Extension of Pilot WHEELS Programme providing Wheelchair Servicing to Include All Senior Activity Centres

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1283
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 1 AUGUST 2022

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim
MP for Sengkang GRC

Question No. 2018

To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the pilot WHEELS programme that provides wheelchair servicing at selected Senior Activity Centres (SAC) is still ongoing; and (b) if so, whether it is being progressively rolled out to all SACs nationwide.

Written Answer

The WHEELS programme was a three-year pilot to train seniors to provide free wheelchair servicing and basic repairs at 13 Senior Activity Centres and Senior Care Centres. Unfortunately, many participating centres could not find enough volunteers to deploy the service or meet demand. The pilot ended in March 2020.

The Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF) was enhanced in February 2022 to provide seniors with subsidies for replacements when their current devices, including wheelchairs, reach the end of its lifespan. SMF can also cover repairs, if they are cost-effective, on a case-by-case basis.