Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

10 Jan 2024

Statistics of Patients Discharged from IMH Due to Failure to Attend Appointments

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for the number of patients discharged from IMH due to failure to attend appointments over the past five years.
The Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, clarified that IMH does not discharge patients solely for missing appointments; instead, case managers follow up with patients and conduct home visits if needed.
The response indicates that defaulting on follow-up appointments triggers proactive outreach rather than automatic discharge.

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10 Jan 2024

Statistics on Assisted Reproductive Technology Success Rate for Public and Private Centres

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked for five years of ART success rates split by public and private centres for four age groups: under 30, 30–35, 36–40, and above 40.
Ong Ye Kung stated that success rates from 2017 to 2021 are comparable between public and private centres and provided average figures by age group.
He noted that 2022 data is not available due to data lag and a nine-month gestational delay.
The answer was brief and focused on averages across the five-year period rather than yearly breakdowns.

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10 Jan 2024

Possibility of Seniors Purchasing Assistive Devices with CPF or Government-endorsed Financing Arrangements

Ms See Jinli Jean proposed allowing seniors to use CPF or government-endorsed financing to purchase assistive devices like hearing aids to support active ageing and work productivity.
The government currently offers subsidies through the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, vouchers via Project Silver Screen, and subsidies for listed medical implants.
Seniors can also use MediShield Life and MediSave for implant costs, with further assistance available through healthcare providers or Agency for Integrated Care Link.

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10 Jan 2024

Proposal for Obesity to be Consider as Chronic Disease under Chronic Disease Management Programme

Mr Chua asked if obesity will be classified as a chronic disease under the Chronic Disease Management Programme and, if not, what prerequisites are needed.
Minister Ong stated that obesity is not recognized as a chronic disease internationally or locally but is linked to other chronic diseases already covered under the programme.
The minister highlighted that patients needing weight management can access relevant programmes and consult their doctors for advice.
Under Healthier SG, doctors will create care plans and refer patients to appropriate weight management programmes based on individual needs and goals.
The government currently does not plan to classify obesity as a chronic disease due to its association with other conditions rather than being one itself.

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10 Jan 2024

Feasibility of Making Integrated Shield Plan Insurance Fully Portable

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked for an update on the feasibility of making Integrated Shield Plan insurance fully portable, particularly when employees change jobs and lose corporate coverage.
Minister Ong Ye Kung noted that portability concerns have been largely addressed by MediShield Life, but switching insurers without underwriting is challenging as it could disadvantage insurers with pre-existing conditions, likely requiring government regulation.
The study is ongoing, weighing potential benefits like price competition against risks such as reduced benefits or higher premiums, while considering international experiences.

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10 Jan 2024

Healthcare Subsidy Savings Achieved with Use of Residential Property Annual Value for Means Testing

Gerald Giam asked the Minister for Health about the total healthcare subsidy savings since September 2022 from using residential property Annual Value for means-testing and whether the Ministry would consider removing it as a criterion.
Ong Ye Kung clarified that means-testing aims to target subsidies to those who need them most as subsidy amounts increase, not to save money.
He noted that patients struggling with bills after subsidies, insurance, and MediSave can apply for financial assistance like MediFund, which is assessed holistically.

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10 Jan 2024

Additional Co-funding at Reduced Percentages for Assisted Conception Procedures at Public Institutions for Unsuccessful Couples

Louis Ng asked whether the Health Ministry would consider additional co-funding at reduced rates for couples who have exhausted their existing co-funding for Assisted Conception Procedures (ACP) at public institutions for a first child.
The current co-funding limit of three fresh and three frozen cycles is based on clinical evidence showing declining success rates with successive cycles and with increasing maternal age, balancing public support with prudent use of funds.
The Ministry will monitor new data on outcomes from further cycles and maintains the six-cycle limit to ensure equitable treatment across all couples, regardless of family size.

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10 Jan 2024

Consular Assistance to Singaporeans or Their Family Members who Suffer Serious Injuries Overseas

MFA prioritizes assisting Singaporeans seriously injured overseas by quickly verifying their status, liaising with local authorities and medical institutions to ensure necessary care, and informing next-of-kin to provide consular support such as connecting with local doctors or facilitating medical repatriation.
For Singaporeans who die overseas, MFA advises next-of-kin on procedures for funeral services, local cremation, or body repatriation, and assists in obtaining required documentation from local authorities.
The Ministry reminds Singaporeans traveling overseas to take safety precautions, e-register with MFA before departure, and purchase comprehensive travel insurance to cover unexpected expenses like medical costs.

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10 Jan 2024

Update on Median Waiting Time for Hospital Admission and Proposal for More Day or Home Care Services for Elderly Sick

The median waiting time for public hospital beds increased by 2.4 hours from November to December 2023, attributed to a recent rise in hospitalizations due to COVID-19.
Hospitals will activate inpatient teams to start investigations for all Emergency Department patients and prioritize treatments for urgent cases.
Day and home care services are available during festive periods, with capacity expanded from 2,100 day places in 2011 to 9,200 in 2023.
Families caring for sick elderly or disabled relatives can seek assistance from any Agency for Integrated Care Link.
The Ministry of Health notes that the availability of day and home care services depends on the number of operational centers.

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10 Jan 2024

Impact of E-cigarettes Ban on Potential Loss in Tax Revenue for Government

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim questioned whether lost tobacco tax revenue influenced the e-cigarette ban and what obstacles exist to taxing legal e-cigarettes.
Lawrence Wong stated the 2018 ban was solely based on public health goals to protect citizens, with no consideration of tax revenue loss.
He added that legalizing and taxing e-cigarettes would face similar enforcement challenges as existing tobacco products, but the government has no plans to change its approach.
The government's priority remains protecting public health and preventing harm, especially to youth, rather than pursuing tax revenue from e-cigarettes.

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10 Jan 2024

Proportion of Outsourced Healthcare Workers Being Awarded COVID-19 Resilience Medal

About 91% of 68,600 healthcare workers in public institutions received the COVID-19 Resilience Medal, with the remaining excluded mainly due to insufficient or unsustained contributions or disciplinary issues.
Approximately 2,000 outsourced workers such as cleaners, porters, and patient care assistants in public healthcare institutions were awarded the medal.
The Ministry of Health reviewed and added more awardees after the initial list was published in May 2023, and individuals who believe they were missed can appeal for review.

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10 Jan 2024

Inspections of Licensed Cord Blood Banks and Support for Customers Affected by Recent Lapse at Commercial Cord Blood Bank

Ms Hany Soh asked the Minister for Health to consider increasing the frequency of biennial inspections and enhancing monitoring and reporting requirements for licensed cord blood banks, and in light of a recent incident, inquired whether the Ministry has received requests for assistance from affected clients and how it is supporting them.
The Senior Minister of State for Health explained that cord blood banks are inspected every two years, with additional unannounced visits if concerns arise, and that the Ministry will review regulations following the Cordlife incident while being mindful of regulatory burden, noting that many clients have sought assistance and the Ministry is supervising rectification and advising on transfers pending investigation.
Ms Soh asked why inspections are biennial and whether annual inspections could be explored to prevent recurrence, and the Senior Minister of State confirmed that the review will include the frequency and type of inspections and audits.

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9 Jan 2024

Considerations in Inclusion or Removal of Treatments in Cancer Drug List

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Ministry for Health to outline the factors considered when deciding which treatments to include in or remove from the Cancer Drug List.
Ong Ye Kung stated that the Agency for Care Effectiveness assesses treatments for both clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness before inclusion in the list.
Drugs already on the list are retained unless specific issues arise, such as a company defaulting on contracts, a company requesting removal, or a safety recall.
The inclusion process prioritizes treatments that are medically beneficial and provide value for money to the healthcare system.
Removal from the list is driven by contractual, safety, or company-requested factors rather than routine reassessment.

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9 Jan 2024

Healthcare Workers Receiving COVID-19 Resilience Medal

Leong Mun Wai asked whether all healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and frontliners in pandemic wards, received the COVID-19 Resilience Medal, and if not, how many were left out and why.
Ong Ye Kung responded that the issue had already been addressed in a previous oral reply on 9 January 2024, referring to official reports on appeals for those who missed out.
The exchange highlights the government's prior commitment to reviewing and addressing any gaps in the medal's distribution to healthcare workers.
It underscores the importance of recognizing pandemic frontliners while acknowledging that not all may have been included initially.

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9 Jan 2024

Patients Affected by Reduced Subsidy Levels from Introduction of Use of Residential Property Annual Value for Means Testing

The Ministry of Health does not track the number of patients whose subsidies were reduced after using residential property annual value for means testing.
The government increased annual value thresholds for healthcare subsidies from 1 January 2024 to maintain support for Singaporeans with greater needs.
Patients struggling with medical bills after subsidies, insurance, and MediSave can apply for financial assistance like MediFund, which assesses their circumstances holistically.

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9 Jan 2024

Number of Women and Men Who Have Undergone Fertility Screening at Public and Private Hospitals in Past Five Years

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Ministry of Health for data on the number of women and men who underwent fertility screening at public and private hospitals over the past five years.
The Ministry of Health does not track these statistics.
The debate only involved two speakers: Louis Ng Kok Kwang and Ong Ye Kung.
The exchange was brief, focusing solely on the existence of the data rather than its implications.
The Ministry's response directly addressed the query without additional commentary.

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9 Jan 2024

Regulation and Supervision of Cord Blood Banking Industry

Cord blood banking in Singapore is a licensable healthcare service regulated under the Healthcare Services Act, covering the handling, processing, and storage of cord blood for clinical use.
All cord blood banks are inspected every two years for compliance, with targeted audits conducted as needed, and non-compliance can lead to regulatory actions such as fines up to $20,000 or imprisonment up to 12 months.
Consumers must seek recourse from their cord blood banking provider based on their individual service contracts in the event of service lapses.

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9 Jan 2024

Reports of Incidents Involving Transportation and Escorting of Elderly Patients

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Ministry of Health about incidents in transporting elderly patients, responsibility for gig-platform services, and potential regulatory tightening.
Over three years, 10 safety incidents were reported for transport services appointed by MOH and AIC, with no incidents involving gig-platforms.
Service providers must follow standards and training requirements, and MOH will continue reviewing policies to ensure safety.

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9 Jan 2024

Health Risks of High Caffeine Consumption on Young People

Ms See Jinli Jean raised concerns about the health risks of high caffeine intake in young people and suggested restricting sales of energy drinks with high caffeine content, noting some contain 200 mg per can compared to a typical cup of coffee's 80–100 mg.
Minister Ong Ye Kung explained that there is no international health-based guidance or standards for caffeine limits, as evidence on negative effects is inconclusive and varies by individual factors like age, weight, and susceptibility.
He stated that Singapore's Food Regulations do not set maximum caffeine limits for beverages, and the Ministry advises moderate caffeine consumption while the Health Promotion Board provides informational resources.
The Ministry of Health indicated it will continue monitoring international developments on caffeine guidelines and health impacts.

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9 Jan 2024

Regulation of Advertisements for Aesthetic Treatments

Usha Chandradas inquired about the regulation of advertisements for aesthetic treatments, safeguards against misleading advertising by non-medical professionals like influencers, and available remedies for those harmed by such ads.
Ong Ye Kung confirmed that aesthetic procedures by licensed providers are regulated under the Healthcare Services Act 2020, and their advertising is governed by the Healthcare Services (Advertisement) Regulations 2021 to ensure accuracy and prevent unnecessary consumption.
He stated that non-medical professionals, including influencers, cannot advertise licensable healthcare services without a valid license, and violators face fines up to $20,000 and/or 12 months in jail.
Patients with concerns about illegal advertisements can lodge complaints with the Ministry of Health for investigations.

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