pockets of unvaccinated individuals and high travel volumes from measles outbreak areas. Nonetheless, there is currently no evidence of sustained community transmission of measles. To protect vulnerable groups, particularly infants under 12 months who are not yet due for vaccination, we rely on maintaining high population immunity. We continue to maintain robust surveillance systems to detect and respond to cases and monitor vaccination coverage closely to maintain high immunisation rates.”
“Having the passion to serve in healthcare is always the top-most criteria for nursing education programmes. At the same time, we need to ensure that nursing students are able to cope with the rigour of the programme. The current entry requirements try to ensure that, without being too stringent. The O-level cut-off point for the polytechnic nursing diploma programmes is ELR2B2 aggregate of 28 points. Through the Early Admissions Exercise, the polytechnics also take in applicants primarily based on their aptitude, motivation and a strong interest in nursing. There are also alternate pathways, such as going to the Institute of Technical Education to be trained as an Enrolled Nurse, before working and upgrading to become a Registered Nurse or mid-career switches, through our skills re-development programmes.”
“Public healthcare clusters have always operated on a not-for-profit basis. They incur substantial deficits to provide subsidised healthcare services to Singaporeans. The deficits are then covered by Government grants. Post-grant, they may break even or have a slight surplus, which will be ploughed back to improve the healthcare system, such as through infrastructure and service improvements. While the accounts are not published, the public may obtain the financial reports of public healthcare clusters through the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's website.”
“Under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, a Mental Health Tiered Care Model has been established where services are tiered based on care intensity. The Practice Guide for Tiered Care Model for Mental Health was developed to guide service providers to deliver appropriate and effective care to individuals based on their needs. To improve access and ensure care at appropriate settings, the Ministry of Health has introduced First Stops for Mental Health via the national mindline 1771, mindline.sg and Community Outreach Teams and CHAT services. These services provide assessment of mental health needs, brief support, triage and if needed, referrals to more suitable services. This ensures that those seeking mental health support are referred to the appropriate care settings, reducing unnecessary attendance at Acute Emergency Rooms and Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs). For individuals with more severe or urgent needs who present at the hospital emergency departments, psychiatrists will assess the need for admission. Suitable patients at the SOCs can continue care at primary and community care settings by trained counsellors and social workers.”
“Advance Practice Nurses (APNs) are at the apex of the clinical nursing track, having post-graduate training, empowered to make certain clinical decisions and work collaboratively with doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide complex nursing care. As of 31 December 2025, there were 419 APNs in active practice, which works out to 1% of the nursing workforce in Singapore. The Ministry of Health aims to train 700 APNs by 2030. With the transformation of the healthcare system to shift more care to the community and non-hospital settings, APNs can lead or play a major role in the delivery of a broad spectrum of care in diverse settings, including acute and community hospitals, mental health services, primary care, community health posts, home care and in nursing homes.”
“The Prime Minister's Office is working with the Ministry of Health to review various fertility health policies, including financing support for Assisted Conception Procedures. More details will be shared when ready.”
“Singapore's public and private hospitals have established infection prevention and control protocols and programmes to detect and manage infectious diseases. These were developed over the years, through the experience of pandemics, such as SARS, H1N1 and COVID-19, and will be applicable against the Nipah virus. They include the provision of isolation facilities and the maintenance of adequate supply of personal protective equipment. In addition, further contingency measures can be activated quickly, under the Infectious Diseases Act, to further protect healthcare staff. The Ministry of Health will continue to review and update our disease outbreak response plans and conduct regular exercises with healthcare institutions.”
“Under section 46 of the Infectious Diseases Act, the parent or guardian of every child in Singapore must ensure that the child is vaccinated against diphtheria and measles. Foreign-born children aged 12 years and below who are applying for long-term immigration passes in Singapore are also required to submit documented proof of vaccination or evidence of immunity for diphtheria and measles to the National Immunisation Registry for verification.”
“When it comes to genetic tests for preventive care, the Ministry of Health takes a disease-centric approach, where there are established gene-disease relationships and proven interventions. We have started on a couple of diseases and will explore others, including Type II diabetes in due course.”
“To address the rising burden of cancer, we have been embarking on upstream population health measures, such as discouraging smoking and alcohol consumption, promoting healthy diet and physical activity. For specific cancers, we also encourage vaccinations and early detection through evidence-based screening programmes under Healthier SG. The Government will continue to support research into the causes, detection and management of cancer and work through the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium to better coordinate the work of local cancer researchers. We will also regularly review and monitor our efforts in cancer prevention and care.”