Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

7 Nov 2023

Equipping Counsellors with Skills to Address Unique Challenges Such As Gender Dysphoria, Bullying and LGBTQ Issues

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim questioned the Minister for Health on the actions taken to equip mental health professionals to handle issues like gender dysphoria, bullying, and familial rejection faced by LGBTQ individuals.
Ong Ye Kung responded that mental health professionals must manage patients with sexual orientation or gender identity struggles in a clinically appropriate and sensitive manner.
The Ministry of Health has implemented two key measures: providing education and training for psychiatrists-in-training, including clinical care for LGBTQ individuals and those with gender dysphoria, and developing best practice guidelines for professionals working with youth on sexual orientation issues.
These guidelines, last updated in 2015, are currently being updated in consultation with professionals from psychiatry, psychology, counselling, and social work fields.

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7 Nov 2023

Programmes to Identify and Support Seniors with Mental Health Issues

The Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being has launched Singapore’s National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy to improve cross-agency collaboration and integrate healthcare with social support.
The Ministry of Health and Agency for Integrated Care have established 68 Community Outreach Teams (CREST) to identify seniors with mental health needs and provide basic emotional support and service referrals.
Active Ageing Centres serve as community nodes for seniors, with staff referring cases to CREST teams when mental health needs are identified.
Silver Generation Ambassadors, during home visits, share mental health resources with reluctant seniors and encourage them to seek help to address stigma and reluctance.

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7 Nov 2023

Requiring Private Clinics and Hospitals to Routinely Update Patient Data on National Electronic Health Record System

The Ministry of Health plans to introduce a Health Information Bill to mandate licensed healthcare providers, including private clinics and hospitals, to submit key health information to the National Electronic Health Record system, with phased implementation starting end-2025.
A main challenge has been that private healthcare providers often lack IT systems compatible with the NEHR, which the government is addressing through the Early Contribution Incentive scheme offering one-time funding support since December 2022.
If the bill passes, the ministry will proceed with a timeline to phase in mandatory participation from private healthcare providers to achieve comprehensive integration of healthcare records.

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7 Nov 2023

State of Mental Health as Consideration when Granting Work Passes to Foreigners

Ms He Ting Ru asked if mental health considerations should influence work pass approvals for foreign professionals who lack quota or salary qualifications but can offer mental health services in Singapore.
The Ministry of Manpower noted it already provides flexible work passes for sectors with urgent needs like healthcare, requiring foreign professionals to meet Singapore’s practice standards.
Beyond hiring, efforts are underway to strengthen community mental health support through frontline personnel, volunteers, and enhanced competencies of existing providers.
A Tiered Care Model has been introduced under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy to organize services across health and social sectors based on severity of needs.
These measures aim to lay the foundation for strategic enhancements to Singapore’s mental health ecosystem and improve access to care.

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7 Nov 2023

Measures to Protect Vulnerable Residents from Impact of Haze

The Ministry partners with the National Environmental Agency and a Haze Task Force to monitor air quality and issue daily advisories, providing specific health guidance for vulnerable groups like the elderly and those with chronic conditions.
Measures include distributing N95 masks to lower-income residents during severe haze, installing air purifiers in schools and preschools, and ensuring healthcare facilities are prepared for haze-related medical issues.
At the regional level, Singapore supports ASEAN’s efforts to combat transboundary haze, including through the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre and a new coordinating centre in Indonesia to strengthen hotspot management.

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7 Nov 2023

Guidelines for Insurers to Adopt Fair and Responsible Practices towards Persons with Disabilities and Those with Mental Health Conditions

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has proposed guidelines requiring insurers not to reject applications solely based on a disability or mental health condition, but to conduct objective risk assessments.
Insurers may still decline applications, charge higher premiums, or impose conditions based on the assessed risks, particularly for health insurance, to maintain business sustainability.
The government intends to finalize the guidelines by mid-2024 and subsequently withdraw Singapore's reservation on Article 25(e) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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7 Nov 2023

Manpower Crunch for Critical Healthcare Roles Such As Radiographers and Pharmacists

Melvin Yong asked if there is a manpower crunch for critical healthcare roles like radiographers and pharmacists, the reasons for it, and how the Ministry plans to address it.
Ong Ye Kung confirmed a healthcare capacity crunch, including manpower shortages for pharmacists and allied health professionals, driven by an ageing population and higher post-COVID patient load.
The Ministry is tackling the shortage through multiple measures such as expanding local training, offering recruitment incentives, keeping pay competitive, creating upgrading pathways, and using foreign manpower.
Additional steps include redesigning healthcare roles to be more meaningful and improving staff well-being with a zero-tolerance policy on harassment.

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7 Nov 2023

Streamlining of MediFund Application Process to Allow Approval to be Accepted Across Healthcare Institutions

The Ministry of Health is implementing changes by March 2024 to streamline MediFund applications, including mutual recognition between acute hospitals and step-down care for three months and within the same healthcare cluster for outpatient treatment for one year.
ComCare graduates will continue receiving MediFund support for three months after graduation to avoid a cliff effect, while MediFund Committees retain full discretion over approvals.
Dr. Tan Wu Meng welcomed the changes and suggested enhancing resources for medical social workers and collaborating with SSOs or family service centers to support immobile patients with home visits for assessments.

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6 Nov 2023

National Athletes Seeking Psychological Support

National carded athletes under the Sport Excellence (spex) programme receive support for psychological and mental well-being, including regular well-being surveys during medical check-ups to screen for distress and disorders.
Cases flagged as needing attention are assessed by the Singapore Sport Institute’s sport science team, with referrals to the Singapore Sport and Exercise Medicine Centre for clinical expertise if required.
The Minister referred to previous parliamentary responses on mental health support for athletes for comprehensive details, but did not provide specific annual figures on the number of athletes seeking psychological support over the past five years.

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6 Nov 2023

Annual Visits to Public and Private Mental Health Providers and Average Consultation Costs

He Ting Ru inquired whether the Ministry of Health has annual visit data for public and private mental health providers over the last five years and average consultation costs for private psychologists and counsellors.
Ong Ye Kung stated that MOH has data on visits to psychologists in public hospitals but does not track visits to private mental health providers.
Ong Ye Kung also confirmed that MOH does not track the consultation costs for private psychologists and counsellors.

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6 Nov 2023

Persons with Special Needs in Community Health Assistance Scheme (CHAS)

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked about the percentage of CHAS card users who are persons with special needs over the past five years and whether special subsidies for them could be introduced.
The Ministry of Health stated it does not track data on CHAS cardholders who are persons with special needs or their subsidy usage.
The Ministry explained that healthcare subsidies under CHAS are based on medical conditions and income tiers, not specific demographic groups like persons with special needs.

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6 Nov 2023

Mental Health Insurance Coverage

Dr Wan Rizal and Miss Cheryl Chan raised concerns about disparities in mental health coverage among Integrated Shield Plan (IP) providers, asking if the Ministry will develop guidelines or standards to ensure basic coverage and improve data collection and risk assessment for underwriting.
Ong Ye Kung responded that all Singaporeans are covered under MediShield Life for inpatient mental health treatments, while IP providers offer optional coverage with varying limits based on actuarial considerations, noting that outpatient mental health care is better supported through subsidies and MediSave.
The Minister highlighted that MediFund serves as a safety net for those unable to afford treatment after using insurance, subsidies, and MediSave, and that the Ministry regularly reviews financing schemes to meet evolving needs.

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6 Nov 2023

Impact of Recent Leak of Personal Data at Academy of Medicine Singapore on Ministry of Health's Operations and Data Security

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi questioned whether the September 2023 personal data leak at the Academy of Medicine Singapore affected the Ministry of Health’s operations and data security due to shared clinician information across public and private sectors.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung confirmed the breach did not impact MOH’s operations or data security, as there are no system connections or government data shared between MOH and AMS.
The incident was reported to the Personal Data Protection Commission Singapore, with investigations currently ongoing.

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6 Nov 2023

Inappropriate Claims by Doctors Involving MediShield Life

Mr Don Wee asked about the extent of inappropriate MediShield Life claims by doctors, the monetary value of such claims, the number of valid claims wrongfully denied by insurers, and the resources available to investigative teams.
The Ministry of Health reported that since October 2022, 29 out of 32 adjudicated claims were deemed inappropriate, involving about $400,000, with enforcement actions taken against providers and potential referrals to the police or medical council.
The Ministry and Monetary Authority of Singapore do not track wrongful denials of Integrated Shield Plan claims, but insurers must be fair and policyholders can seek recourse through specific dispute resolution channels.

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6 Nov 2023

Number of Registered Day Surgery Centres in Public and Private Sectors and Patient Load

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked about the number of registered day surgery centres in public and private sectors, annual surgeries from 2019 to 2022, and whether more minimally invasive procedures could be allowed in these centres to reduce hospitalisation costs and healthcare demand.
As of October 2023, there are 66 licensed day surgery centres across both sectors, with surgeries rising from 509,000 in 2019 to 565,000 in 2022.
The Ministry of Health stated that all surgical procedures, including minimally invasive ones, can be performed in day surgery centres if a doctor deems the patient fit and not at high risk for complications.

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6 Nov 2023

Number of Singaporeans Qualifying Yearly for Project Silver Screen

From 2019 to 2022, approximately 28,000 Singapore residents aged 60 and above participated yearly in Project Silver Screen, excluding COVID-19 suspension periods.
Seniors prescribed assistive devices for vision, hearing, or oral health receive vouchers of up to $200 per device, with additional support from funds like the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund for eligible individuals.
The Ministry of Health does not have a breakdown of actual government subsidies by device type and continues to encourage participation and facilitate assistive device take-up.

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6 Nov 2023

Mental Health Services under REACH Programme

Ms Mariam Jaafar asked about the number of schools not offering REACH mental health services and the number of students assisted each year over the past five years.
Chan Chun Sing stated that students in all schools can be referred to REACH teams for assessment and intervention.
He added that REACH teams received an average of about 1,500 referrals from MOE schools annually in the past five years.
The response did not specify the number of schools without REACH services or provide a yearly breakdown of students assisted.

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6 Nov 2023

Programmes to Educate Parents on Associated Risks of Cyber-addiction Among Youths and Guidelines for Conducive Home Environment

Edward Chia asked the Ministry of Education to expand parent education programmes on cyber-addiction risks and to provide home environment guidelines.
Chan Chun Sing emphasized the critical role of parents in guiding children’s digital use and noted that schools collaborate with parents through resources, expert insights, and Parent Support Groups.
The Ministry is working with other agencies under the Interagency Taskforce for Mental Health and Well-being to develop a Parents’ Toolbox to help manage children’s device use safely.

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6 Nov 2023

Mental Healthcare Support for Public Officers

Hazel Poa inquired whether public officers can claim mental healthcare expenses under the MediSave-cum-Subsidised Outpatient scheme and if the Government plans to enhance mental health benefits.
Chan Chun Sing confirmed that reimbursements are available for treatments by SMC-registered doctors at licensed facilities, subject to guidelines.
The Public Service offers free counselling via a mental health hotline, curated programmes like mindline@work, and a network of over 2,000 mental health ambassadors for support.
The Government is committed to continually enhancing mental health care for public officers through these existing and expanded measures.

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6 Nov 2023

Introduction of “Calm Spaces” in Public Venues

Member See Jinli Jean asked about plans to introduce “calm spaces” in public venues for individuals with invisible disabilities under the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy, including locations and timelines.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that calm spaces already exist in several venues like the National Gallery, National Library branches, dementia day care centres, and IMH to provide private, safe areas for relaxation.
The Minister clarified that there are no plans under the Strategy to introduce dedicated public calm spaces for a single client group, but ground-up efforts to promote mental well-being are welcomed.
He noted that Singapore’s dense urban environment ensures public places of peace and quiet through land use planning and building codes.
The Minister emphasized that everyone has a role in improving the mental health and well-being of the population.

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