Dialysis Centres in New Towns

Dr Janil Puthucheary asked the Minister for Health (a) how does the Ministry intend to facilitate the provision and development of dialysis centres in new towns such as Punggol; and (b) to what extent has the Ministry planned for the local community provision of future chronic healthcare needs of these citizens.

Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) play a key role in the provision of dialysis services in the community. MOH has been assisting the VWOs such as the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in identifying suitable sites in areas where there is a need for such services and in facilitating discussions with relevant authorities to secure these sites.

My Ministry will continue to monitor the demand for dialysis centres, including in new towns such as Punggol. Besides ensuring sufficient capacity for haemodialysis, we are also working with the VWOs and renal physicians to improve the access of peritoneal dialysis for suitable patients who can enjoy a more active lifestyle with this modality of dialysis.

The Government also supports VWO providers' efforts to raise funds so as to help reduce patient bills. For example, the $1 billion Community Silver Trust (CST) provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants for funds raised by VWOs providing intermediate and long-term care services, such as NKF. In addition to the CST, Government also provides operating subvention to help defray VWOs' operating costs for providing dialysis service and lower the cost to patients. We have recently increased our subvention to enhance the support for VWO providers.

We are also adding primary care capacity to cater to the future healthcare needs of an older population, especially those with chronic conditions, including dialysis patients. Specifically, two new polyclinics will be built in the new towns of Punggol and Pioneer by 2017.