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About the Ministry of Health
At the Ministry of Health (MOH), we are a people-centred and innovative organisation, committed to:
Building a healthy population,
With access to right and quality care,
At a sustainable cost and with a sustainable workforce.
Building a healthy population
Everyone can take proactive steps to better manage their health, to prevent and reduce the onset of illness – MOH aims to empower and enable all to do so. The Ministry and its statutory boards are working closely with healthcare and community partners to drive national preventive care efforts to create an environment where individuals can achieve optimal physical, social and mental health, by inculcating healthy habits among Singaporeans, so that they may grow, live, and age well in their communities.
Providing access to right and quality care
Singapore’s healthcare system is designed to ensure that Singaporeans have timely access to appropriate and quality care. This involves making healthcare affordable and accessible, including in the community, and ensuring no one will be denied appropriate care due to an inability to pay.
Find out more on schemes and subsidies.
Ensuring quality care
Our healthcare system comprises the following:
Primary care
Primary care is often the first point-of-contact for patients with the healthcare system. General Practitioners and polyclinics treat mild acute conditions such as upper respiratory tract conditions, manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, and keep the population healthy through preventive measures such as health screening.
Read more about primary care.
Acute care
Patients requiring immediate medical attention due to a medical condition, severe injury, or major episode of illness can receive necessary treatment at the acute hospital.
Read more about acute care.
Intermediate and long-term care
For continuity of care for post-discharge patients and/or community-dwelling seniors who require support with their daily activities, intermediate and long-term care facilities offer step-down care to support their needs.
Read more about intermediate and long-term care.
Support services
Support services such as pharmaceutical services, diagnostics and blood transfusion services are essential in ensuring a complete care experience.
Ensuring patient safety and welfare
MOH regulates healthcare services through the Healthcare Services Act (HCSA). Under HCSA, healthcare providers need to obtain approval for the licensable healthcare services (LHS) they provide and the applicable modes of service delivery.
Additionally, licensees will also need MOH’s approval prior to offering Specified Services, which generally involve complex or higher risk procedures provided in a LHS and have distinct requirements for patient safety. MOH also provides regulatory oversight of the practice of professionals through the Professional Boards, by ensuring that they maintain professional standards, conduct and ethics of registered healthcare professionals.
MOH also provides regulatory oversight of the practice of professionals through the Professional Boards, by ensuring that they maintain professional standards, conduct and ethics of registered healthcare professionals.
Find out more about Healthcare Services Act (HCSA).
Ensuring sustainable cost, supported by a sustainable workforce
For our healthcare system to continue serving Singapore for the long term, we need to ensure resources are used in a sustainable manner. To do this, our Ministry and statutory boards work closely with healthcare and community partners to ensure the care models, processes and services in place are both clinically and cost-effective. We aim to provide appropriate and value-based care for all, to reduce wastage and inefficiencies for the benefit of the patient and the provider.
Additionally, we work with healthcare and community partners to attract, train and retain our healthcare staff. The Ministry also collaborates with training providers to provide appropriate training for our healthcare workforce. In doing so, we seek to balance the need for adequate and qualified manpower to meet our current and future healthcare needs, while ensuring long term fiscal sustainability.