Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

22 Nov 2023

Enhancing Clampdown Against Vaporisers and Electronic Cigarettes

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim questioned the Minister for Health about plans to address online advertisements and purchases of vaping devices on social media and messaging platforms, given the rising trend among youths and students.
He also asked whether the Ministry will allocate more resources and manpower to the Health Sciences Authority over the next five years for enforcement against vaping-related offences.
The Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, responded that the Ministry is prepared to resource the Health Sciences Authority to enhance enforcement, including tackling online advertisements and sales, but emphasized the need for collaboration with other agencies like the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, National Environment Agency, and Ministry of Education to strengthen enforcement and education initiatives.

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22 Nov 2023

Percentage of Maximum Reimbursement of Dental Expenses for Public Officers and Quantum Adjustment

Leong Mun Wai asked the Prime Minister for the percentage of public officers who fully used the $120 annual dental reimbursement each year since 2010 and whether there are plans to adjust this amount due to rising healthcare costs.
Chan Chun Sing, representing the Prime Minister, responded that on average, less than 20% of Civil Service officers fully utilized the $120 dental benefit in the last five years.
He added that the government regularly reviews compensation and benefits to ensure they remain suitable for its needs.

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22 Nov 2023

Lessons from Seven-hour Disruption to Websites of Major Public Healthcare Institutions on 1 November 2023

The seven-hour disruption to public healthcare websites on 1 November 2023 was caused by a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack that overwhelmed firewalls, but patient care and critical clinical systems remained unaffected with no data breaches.
The incident highlighted rising DPGS threats and the need for evolving defences, prompting public healthcare to review and improve its DPGS mitigation, incident response, and recovery processes.
Measures will be implemented to prevent reoccurrence, including enhancing DPGS protections, updating response protocols, and ensuring resilience of internet-reliant services without compromising healthcare operations.

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22 Nov 2023

Enhancing Resilience from Lessons of Extended Large-scale Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack on Public Healthcare Institutions on 1 November 2023

The Government acknowledges that increasing digitalisation makes Singapore more vulnerable to cyber incidents and service disruptions, and emphasises that while some disruption is inevitable, prolonged outages should not be the norm.
Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) and key systems are prioritised for hardening, with minimum availability targets (e.g., 99.5% uptime) and regulatory requirements imposed by sector regulators to ensure service resilience across sectors like healthcare, banking, and telecommunications.
The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) are reviewing measures, including the Cybersecurity Act, to expand protection to other important digital infrastructure and services, with more details to be provided once ready.

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22 Nov 2023

Allocation of Resources for Singapore Medical Council to Process Complaints

The Singapore Medical Council (SMC) uses both internal resources and an external volunteer pool to handle complaints, and has expanded resources in recent years to manage its workload.
Since 2022, changes to the Medical Registration Act and enhanced training have improved efficiency, with 70% of 2022 complaints concluded within the year, up from 23% in 2018.
The Ministry of Health will continue to work with SMC to ensure timely resolution of complaints and sufficient resources.
A supplementary question raised the issue of penalizing frivolous complaints, but the Ministry suggested focusing on clear communication and processes rather than defining "baseless" complaints, and invited further suggestions for optimization.
The debate concluded with the Minister indicating that specific details on managing complaints should be addressed in a separate parliamentary question.

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22 Nov 2023

Employers with Insufficient Insurance Coverage for Migrant Domestic Workers' Medical and Hospitalisation Bills

Employers of migrant domestic workers must purchase medical insurance, with recent enhancements raising the annual claim limit to $60,000 to cover nearly all hospitalisation bills, and those facing financial difficulties are advised to seek assistance from medical social workers at public healthcare institutions.
A parliamentary question raised concerns about insufficient insurance coverage and financial support for employers, with the Minister of State noting that about 95% of bills were covered under the previous $15,000 limit and the new higher limit covers about 99% of bills.
An MP suggested allowing employers to use MediSave for their domestic workers' medical bills and including financial counselling in orientation programmes, but the Minister clarified that MediSave is reserved for Singaporeans and permanent residents, and the current orientation focuses on core responsibilities without expanding to financial planning.

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22 Nov 2023

Subsidies for Fertility Screening and Introduction of New Category of Fertility Screening for Use of MediSave

The government provides means-tested subsidies of up to 70% for medically indicated fertility tests, and continues to review financing schemes including MediSave to ensure affordability while balancing healthcare costs and CPF contribution rates.
MOH encourages couples to seek medical help based on age-related guidelines, and aims to raise awareness through partnerships, marriage and parenthood packages, and the Healthier SG initiative, rather than implementing population-wide screening.
Louis Ng highlighted that Singaporeans often delay seeking help for fertility issues and suggested extending subsidies universally, but MOH maintains that subsidies are targeted to medically indicated tests and there is currently no evidence for cost-effective population-level screening.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary emphasized that fertility tests are couple-centric and that existing subsidies are sufficient when tests are medically recommended, while noting ongoing reviews of MediSave and other schemes.
MOH indicated that while cost-benefit analysis is considered, population-level fertility screening is not deemed cost-effective at present, but will be monitored for future changes in evidence or data.

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22 Nov 2023

Inclusion of Risdiplam in Rare Diseases Fund to Treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Mr Ong Hua Han asked whether the Rare Diseases Fund (RDF) could include risdiplam for spinal muscular atrophy, citing data showing motor function improvements after treatment.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary explained that the RDF, a charity fund with government matching, lists treatments based on clinical effectiveness and donor funding, and that MOH will separately review spinal muscular atrophy treatments for mainstream subsidies.
Mr Ong followed up by asking if the RDF could modify its eligibility criteria to include medicines that enhance quality of life even without evidence of life extension.
The response noted that the RDF’s expert panel decides on covered medicines, and eligibility depends on sufficient funds to support all known patients for that treatment.

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7 Nov 2023

Interim Support for Employees Unable to Work for Extended Periods Due to Mental Illness

Keith Chua inquired about interim financial support and disability allowance options for employees unable to work due to extended mental illness.
Tan See Leng responded that individuals can apply for ComCare Short-to-Medium-Term Assistance, providing temporary cash and medical bill support, and access employment support agencies for customized job placement and training.
The National Council of Social Service has developed a Mental Health Toolkit for Employers to guide inclusive workplace practices, including supervisor training and adjustments to support employees with mental health conditions.

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7 Nov 2023

Reconsideration for Proposed National Mental Health Office to Come under Oversight of Prime Minister's Office

Keith Chua asked if the proposed National Mental Health Office would be placed under the Prime Minister's Office following the launch of the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy.
Ong Ye Kung explained the office will integrate staff from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social and Family Development, and Ministry of Education.
The office will operate as a unified unit within the Ministry of Health to implement the strategy and develop future mental health initiatives.
The approach is citizen-centric, focusing on coordinated efforts across ministries to enhance mental health support.

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7 Nov 2023

Take-up Rate of Human Papillomavirus Vaccines by Adults

Gerald Giam asked for past five years' HPV vaccine take-up rates among adults aged 18–64, split by bivalent, quadrivalent, and 9-valent vaccines, and whether the Ministry plans to include the 9-valent vaccine in the National Adult Immunisation Schedule with subsidies and MediSave use for ages 27–64.
Ong Ye Kung stated that HPV vaccination is nationally recommended for females aged nine to 26, with no vaccine approved for those over 45, and more than 90% of Secondary 1 female students were vaccinated in 2022.
Ong Ye Kung noted the Ministry lacks data on HPV vaccination by vaccine type across all ages and said the 9-valent vaccine is not cost-effective compared to the bivalent vaccine, so it is not included in national immunisation schedules or eligible for subsidies or MediSave claims.

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7 Nov 2023

Regulating Do-it-yourself Aesthetic Injectable Kits

Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked if the Health Sciences Authority will regulate do-it-yourself aesthetic injectable kits and require qualified medical practitioners to administer them for patient safety.
Ong Ye Kung stated that dermal fillers and botulinum toxin injections are registered health products and must only be administered by qualified medical practitioners to ensure safety, advising against DIY kits.
The Health Sciences Authority monitors websites and e-commerce platforms to remove listings of DIY injectable kits, with penalties including fines up to $50,000 and/or two years' imprisonment under the Health Products Act.

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7 Nov 2023

Recommendation for Teenage Boys to be Vaccinated by Choice against Human Papillomavirus in National Childhood Immunisation Schedule

Leong Mun Wai asked if the Ministry of Health would consider recommending HPV vaccination by choice for teenage boys, in line with other countries, and if not, to explain why.
Ong Ye Kung explained that HPV vaccination is nationally recommended for females due to its clinical and cost-effectiveness in preventing cervical cancer.
He noted that males do not get cervical cancer and the incidence of HPV-related anal cancer is much lower, making vaccination less beneficial and cost-effective at the population level.
The Ministry stated that males who feel at high risk can still get vaccinated at general practitioner clinics, and they will continue to monitor developments and review the policy as needed.

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7 Nov 2023

Implementation of MPOWER Measures under World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Hazel Poa asked which MPOWER measures Singapore has not implemented and what steps the government will take to achieve best-practice levels in all measures.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that Singapore has implemented all MPOWER measures, with highest achievement in monitoring tobacco use, offering quit help, and health warnings.
He noted that Singapore has yet to attain the highest level in protecting people from tobacco smoke, mass media warnings, enforcing advertising bans, and raising tobacco taxes.
The Ministry of Health will continue reviewing and enhancing tobacco control measures with relevant agencies to reduce smoking prevalence.

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7 Nov 2023

Sustainability of Private Insurance Plans Based on Non-rejection of New Applications with Pre-existing Conditions

Hazel Poa asked whether the Ministry has studied the sustainability of private insurance plans like Integrated Shield Plans without rejecting applicants with pre-existing conditions and why there are no plans to forbid such rejections.
Ong Ye Kung explained that a large risk pool of both healthy and unhealthy individuals is needed for sustainability, which is why MediShield Life covers all residents regardless of pre-existing conditions.
He noted that private Integrated Shield Plans are optional and subject to commercial and actuarial considerations, and if insurers cannot reject applicants with pre-existing conditions, they may need to raise premiums for all policyholders to maintain sustainability.
He added that insurers might still offer coverage to applicants with pre-existing conditions but with exclusions or higher premiums to avoid affecting other policyholders.

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7 Nov 2023

Mean and Median Waiting Times for Patients Receiving Psychiatric Help at Institute of Mental Health

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for the mean and median waiting times for psychiatric help at the Institute of Mental Health over the past five years.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that police-referred cases under the Mental Health Act are seen quickly with no significant wait.
For other new subsidised psychiatrist appointments at IMH, the mean and median waiting times for each of the past five years were provided in a table.
IMH uses a triage system to prioritize patients with more severe or urgent conditions for earlier appointments.
IMH also supports community service providers to help individuals with mild to moderate symptoms access prompt mental health care.

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7 Nov 2023

Steps to ensure Affordability and Accessibility of Mental Health Insurance for Lower-income

Dr. Wan Rizal asked if there are steps to ensure mental health insurance is affordable and accessible for lower-income individuals.
The Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, stated that this question has already been addressed in his written reply to Questions No. 46 to 49 on 6 November 2023.
The response directs attention to the Official Report of 6 November 2023 for specific details on mental health insurance coverage.
The debate highlights the government's prior engagement on the topic, pointing to written answers for further information.
The exchange underscores the focus on equitable access to mental health coverage for vulnerable populations.

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7 Nov 2023

Sustainability of Mental Health Support Officers in Schools

Keith Chua questioned the adequacy of counsellor-to-student ratios and early intervention for mental health in schools and institutes of higher learning in 2024.
Chan Chun Sing outlined current resources, including one to two counsellors per school, an average of six per polytechnic and ITE college, and varying numbers in autonomous universities.
He emphasized reliance on a broader support ecosystem beyond counsellors, including peer networks, teachers, para-counsellors, community mental health teams, and resilience-building skills for students.
The government regularly reviews these provisions to ensure they remain responsive to students' mental health needs.

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7 Nov 2023

Extending Post-retirement Medical Benefits for Government Pensioners

Murali Pillai asked if post-retirement medical benefits for government pensioners could be extended to cover in-patient treatments at community hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices without requiring referrals from restructured hospitals.
Chan Chun Sing, for the Prime Minister, explained that current benefits already cover acute care in restructured hospitals and sub-acute or rehabilitative care in community hospitals, as per the pensioner's scheme and guidelines.
The benefits also include MediShield Life premiums or additional MediSave contributions, and most pensioners are eligible for support under Pioneer or Merdeka Generation Packages with lifelong MediSave top-ups.
Through MediShield Life and MediSave, pensioners can already receive support for inpatient treatments in community hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices without referrals from restructured hospitals.

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7 Nov 2023

Improving Capacity and Facilities at Hougang Polyclinic

Dennis Tan asked the Minister for Health about plans to expand or improve capacity and facilities at Hougang Polyclinic.
Ong Ye Kung announced that renovation works will start in early 2024 and are targeted to complete by the second quarter of 2025.
The polyclinic will remain operational during the works, with efforts to minimise disruption to patients.

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