Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

4 Mar 2024

Use of Nasal Inhalers "Energy Sticks" in Singapore

Mr Yip Hon Weng questioned the Ministry of Health about the use of nasal inhalers or “energy sticks” in Singapore, particularly among children and students, and whether they should be regulated like e-cigarettes.
The Senior Minister of State for Health responded that these inhalers claim to provide an energy boost and contain ingredients similar to conventional nasal decongestants, with authorities monitoring their use, especially given social media marketing and flavors targeting youth.
The Ministry and Health Sciences Authority are evaluating these products to ensure they are not adulterated with harmful substances like nicotine and will take necessary actions to protect public health.

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1 Mar 2024

Plans to Ensure Adequate and Qualified Workforce For Community Care Services for Ageing Population

The Ministry of Health reports that community care sector manpower grew by about 9% annually from 2018 to 2022, and supports initiatives like the Senior Management Associate Scheme to attract mid-career professionals into roles such as centre managers.
Additional measures include funding for training and development through the Community Care Training Grant and collaboration with community care organizations to redesign job roles to make careers more attractive.
The government’s approach extends beyond reviewing salary guidelines to include attracting, developing, and retaining workers through targeted schemes and subsidies.
Specific milestones or progress indicators for workforce expansion were not detailed in the response provided.

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1 Mar 2024

Costs of Counselling at Public Hospitals for Couples Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Treatment

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for the mean and median costs of counselling at public hospitals for couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment over the past five years.
Ong Ye Kung provided a table showing the average charges for counselling at public Assisted Reproduction centres for couples before their first ART treatment.

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1 Mar 2024

Caseload Handled by School Counsellors

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Ministry of Education for the mean and median number of students handled by each school counsellor and hours spent per student over the past five years, and whether the ministry would consider collecting such data if it is not already tracked.
Chan Chun Sing replied that over the past five years, each school counsellor supports an average of 70 students annually with social-emotional and mental health issues, with time spent varying by student needs and support intensity.
The Ministry of Education does not track the time spent on each case and has no plans to do so, noting that counsellors also collaborate with school personnel, community partners, and parents on preventive programmes and other support ecosystem activities.

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1 Mar 2024

Unified Salary Guidelines for Community Care Sector

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has published salary guidelines for the community care sector to provide transparency and clarity, with implementation guidance offered to organizations through engagement sessions and monitoring conducted via yearly surveys.
MOH and the Ministry of Social and Family Development maintain separate salary guidelines for different sectors due to varying job roles and benchmarking, though they will continue to exchange information regularly; MOH funds salary enhancements but institutions must co-fund increases, which may lead to modest fee rises.
To address staffing challenges, the Ministry supports community care organizations through training, job redesign, and other initiatives, while acknowledging that salary is one factor and broader efforts are needed to attract and retain talent.

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29 Feb 2024

Strategies to Better Identify and Manage Outbreak of Tuberculosis and Other Infectious Diseases

The Ministry of Health monitors infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB) through healthcare professional reports, sentinel sites, and international collaboration, and has made wastewater testing a permanent surveillance tool post-COVID-19.
For TB, the response includes tailored contact investigations to screen and treat individuals with prolonged close exposure to active cases, which is a proven method to curb transmission.
The Ministry plans to enhance disease surveillance and reporting mechanisms by adopting new technologies, IT tools, and analytics to improve data insights and outbreak management.
Prevention strategies focus on community transmission reduction, while public awareness and education efforts on TB and other infectious diseases are being improved.
The approach to managing outbreaks is adaptive, based on the specific transmission mode and severity of each disease, ensuring a targeted and effective response.

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29 Feb 2024

Public Hospitals with Dedicated Role Similar to Patient Care Officer

Louis Ng inquired whether public hospitals have dedicated roles similar to Patient Care Officers and if plans exist to encourage more such positions.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary clarified that all public hospitals have similar roles, though they may carry different titles like Care Support Associates.
Louis Ng asked if efforts to increase support healthcare staff are as robust as those for nurses and if the ANGEL award could extend to administrative and support workers.
The Ministry of Health noted practical challenges in separating clinical and non-clinical roles and is discussing job redesign with healthcare clusters.
The Ministry will consider extending the ANGEL scheme to support workers and update members accordingly.

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29 Feb 2024

Update on Pilot for Pre-implantation Genetic Screening and its Inclusion as Mainstream Clinical Service

The Ministry of Health's pilot on Pre-implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) currently offers the test to eligible IVF patients aged 35 and above who have experienced recurrent implantation failures or pregnancy losses, with 195 patients having undergone PGS as of January 2024.
More patients need to be recruited for a robust evaluation of PGS's clinical efficacy before it can be considered for mainstream service, and the MOH is reviewing its expansion to private assisted reproduction clinics to increase participation.
The MOH highlighted that mainstreaming PGS requires careful consideration of factors beyond cost, including potential side effects and the need for substantial clinical evidence before widespread adoption.

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28 Feb 2024

Mid-career Entrants Taking Up Non-nursing Roles at Senior or Ageing Care Facilities via Government-funded Career Programmes

Between 2021 and 2023, about 1,400 mid-career entrants joined the community care sector in non-nursing roles each year through government-funded programmes, though the Ministry does not track their retention rates.
The Ministry of Health and the Agency for Integrated Care are working with organisations to improve retention by redesigning jobs, enhancing salary competitiveness, and publishing salary guidelines.
In response to manpower needs for expanded Active Ageing Centres, the Ministry is monitoring requirements across healthcare services but did not provide specific numbers, suggesting separate parliamentary questions for detailed data.

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28 Feb 2024

Review of Healthcare Services Act 2020 to Enhance Recognition and Regulation of Mental Health Professionals

The Ministry of Health is reviewing the Healthcare Services Act 2020 to assess the need for registering psychologists to enhance safety and quality, addressing the growing demand for mental healthcare.
The Act's advertising controls, including restrictions on terms like "treat" and "doctor," apply broadly to all non-licensed practitioners to prevent consumer misrepresentation, and MOH is engaging with psychologists to clarify proper usage.
Mental health professionals already participate in policy development and research through various channels, and any regulatory review will not limit these roles, which are governed by existing academic and funding protections.

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27 Feb 2024

Status of Blood Supply and Demand in Healthcare System and Protocols for Rapid Mobilisation in Emergencies

The national blood inventory for all blood types is currently healthy, with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) proactively managing supply through group donations, targeted SMS alerts, and social media campaigns to meet demand.
For rare blood types, HSA maintains a donor registry and uses freezing and thawing techniques to ensure availability, supported by contingency plans and emergency protocols under the National Blood Programme.
The nation's blood supply is prepared for emergencies or disasters, with established protocols for rapid mobilization to handle sudden spikes in demand.

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27 Feb 2024

Decision on Medicines Containing Phenylephrine for Use as Decongestants

Gerald Giam inquired about the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) plans to cease approving phenylephrine-based medicines as decongestants following a US FDA advisory panel's vote, including timelines and reasons for any inaction.
Ong Ye Kung responded that phenylephrine has a long history of safe use in Singapore and globally, and HSA is reviewing its effectiveness relevance locally.
Ong Ye Kung noted that the US FDA has not yet made a final decision despite the advisory panel's recommendation, and HSA will update the public if regulatory action is taken.

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27 Feb 2024

Engagements with Trade and Health Professional Bodies for Recently Published Community Care Sector Salary Guidelines

The Ministry of Health developed the salary guidelines through consultations with public sector healthcare leaders and community care organizations.
The guidelines are specifically for community care settings like nursing homes, eldercare centres, and hospices.
The guidelines do not include engagements with trade or health professional bodies for private clinics.

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27 Feb 2024

Waiting Time for Couples to Attend Assisted Reproductive Treatment Clinics at Public Hospitals

Louis Ng asked for the mean and median waiting hours for couples attending assisted reproductive treatment appointments at public hospitals over the past two years, or if not tracked, whether the Ministry would consider doing so.
Ong Ye Kung responded that the Ministry of Health does not track waiting times during appointments at public hospitals.
The Ministry instead tracks wait times to the date of the appointment as a more meaningful indicator of accessibility for assisted reproductive treatment.
This approach is used because almost all patients seeking this treatment are on appointments, making the wait to the appointment date a key measure.

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27 Feb 2024

Target Number to be Trained through New Master of Science in Holistic Palliative Care Programme

The new Master of Science in Holistic Palliative Care programme at NTU expects an initial enrolment of about 15 students, with graduates eligible for employment in public healthcare and community care organisations.
The Ministry of Health integrates palliative care into undergraduate training and offers postgraduate programmes through various institutions, with training grants and scholarships available.
Existing healthcare professionals can pursue alternative pathways like the Advanced Diploma in Nursing (Palliative Care) to enhance their palliative care skills.

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27 Feb 2024

Demand and Attrition Rates for Allied Health Professionals

The demand for Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in Singapore grew by 25% from 2019 to 2023, while attrition rates in the public sector rose from 8.9% in 2018 to 11.6% in 2022, with AHPs having higher attrition than doctors and nurses.
The Ministry of Health is addressing retention by improving career prospects, workplace environment, and competitive salaries, including starting salary increases for public AHPs in 2023 and salary enhancements in community care since 2021.
Efforts to attract more Singaporeans to AHP careers include doubling training intakes over the past decade and offering healthcare career conversion programmes for mid-career locals, while foreign AHPs are valued and may be granted PR status if committed to Singapore.

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26 Feb 2024

Students Enrolled in Nursing Programmes in ITE, Polytechnics and Universities Who Joined Nursing Profession after Graduation

The Ministry of Health reported that the total intake for nursing programmes in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) was about 2,100 in Academic Year (AY)2022, with 1,300 from polytechnics, 500 from ITE, and 300 from NUS, increasing by about 100 students in AY2023.
Approximately 90% of nursing graduates from IHLs who were in full-time permanent employment within six months of graduation in 2022 practised nursing, according to the Graduate Employment Survey.
The 2023 data on the employment of nursing graduates is not yet available, as noted by the Minister for Health.

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16 Feb 2024

Effectiveness of Project Wolbachia Phase 5 to Curb Dengue

The National Environment Agency reported that Project Wolbachia has reduced the local Aedes aegypti mosquito population by over 90% and made residents up to 77% less likely to be infected with dengue in areas with at least one year of releases.
The NEA plans to expand Project Wolbachia to five additional residential areas in early 2024, increasing coverage from 26% to 35% of all households in Singapore, with no current plans for industrial estates.
No unintended consequences or negative impacts have been observed, with risk assessments confirming safety for human health and negligible ecological risk, and community surveys showing 96% resident acceptance.

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16 Feb 2024

Profile of Patients Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Financial Support Available

The Ministry of Health reported international estimates of ADHD prevalence among children (5–8%) and adults (2–7%) and outlined existing financial support, including subsidized consultations and therapy of up to 70% through Child Development Programme, school-based interventions, and means-tested subsidies at public outpatient clinics.
The Ministry does not track a national dataset on the number of children diagnosed or treated for ADHD due to non-mandatory reporting, but noted that healthcare and education professionals are trained to identify neurodevelopmental conditions and guide parents to appropriate resources.
The Ministry confirmed it collaborates with non-profit organizations such as SPARK and Unlocking ADHD to promote public education, early detection, and tailored support for families dealing with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

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16 Feb 2024

Regulation for Use of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in Therapeutic Settings

Assoc Prof Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim asked whether the Ministry of Health has approved Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) for public and private therapeutic settings, how its use is regulated and monitored, and if there are plans to evaluate its effectiveness.
The Senior Minister of State for Health, Dr Janil Puthucheary, responded that VRET is a nascent psychological therapy not currently approved for treating disorders in Singapore, and research is ongoing to assess its effectiveness.

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