Health — Topics | PAPERCUTS

14 Feb 2022

Including Atrial Fibrillation as Chronic Condition under Chronic Disease Management Programme for Use of MediSave

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Ministry of Health whether atrial fibrillation can be included as a chronic condition under the Chronic Disease Management Programme to allow use of MediSave for treatments like apixaban.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that patients with atrial fibrillation arising from CDMP-listed conditions like hypertension can already use MediSave for treatment, but atrial fibrillation as a standalone condition is not covered.
The CDMP conditions are regularly reviewed based on factors such as disease burden, early intervention effectiveness, and clinical guidelines, and atrial fibrillation will be considered in the next review.

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14 Feb 2022

Increasing Current Annual Withdrawal Limit for Outpatient Flexi-MediSave in View of Rising Outpatient Healthcare Costs

Patrick Tay Teck Guan proposed raising the current annual withdrawal limit for outpatient Flexi-MediSave to address rising healthcare costs.
Ong Ye Kung stated that the limit was recently increased to $300 in 2021 and most patients did not exhaust this amount, noting ongoing reviews to balance affordability and future savings.
The Ministry highlighted alternative support through MediFund and medical social workers for patients unable to afford treatments after subsidies and MediSave use.

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14 Feb 2022

Steps Taken to Raise Public Awareness to Get Swift Medical Intervention to Reduce Stroke Risk and Prevent Lifelong Disability

The Ministry of Health conducts annual stroke awareness campaigns and trains paramedics to swiftly identify and transport suspected stroke patients to hospitals, with public hospitals closely monitoring treatment times and outcomes.
MOH will study various stroke risk calculators with input from local experts and consider incorporating them into a stroke risk prevention framework, while promoting healthy lifestyle choices to reduce risk.
The current American College of Cardiology stroke and bleeding risk calculator is designed for patients with atrial fibrillation, not the general public, but other clinically developed tools exist for broader cardiovascular risk assessment.

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14 Feb 2022

Plans for Stricter and Swifter Contingency Protocols to Disperse Crowds to Avoid Spontaneous Potential Superspreader Events

Dr Shahira Abdullah queried the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment on implementing stricter and swifter contingency protocols to disperse crowds and prevent spontaneous superspreader events during COVID-19.
Grace Fu Hai Yien explained that agencies proactively deploy Safe Distancing Ambassadors and Enforcement Officers during festive periods and hotspots but cannot fully prevent spontaneous crowding, responding when alerted and involving police if needed.
She emphasized the need for social responsibility and firm enforcement actions, including prosecution, against those who breach safe management measures.

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14 Feb 2022

COVID-19 Self-test Kits Distributed and Sustainable Options to Mitigate Environmental Impact

Mohd Fahmi Aliman inquired whether the Ministry tracks the usage of distributed COVID-19 self-test kits, requested data from the start of the pandemic, and asked if sustainable options are being considered to reduce their environmental impact.
Grace Fu Hai Yien responded that approximately 113 million self-test kits have been distributed or sold in Singapore since the pandemic began, for purposes including household distribution, workplace use, and retail sales.
She noted that while the primary focus has been on ensuring kits are adequate, safe, and effective, disposal guidelines are in place to minimize health risks, and the Ministry will monitor and consider adopting more environmentally sustainable kits when available.

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14 Feb 2022

Progress of Travel Bubble for Singapore and Bintan

Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Transport about the progress of the Singapore-Bintan travel bubble.
S Iswaran responded that Singapore and Indonesia are working on a quarantine-free travel arrangement for fully vaccinated travellers.
The arrangement aims to manage public health risks while facilitating two-way travel.
Further updates will be provided once the discussions are completed.

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14 Feb 2022

Framework to Deal with Medical Ethical Issues from Recent Developments on Transplant of Animal Organs in Humans

Murali Pillai asked the Ministry of Health whether it will establish a framework to address medical ethical issues arising from xenotransplantation in Singapore.
Ong Ye Kung responded that xenotransplantation is not standard treatment globally and has not been performed in Singapore, citing barriers like graft rejection and infection risks.
He emphasized that any local xenotransplantation research must be experimental, follow existing ethical safeguards, and obtain Institutional Review Board approval.
The Ministry will monitor overseas developments and study the need for additional governance and socio-ethical considerations if the procedure is ever considered for approval.
No immediate changes to frameworks are planned, but ongoing evaluation will guide future policy decisions on this emerging medical area.

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14 Feb 2022

Rationale for Calibration of Vaccinated Travel Lane Quotas by Country and Setting Separate Sales Caps and Quotas for VTL (Land) and VTL (Air)

The government implements Vaccinated Travel Lane quotas as a safeguard to manage public health risks, with separate systems for air and land travel.
For VTL (Air), quotas are allocated to airlines based on their submitted plans and managed dynamically by CAAS to align with demand and overall limits.
For VTL (Land) with Malaysia, quotas are set independently from air travel and determined by the number of designated buses crossing daily.
Quotas are not currently calibrated by individual country, as the system focuses on overall capacity and demand management across designated routes.

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14 Feb 2022

Plans beyond COVID-19 Pandemic to Recruit Singaporeans for Jobs in Healthcare and Other Related Sectors

The Ministry of Health will continue to expand local recruitment and training pipelines for healthcare and community care sectors, with increased intakes for professional programmes and mid-career conversion schemes to address rising demand from an ageing population and chronic diseases.
Initiatives such as Healthcare Career Conversion Programmes and senior management schemes in community care have successfully attracted more mid-career locals, with salary enhancements rolled out in 2021 to improve competitiveness and retention.
Despite challenges like attrition and workload pressures during the pandemic, the ministry will leverage cross-deployment, partnerships with private providers, and lessons from COVID-19 to ensure sustainable manpower and service delivery.

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14 Feb 2022

Reasons for Allowing Groups of Five Unvaccinated Persons to Gather

Seah Kian Peng asked why groups of five unvaccinated persons are allowed to gather at places of worship.
The Ministry explained that since February 2022, religious organizations must implement vaccination-differentiated measures but may allow one group of up to five unvaccinated individuals for private worship at a time.
This small-group exception helps reduce transmission and severe health risks while aligning with national vaccination efforts and safe management measures.

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14 Feb 2022

Target Criteria Before COVID-19 Restrictions Are Lifted and Normal Dining and Socialising Allowed

Minister Ong Ye Kung explained that the easing of COVID-19 restrictions depends on the epidemic situation, specifically monitoring infection numbers, disease severity, and healthcare capacity.
Key indicators include daily case counts, ICU occupancy, hospitalizations, and deaths, with the Omicron variant showing lower severity compared to Delta due to high vaccination and booster rates.
The healthcare system is currently managing the Omicron wave effectively, with ICU beds, oxygen supplies, and hospital beds available, and plans to expand capacity further.
The Minister emphasized that while current metrics are within expectations, decisions to lift restrictions will be based on trends, particularly after the Omicron wave peaks and subsides.
Appreciation was expressed for healthcare workers, with attrition and absenteeism rates remaining manageable during the pandemic.

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14 Feb 2022

Number of Requests for Exemption from Vaccination Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) at Workplace and Existence of VDS as Subsidiary Legislation

Mr Leong Mun Wai asked about the number of exemption requests from workplace Vaccination Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) and the Ministry for Manpower's responses to them.
He also questioned whether the workplace VDS exists as subsidiary legislation and why it was introduced without parliamentary debate.
Minister Tan See Leng confirmed that the Workforce Vaccination Measures are subsidiary legislation under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, presented to Parliament in January 2022, following established practice for delegating details to Ministers.
The measures aim to ensure workplace safety by requiring vaccination for employees, with exemptions only for those medically ineligible, while unvaccinated employees may be redeployed or placed on no-pay leave instead of facing termination.
The Ministry strongly encourages unvaccinated but medically eligible employees to get vaccinated to protect their health and workplace safety.

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14 Feb 2022

Update on Assessment of Novavax Vaccine

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Health for an update on the Novavax vaccine, including any data on its use for children under 12 and how to encourage those skeptical of mRNA technology to take it.
Minister Ong Ye Kung deferred his answer to a subsequent sitting, referring to an official report on the assessment of non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
The debate highlighted ongoing government assessment and considerations for broader vaccine options.

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14 Feb 2022

Availability of COVID-19 Healthcare Award or Similar Award Scheme for Cleaning Staff in Non-healthcare Settings to Recognise Contribution to National Effort Against Pandemic

Leon Perera proposed that the COVID-19 Healthcare Award or a similar scheme be extended to cleaning staff in non-healthcare settings, noting their high exposure risk and frequent lower-income backgrounds.
Grace Fu Hai Yien responded that existing awards like the Clean and Green Singapore Awards and the Environmental Services Workforce Day already recognise outstanding cleaners and exemplary frontline workers.
She added that the Progressive Wage Model for Cleaning will raise wages, with a baseline of over $2,400 per month by 2028, a 90% increase from current levels.
The government remains committed to supporting cleaners and recognising their contributions through these schemes and wage uplifts.
No specific plan was announced for a new COVID-19-specific award for non-healthcare cleaners.

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14 Feb 2022

Number of Health Risk Warnings Issued with Breakdown of Cases Since Revision of Healthcare Protocols from 11 October 2021

Between 11 October 2021 and 31 January 2022, about 887,000 Health Risk Warnings were issued.
Close to 60% were household contacts of COVID-19 positive cases, with the rest identified through TraceTogether, SafeEntry, or other contact tracing methods.
About 10% of those who received a Health Risk Warning later tested positive for COVID-19.
Household contacts were more likely to test positive compared to workplace or social contacts identified through TraceTogether.

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14 Feb 2022

Medical Leave Given to Public Healthcare Workers Contracting COVID-19 and Measures in Place to Ensure Healthcare System Not Compromised

Public healthcare workers who contract COVID-19 receive medical leave following the MOM advisory, typically a 5-day MC for mild cases with provisions for self-isolation and return-to-work based on testing and symptoms, while those caring for affected family members may be granted work-from-home or unrecorded paid leave.
The Ministry of Health monitors staff strength across public healthcare institutions and facilitates internal manpower adjustments as needed to maintain operations.
MOH collaborates with private healthcare providers to augment the public healthcare system’s capacity and ensure resilience during staff shortages.
Healthcare workers returning from leave may be deployed in lower-risk settings or COVID-19 areas with appropriate PPE and safe management measures to minimize reinfection risks.

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14 Feb 2022

Average Weekly Number of Commuters between Singapore and Batam or Bintan Before COVID-19 Pandemic and Risk Mitigation Measures to Manage Transmission Risks When Travel Restrictions Are Lifted

The average weekly number of commuters between Singapore and Batam or Bintan before the COVID-19 pandemic was about 146,000.
Since Indonesia reopened quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated Singaporean travellers in January 2022, the weekly commuter number has remained around 600.
Singapore and Indonesia are working towards a two-way quarantine-free travel arrangement to gradually reopen borders while managing public health risks.
The Minister stated that more details will be shared when ready, but did not directly address the question about risk mitigation measures like an initial cap on commuters.

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14 Feb 2022

Rethinking Preventive Health to Generate Better Outcomes

Leon Perera argued that Singapore’s preventive health efforts are not achieving desired outcomes, citing rising chronic disease rates despite heavy spending, and proposed outcomes-focused targets, financial incentives for healthy choices, and more targeted nudges for both individuals and healthcare providers.
He highlighted low screening and vaccination uptake, suggesting free vaccines and subsidies for MediShield premiums for healthy behaviors, and called for better use of health data and integrated IT systems to support preventive care.
Dr Koh Poh Koon responded that preventive health has long been a priority, outlining existing initiatives like Primary Care Networks and integrated community programs, and emphasized that changing individual mindsets, not just cost, is key to improving health behaviors.
He noted that many of Perera’s suggestions, such as free vaccinations for children and subsidies for adults, are already in place, and highlighted upcoming national preventive care programs to be announced at the Committee of Supply.
Both speakers agreed on the urgency of improving preventive health, with Perera urging transformative action and Koh affirming ongoing government efforts to integrate and enhance preventive care across the lifespan.

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14 Feb 2022

COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Amendment) Bill

The bill aims to amend the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 to extend or modify certain temporary measures, as presented by Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon on behalf of the Minister for Health.
The bill was read for the first time and scheduled for a second reading after the conclusion of the Estimates of Expenditure for FY2022/2023.
The amendment seeks to ensure the continued effectiveness of the Act in managing the pandemic's impact, with procedural steps outlined for its passage.

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12 Jan 2022

Phasing Out TraceTogether and SafeEntry and Reducing Functionality of TraceTogether to be Used Purely as Mode of Displaying COVID-19 Vaccination and Test Status

Member of Parliament Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health about plans to phase out TraceTogether and SafeEntry and to reduce TraceTogether’s function solely to displaying COVID-19 vaccination and test status.
Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung indicated that the question had already been addressed in a prior oral reply on 10 January 2022.
The relevant response was recorded in the Official Report concerning the necessity of TraceTogether and SafeEntry given updated COVID-19 protocols.

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