Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

4 Jul 2023

Amount and Safety of "Hangover Supplements" Sold

Melvin Yong asked about the trend, safety, and public education regarding hangover supplements sold in Singapore.
Ong Ye Kung stated that unlike medicines, such supplements are not regulated as stringently and cannot make hangover-related claims, with companies required to remove such claims if found.
The Health Sciences Authority conducts post-market surveillance and has not issued any advisories for hangover supplements, while general consumer guides are available online.

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4 Jul 2023

Encouraging More to Take Part in Blood Donations

Melvin Yong inquired about the Ministry's plans to boost blood donations and whether rules restricting donations after visits to certain countries could be reviewed to alleviate the current blood stock shortage.
Ong Ye Kung responded that the Health Sciences Authority and Singapore Red Cross collaborate with various organizations to run marketing campaigns and use digital platforms to promote blood donation.
He added that the Health Sciences Authority will remove the deferral for apheresis donors with geographical risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease later this year after reviewing international evidence.

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4 Jul 2023

Provision of Medical Insurance Coverage for Consumers as Licensing Condition for Food Caterers and Suppliers

Ms Hany Soh proposed requiring medical insurance for consumers as a licensing condition for food caterers, especially those serving vulnerable groups like children and the elderly, following gastroenteritis outbreaks.
Government agencies are collaborating to reduce gastroenteritis incidents, with a significant decrease in cases compared to the previous year.
The Ministry has no plans to mandate medical insurance for all caterers, citing increased compliance costs despite the industry's generally good track record.
Consumers can rely on existing healthcare subsidies, MediShield Life, and MediSave for medical expenses, including for children.
The response emphasizes that current measures and available financial support are sufficient without imposing additional licensing conditions.

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4 Jul 2023

Mandating Increase in Accommodation Allowances for Foreign Healthcare Workers Given Recent Rental Rate Increase

Dennis Tan asked if the Ministry of Health will mandate or recommend higher accommodation allowances for foreign healthcare workers due to rising rental costs.
Ong Ye Kung responded that public healthcare and community care organisations provide housing allowances, but the ministry does not mandate specific amounts.
The Ministry of Health continues to monitor housing allowances as part of the salary package for foreign healthcare workers.
MOH Holdings is studying the feasibility of providing hostel-type accommodation for new foreign healthcare workers upon their arrival in Singapore.

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4 Jul 2023

Use of MediSave for Grandparents and Siblings on Long-Term Visit Pass

Mariam Jaafar asked whether MediSave could be extended to grandparents and siblings on Long-Term Visit Pass.
The Minister replied that MediSave can already be used for immediate family like parents, spouses, and children on LTVP, but not for grandparents or siblings to protect savings.
He noted that LTVP patients facing financial difficulties can seek help from medical social workers or submit appeals for case-by-case assessment.

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4 Jul 2023

Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being's Recommendations for Workplace Mental Well-being

The Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being uses the iWorkHealth tool to assess workplace mental wellness, with 2022 data indicating one in three employees experienced work stress or burnout.
The Taskforce has developed five preliminary recommendations to improve mental well-being in workplaces, including enhancing support systems and work-life harmony for all employees and better employment support for those with mental health conditions.
The Government is working with Tripartite Partners to promote the iWorkHealth tool and aims to release the National Strategy for mental health and well-being by the end of the year.

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4 Jul 2023

Preserving Experience of Senior Healthcare Workers

Dr Wan Rizal asked the Ministry of Health about plans to preserve the experience of senior healthcare workers in less physically demanding roles and what additional measures beyond job redesign and assistive technology are being considered.
The Minister responded that the Ministry values senior healthcare workers and supports their continued contribution through upskilling, reskilling, job redesign, assistive technology, and reassignment to new roles, with re-employment beyond retirement age when possible.
The Minister also highlighted that retired senior healthcare workers are encouraged to volunteer in healthcare roles, including care duties in wards, community engagement, and roles in nursing homes, Active Ageing Centres, and home care services.

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4 Jul 2023

Amount of Support Provided to Seniors in Past Five Years

Between 2018 and 2022, the Government provided an estimated $25.7 billion in support to senior households, covering healthcare, social support, and housing-related transfers like the GST Voucher and Pioneer Generation Packages.
The Government has introduced cost-of-living support measures, including cash payments of up to $700, MediSave top-ups of up to $450, and further Assurance Package payouts in 2023 to help seniors cope with rising expenses.
To improve outreach, particularly for frail and solitary seniors, efforts include multi-channel publicity and leveraging Silver Generation Ambassadors as key contact points to connect seniors with financial, healthcare, and housing assistance.

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4 Jul 2023

Plans to Encourage Seniors to Adopt Active Ageing Lifestyle

The Ministry of Health is expanding Active Ageing Centres (AACs) and transforming their operating model to promote healthy lifestyles for seniors, as outlined in the 2023 Action Plan for Successful Ageing, with close collaboration required from agencies like the Health Promotion Board and People's Association.
Plans include using Residents' Networks as satellites for AACs to reach more seniors during the day, with funding and KPIs to track outcomes, while the enhanced Silver Volunteer Fund will roll out diverse senior-centric volunteering opportunities, such as mentoring at-risk youths or assisting caregivers.
To address lower participation among senior men and isolation, the Ministry is working with community partners to develop tailored activities and encourage seniors to bring their peers, while ensuring AACs have adequate manpower for outreach, house visits, and supporting Healthier SG initiatives.

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4 Jul 2023

Recent Decision Not to Recommend Those Aged 60 to 75 to Take Second COVID-19 Booster Shot

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim questioned the rationale behind the perceived decision not to recommend a second COVID-19 booster shot for seniors aged 60 to 75, inquiring if it was due to adverse effects and seeking comparative incidence data.
The Senior Minister of State for Health clarified that the current recommendation does encourage seniors aged 60 and above to receive updated bivalent boosters regularly, with vaccine safety affirmed and adverse event rates for the second booster being lower than previous doses.
Assoc Prof Lim highlighted public concern among seniors about severe adverse reactions, even after prior vaccine doses, and asked how the Ministry would reassure them to continue vaccination regularly.
The Minister emphasized that the vaccines remain safe with low adverse event risks, reiterated the ongoing recommendation for booster doses, and explained that individual immune responses can vary without predicting long-term safety.

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4 Jul 2023

Ensuring Seniors' Access to Polyclinic Care

Senior Minister of State Dr Janil Puthucheary outlined short-term measures to ease polyclinic appointment access, including setting aside slots for walk-in patients and seniors with mobility issues, while acknowledging that new polyclinic constructions were delayed due to the pandemic, leading to capacity constraints.
Multiple MPs, including Dr Tan Wu Meng and Mr Liang Eng Hwa, raised concerns about seniors’ difficulties with online booking systems and suggested alternatives such as hotlines, increased walk-in slots, and subsidies for CHAS GP clinics to improve accessibility.
The Ministry of Health is exploring options like telemedicine, leveraging Active Ageing Centres, and reviewing subsidy levels, but noted that increasing walk-in slots alone does not resolve overall capacity issues and a balance between online and walk-in appointments is needed.
Healthcare workers in polyclinics were acknowledged for their efforts amid rising demand, with the ministry committing to support them through expanded GP roles, training, and resources to manage the growing healthcare needs of an aging population.
The Ministry of Manpower clarified that medical certificates from any licensed practitioner in Singapore are recognized, addressing concerns about employer acceptance of non-polyclinic MCs.

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3 Jul 2023

Use of MediSave for Family Members

In 2020–2022, approximately 180,000–220,000 Singapore Citizens used MediSave for family members annually, representing about 16% of MediSave users.
No specific MediSave withdrawal limits exist for family members to encourage mutual family support, though all withdrawals remain subject to treatment-specific limits designed for subsidised patients.
Withdrawals for family members are not capped separately, but must comply with the standard MediSave limits for each medical treatment.

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3 Jul 2023

Data on Next-day Polyclinic Online Appointment Bookings

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Ministry of Health for monthly data from January 2023 on how quickly next-day polyclinic online appointment slots are fully booked, broken down by percentile.
He also asked for monthly figures on the number of patients who logged in to the booking system but did not complete an appointment.
The Minister for Health responded that the two questions will be addressed together with similar questions in the next parliamentary sitting on 4 July.

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3 Jul 2023

More Updated COVID-19 Vaccines for Evolving SARS-CoV-2 Virus Variants

Joan Pereira inquired whether the Ministry of Health is obtaining more updated COVID-19 vaccines to address evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Ong Ye Kung stated that the current bivalent mRNA vaccines targeting the Omicron strain are the most updated formulations available.
The Ministry of Health will evaluate new vaccines as they become available and provide further details in a future parliamentary sitting.

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3 Jul 2023

Expanding CHAS Subsidies to Include Dental Treatments for Medical Reasons

Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked whether CHAS subsidies could be expanded to include dental treatments for medical reasons, such as non-aesthetic orthodontic procedures.
Ong Ye Kung explained that CHAS already covers certain dental procedures suitable for primary care, with complex cases like non-aesthetic orthodontics referred to national specialty dental centres for subsidised care.
The Ministry of Health will continue reviewing the subsidy framework to maintain affordability and accessibility of dental care.

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3 Jul 2023

Actions Against Abuse of Public Healthcare Workers

Louis Ng asked the Minister for Home Affairs for data from the past five years on reported harassment or abuse of public healthcare workers, including the number of stern warnings, convictions, and protection orders issued.
K Shanmugam responded that there were 315 police reports from 2018 to 2022 but noted the Ministry of Home Affairs does not have data on protection orders, as victims apply separately to the Protection from Harassment Court.
The Minister provided a table with the breakdown of cases involving stern warnings and convictions but did not have figures for protection orders.
The debate highlighted challenges in tracking protection orders due to the separate judicial process involved.
Both speakers engaged on the issue of protecting healthcare workers, with the Minister providing available data while clarifying limitations on certain information.

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3 Jul 2023

Enhancing Portability of Healthcare Subsidy and Financing to Better Support Singaporeans Needing Care

The Ministry of Health is enhancing the portability of healthcare subsidies and financing through multiple steps to support Singaporeans needing care in the community, including chronic care, home-based services, and telehealth.
From early 2024, eligible Healthier SG chronic enrollees can access means-tested subsidies of up to 75% for selected chronic medications at their enrolled general practitioner clinics, with prices comparable to polyclinics.
MediSave will be extended to MOH-funded home medical and nursing providers starting October 2023, and drug subsidies of at least 50% will be extended to all Singaporeans receiving long-term care from MOH-funded providers from the fourth quarter of 2024.
Subsidies and MediSave for video consultations for home palliative care have been extended since July 2023, and subsidies for chronic disease management via telehealth will be made permanent later this year.
The Ministry will take further steps in the coming months to continue improving the portability of healthcare financing and support.

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3 Jul 2023

Implementation and Processes of National Strategy on Mental Health and Well-being

The Interagency Taskforce for Mental Health and Well-being has recommended a tiered care structure, harmonized referral workflows, and a common IT platform to improve accessibility, coordination, and quality of mental health services.
A national competency training framework is being developed to equip mental health workers with the necessary skills, and staff in teams like CREST and COMIT receive regular training and enhanced workplace support to prevent burnout.
Indicators to monitor the progress of the recommendations will be incorporated into the national strategy for mental health and well-being, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

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3 Jul 2023

Impact of Extension of Benchmarks on Surgeons' Fees Covering Surgical Procedures

The MOH's fee benchmarks provide a reference for reasonable fees, fostering transparency and moderating increases, though they are not mandatory and decisions on panel fees balance insurer considerations with policyholder needs.
IP insurers reference benchmarks for panel fees and have grown their panels significantly, with policyholders able to access key benefits if specialists agree to insurer terms, though some doctors may opt out if they have a large patient base.
The Ministry has introduced cost-management measures like mandatory co-payments and the Cancer Drug List, and will continue monitoring the situation to ensure health insurance costs remain affordable.

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3 Jul 2023

Foreign Healthcare Employees Granted Singapore Permanent Residency

Dr Tan Wu Meng asked for data on foreign healthcare workers granted permanent residency over five years and whether those who served during COVID-19 could be prioritized.
Minister Ong Ye Kung replied that around 1,200 foreign healthcare workers received PR annually on average, with over 60% being nurses.
He added that more nurses were granted PR in the past year in recognition of their essential role during the pandemic and to support Singapore's healthcare needs.
The government remains prepared to grant PR status to foreign healthcare workers who are valued members of the community and demonstrate commitment to Singapore.

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