Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

20 Mar 2023

Singapore's COVID-19 Response

The debate honored Singapore’s frontline workers and endorsed the White Paper on COVID-19 lessons, highlighting the nation’s unified response and record-high public trust during the crisis.
Key shortcomings were identified, including initial errors in migrant worker dormitory protocols and overly complex safe management measures, with a call for transparent review and future preparedness.
Speakers emphasized the need for stronger healthcare capacity, supply chain resilience, and forward planning, including a dedicated public health center and dynamic crisis teams.
The Workers’ Party and others stressed inclusivity and support for vulnerable groups, urging greater attention to mental health, migrant worker welfare, and fair business aid, while calling for full transparency in the review process.

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20 Mar 2023

Implementation of Recommendations by 2021 National Wellness Committee on Junior Doctors

The 2021 National Wellness Committee on Junior Doctors is currently finalizing recommendations after engaging stakeholders, with early initiatives like Chief Wellness Officers and expanded career pathways already in place.
Attrition rates for doctors in the public healthcare sector have remained stable at 3–5% over the last three years, but the committee is reviewing work hours, conditions, and well-being to further improve retention.
The committee, which includes junior doctors, is prioritizing areas such as mandating rest days, moving away from 30-hour calls, and reviewing the 80-hour weekly cap, while also examining administrative processes and workload monitoring.
The Senior Minister of State emphasized that solutions require a complex, system-wide approach beyond just hiring more staff or redistributing tasks, and recommendations will be made after thorough study.

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20 Mar 2023

Rearrangement of Business

Ms Indranee Rajah moved to rearrange today's parliamentary business to prioritize the Motion on Singapore's COVID-19 Response before the second readings of three bills, citing the need to accommodate invited healthcare and frontline workers.
The motion aimed to provide certainty in timetabling and avoid inconveniencing the workers, many of whom took time off to attend, by ensuring the motion starts at a predictable time.
The proposal was agreed to, changing the order of business to: COVID-19 Response motion, followed by the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill, Constitution Amendment Bill, and Resource Sustainability Amendment Bill.

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6 Mar 2023

Healthcare Services (Amendment) Bill

The bill expands the Healthcare Services Act to cover complementary and alternative medicine, while imposing stricter advertising rules to prevent misleading claims, such as prohibiting non-licensed entities from pretending to treat medical conditions and restricting the use of terms like "national" or "specialist" in business names unless the service is actually provided.
Concerns were raised about the approval framework for new service delivery modes (like telehealth), with MPs questioning how to balance innovation and safety, and whether placing too much power on the Director-General of Health could be burdensome; the ministry responded that a risk-based approach and existing expert committees would guide decisions.
The bill removes the 14-day notice requirement for licensing changes in emergencies, sparking worries about healthcare providers’ ability to comply, but the ministry clarified this only applies in urgent public health crises like pandemics.
MPs sought clarifications on regulating community services like health screenings and wellness services, with the ministry noting ongoing reviews for higher-risk services while aiming to maintain accessibility and affordability.
Overall, despite some reservations, members supported the bill as a necessary step to future-proof healthcare regulation and enhance patient safety, with calls for public education and careful implementation.

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6 Mar 2023

Healthcare Services (Amendment) Bill

The Healthcare Services (Amendment) Bill introduces new approval frameworks for service delivery modes (such as remote telemedicine) and specified high-risk procedures to enhance patient safety and adapt to modern healthcare models, including home-based and digital care.
The Bill removes the 14-day notice period for modifying licence conditions during emergencies to allow swift response to public health threats, while also tightening advertising controls to prevent misleading claims, including restrictions on using the title “Doctor” without proper disclaimers.
The amendments aim to align and strengthen regulations across both licensed and non-licensed healthcare service providers, ensuring consistent enforcement and better consumer protection against misinformation and exploitation in healthcare advertising.

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6 Mar 2023

COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Amendment) Bill

The Bill proposes a one-year extension of Part 7 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act to allow for swift public health measures against potential new variants, while no other changes are made to the Act.
Singapore has progressed in managing COVID-19 with high hybrid immunity and a stable situation, but the government remains prepared for possible future variants by maintaining temporary legislative tools.
The Ministry of Health plans to enhance the Infectious Diseases Act (IDA) later this year to incorporate provisions from the COVID-19 Act, after which Part 7 will be revoked, transitioning management to the IDA.
The extension ensures continued preparedness while the government works towards a long-term, endemic approach to COVID-19 under the strengthened IDA framework.

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6 Mar 2023

Rationale for Requiring Both Employers and Doctors to Submit Incident Report after Diagnosis of Occupational Disease

Louis Ng questioned why both employers and doctors must report occupational diseases, while only employers are required to report work-related injuries or deaths.
The Senior Minister of State explained that doctors must report occupational diseases because affected employees may no longer be at the same job, ensuring cases are not missed, while workplace injuries have a direct employment link so employers report them.
The government enforces reporting through fines and imprisonment, closes loopholes, and collaborates with NGOs and employees to prevent under-reporting, aiming to keep the process lean and minimize administrative burden on healthcare workers.

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6 Mar 2023

Data on Care Staff to Residents Ratio in Local Nursing Homes

All nursing homes inspected in the last six months met the required staff-to-resident ratios, but the sector faces tight manpower challenges due to global demand for healthcare workers.
The Ministry of Health is working with the Agency for Integrated Care to attract and train staff through programs like the Community Care Traineeship and by recruiting foreign nurses, though compensation levels are under ongoing review.
While the Ministry does not currently have specific compliance data on salary norms, it is considering ways to better attract and retain local staff but has no immediate plans to align pay with restructured hospitals.

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3 Mar 2023

Clarification by Second Minister for Health

The Second Minister for Health clarified that the Home Caregiving Grant’s income assessment is pegged to the median income from Department of Statistics data, excluding employer CPF contributions and covering all resident households.
The minister issued a factual correction to his earlier parliamentary reply on the grant, ensuring the stated income criteria are accurately reflected in the official record.
The clarification was provided during the Ministry of Health’s Committee of Supply proceedings and circulated as a written statement with the Speaker’s leave.

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3 Mar 2023

Incidence of Myocarditis Post-mRNA Vaccination

The reported rate of myocarditis after bivalent mRNA vaccines is one per 1,000,000 doses, compared to 11 per 1,000,000 doses for monovalent mRNA vaccines, based on data up to 31 December 2022.
Since September 2021, the Ministry of Health has advised individuals to avoid strenuous exercise for two weeks after mRNA vaccination, though international guidelines do not recommend this unless symptoms appear.
The government does not mandate two weeks of light duty for workers in strenuous roles post-vaccination; instead, employers and employees should discuss safe work arrangements based on the individual's job and physical exertion level.

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3 Mar 2023

Committee of Supply – Head O (Ministry of Health)

The Healthier SG preventive care initiative is advancing, with GP clinics set to be the primary partners, offering free first consultations, health screenings, and vaccinations for seniors, and plans to make telehealth a permanent feature for chronic disease management.
Singapore is expanding its aged-care system to support seniors aging in place, including increasing community care apartments, enhancing Active Ageing Centres, and piloting a new funding model for palliative care to help more people receive care at home.
The Ministry is addressing healthcare manpower shortages by increasing local training intakes and actively recruiting foreign healthcare workers, while also implementing measures to protect healthcare workers from abuse and improve their well-being.

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2 Mar 2023

Enhancing Penalties for Suppliers of E-cigarettes

Yip Hon Weng asked the Ministry of Health whether it will consider enhancing penalties for suppliers of e-cigarettes to better deter sales in Singapore.
Ong Ye Kung stated that under the Tobacco Act, first-time offenders face fines up to $10,000 or imprisonment up to six months or both, while repeat offenders face fines up to $20,000 or imprisonment up to 12 months or both.
The Ministry of Health is monitoring e-vaporiser use trends and holistically reviewing strategies, including penalties, enforcement, and education, to reduce demand and supply.
The ministry will continue collaborating with partner agencies to curb and prevent e-vaporiser use.

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2 Mar 2023

Frontline Police Officers Trained to Identify and Handle Persons with Mental Health Challenges

Leon Perera questioned the number of frontline police officers trained to handle persons with mental health challenges, the indicators used to measure training effectiveness, the frequency of refresher courses, and whether Standard Operating Procedures are based on diagnostic guidelines like DSM-5.
K Shanmugam stated that over 3,000 officers have undergone mental health awareness training with assessments to evaluate their competencies.
He clarified that Standard Operating Procedures do not include diagnostic guidelines, as officers are not trained to diagnose but to identify signs and refer individuals, such as those with suicidal tendencies, to professional teams like the Institute of Mental Health’s crisis response.

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1 Mar 2023

Reported Cases of Harassment or Abuse of Public Healthcare Workers

The number of reported cases of harassment or abuse of public healthcare workers to the police increased from 40 in 2018 to 99 in 2022.
A recent survey found that about seven in ten incidents of abuse or harassment were from patients and their caregivers.
The health ministry did not provide a breakdown of alleged abusers by category (patients, family members, non-family acquaintances, or colleagues) in its response.

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1 Mar 2023

Trend in Teenage Pregnancies and Abortions

The debate centered on trends in teenage pregnancies and abortions over the past five years.
Mariam Jaafar queried the Minister for Health on whether teenage pregnancies had increased and what the abortion trend had been.
Minister Ong Ye Kung reported that from 2017 to 2021, the teenage pregnancy rate stayed steady at four per 1,000 females.
He also noted that the teenage abortion rate remained stable at two per 1,000 females over the same period.
The response indicated no significant change in either indicator during the five-year timeframe.

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1 Mar 2023

Analysis of Government's COVID-19 Procurement and Expenditure

The Government spent $72.3 billion on COVID-19 measures from January 2020 to July 2022, with $8 billion for procurement (mostly single-quote contracts for testing and supplies) and the rest for direct support to citizens and businesses.
No procurement was made without a quote, and all single-quote contracts were to unrelated parties, with internal and independent audits ensuring procedural compliance and value-for-money.
The total does not include expenses by Temasek or its foundations for COVID-19 activities, as these are separate from Government expenditure.

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1 Mar 2023

Further Roll-out of Mental Health Support Teams in Schools

The Ministry of Health has established mental health services for youth, including the REACH program in schools, which collaborates with families and schools to provide interventions for issues like depression and anxiety.
MOH plans to continue working with hospitals to ensure the REACH teams have adequate resources to meet school demands, focusing on early intervention and support.
In the community, services such as CREST-Youth, YITs, and CHAT are active, providing mental health screening, assessments, and support to at-risk youth through partnerships with schools and higher learning institutions.

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28 Feb 2023

Inclusion of Vosoritide in Drug List under Medication Assistance Fund

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Ministry of Health whether it would work with manufacturers to register Vosoritide or list it under the Medication Assistance Fund to make it more affordable for children with achondroplasia.
Ong Ye Kung explained that Vosoritide (brand name Voxzogo) is intended to increase linear growth in children with achondroplasia but is not currently registered in Singapore, and no application has been submitted to the Health Sciences Authority.
The Medication Assistance Fund supports patients for clinically and cost-effective treatments, but the Ministry has not assessed Vosoritide for clinical or cost-effectiveness nor negotiated pricing due to the lack of registration.
Manufacturers must submit applications and scientific data to the Health Sciences Authority for evaluation of quality, safety, and efficacy to register medications in Singapore.
The Ministry’s consideration for Vosoritide’s inclusion under the Medication Assistance Fund depends on the manufacturer first registering the drug and the subsequent assessment by the Ministry.

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28 Feb 2023

Outcome of Appeals to Use MediSave beyond Current Limits for Assisted Conception Procedures

MOH receives about 30 appeals annually from couples seeking to use MediSave beyond the current limits for Assisted Conception Procedures, out of roughly 7,000 ACP cycles that use MediSave each year.
Appeals are approved only in exceptional cases, such as families facing unexpected medical complications or financial difficulties, with a low overall success rate given MediSave’s primary purpose for basic healthcare needs in retirement.
The top reasons for rejecting appeals include insufficient demonstration of exceptional hardship, the availability of alternative financing options, and the need to preserve MediSave for future retirement healthcare needs.

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27 Feb 2023

Deaths Attributable to Second-hand Smoke in Recent Years

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked for the number of deaths in Singapore attributable to second-hand smoke in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Ong Ye Kung stated there is no direct data on deaths caused by second-hand smoke, as figures are estimates based on modelling studies.
The Global Burden of Disease 2019 study estimated 296 annual deaths in Singapore attributable to second-hand smoke for 2019.

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