9th Asian Oceanian Congress Of Radiology

22 Jul 2001

By Mr Lim Hng Kiang

Dr Hitoshi Katayama

President

Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology

Professor Lenny Tan

Chairman of the Organising Commitee

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me first congratulate the Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology on the successful organization of this Congress, the first in its illustrious 32 year history. I am sure you would find the presentations and discussions stimulating and insightful.

Innovation in Radiology

Radiology has come a long way since X rays were discovered in 1895. From the simple use of X rays in plain films and simple dye studies, new and innovative applications have led us to CAT scan, MRI scans and PET scans.

For many years, radiology has been considered by many non-radiologists, as a specialty that was mostly a handmaiden to other disciplines in supporting medical screening, investigation and diagnosis. However, the very rapid advances in Radiology have enabled radiologists to take on new roles in diagnosis and treatment particularly through the development of interventional radiology. For example, radiologists today perform complex therapeutic modalities such as in embolisation of tumors and insertion of stents. With advanced computer guidance systems and virtual simulation, Radiologists are also able to guide their surgical colleagues in complex operations. This was vividly demonstrated in the recent successful separation of the Nepalese twins in Singapore where radiological data enabled 3-dimensional modeling and virtual neurosurgical simulation by the surgical team before the actual operation itself.

Advances in information technology have also added a new dimension to the practice of radiology, through Teleradiology. Teleradiology, although still relatively expensive today, allows images to be sent from clinics or other localities for review by a Radiologist , and allows radiologists to confer on cases with their specialist colleagues in other institutions or countries.

Balancing Medical Advances with Cost Containment

While the practitioners are justifiably excited about the new possibilities offered by advances in medical technology, we should not be carried away. We want our medical community to keep abreast with medical advances in the rest of the world so that we continue to have high standards of health care in Singapore. But at the same time we do not wish to see a massive escalation of health care cost.

To strike this balance, my ministry has established the Health Service Development Programme (HSDP) as a funding mechanism to evaluate the development of new capabilities in our public healthcare system. With this source of funding, the public sector institutions are able to carry out pilot programmes in the use of cutting-edge medical technology, evaluation of advanced or experimental treatments and major augmentations of existing management capability for key diseases.

I am pleased to say that my Ministry has approved 23 projects to be supported under the HSDP this year and these include four projects with radiological and imaging components.

My ministry will fund the expansion of MRI capabilities in National University Hospital to develop a comprehensive cardiac MRI and peripheral vascular MR angiography service. At the Tan Tock Seng Hospital, a computer-assisted image guidance system to assist in endoscopic sinus surgery has been approved. Orthopaedic surgeons at the Singapore General Hospital will be able to make use of the Advanced Surgical Navigation Support System in the management of fractures. Last but not least, endoscopic stenting of aortic aneurysms via interventional radiology will be evaluated over a three year period.

The HSDP has provided the mechanism for us to bring in selected new technologies and treatment modalities for use in Singapore in a controlled environment. In this way we reduce considerably, the risks of introducing expensive treatment modalities into Singapore for general application which are not yet proven to be cost effective. Let me emphasize again that affordability of health care is a primary objective and we should not lose sight of this. Ultimately, our aim must be to achieve better outcomes for our patients which should mean shorter hospitalization, less usage of intensive care facilities, lower complication rates and better quality of life. And to do all this at a cost which is affordable to the individual and to society.

As the cost of healthcare is expected to rise with the ageing of the population, my Ministry strongly believes that this approach of funding new and innovative applications in medicine, is a systematic and rational one. In this way, Singaporeans can enjoy the benefits of new technologies and capabilities while at the same time, enjoy care that is affordable. We want to obtain the best value for every healthcare-dollar we invest in new technologies .

Conclusion

In closing, let me wish all of you a successful and fruitful congress. I am told that the Society aims to make this congress the third major radiological meeting outside of Europe and North America. This is a noble objective, and I wish the Society every success in your endeavour.

It is now my pleasure to declare the 9^th Asian Oceanian Congress of Radiology open.