OPENING ADDRESS BY DR JANIL PUTHUCHEARY, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, FOR SINGAPORE HEALTH AWARD 2022, 11 NOVEMBER 2022

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Manpower, Mr Zaqy Mohamad

Members of the Tripartite Oversight Committee on Workplace Safety and Health

Award recipients

Distinguished partners and guests

     A very good morning to all. It is my pleasure to be here today to celebrate the achievements of many stakeholders who have made a difference in helping those within their communities to live healthier lives.

2.     The Singapore HEALTH Award is an important platform to spur whole-of-society efforts that help residents take charge of their health. With the focus on preventive health under Healthier SG, such efforts become even more crucial.

3.     Our award recipients this year clearly demonstrate how every effort adds up to make healthy living attainable to the people around them, benefitting different segments of our population such as young children, adults and seniors. I am heartened by the efforts of our award winners and the impact they have made, and I congratulate all 135 of them.

Recognising stakeholders in pre-schools, community and workplaces

4.     This year’s Award’s theme, ‘Inclusivity in Health’, is about recognising the stakeholders who have shown strong commitment in promoting both physical and mental well-being across the various settings, and efforts which have supported individuals’ health amid COVID-19.

5.     In looking after our young, our pre-schools have done well against the challenges of an evolving pandemic in the last few years. On top of ensuring measures were in place to safeguard the health of our little ones, 75 pre-schools have been exceptional in their health promotion efforts and will receive the Healthy Pre-school (Platinum) Award today. They have pressed on with comprehensive health promoting programmes for their pre-schoolers, incorporating healthy lifestyle concepts into their curriculum and staying engaged with parents to support them in this journey.

6.     Likewise, HPB’s Health Ambassadors who are healthy living advocates, have also selflessly contributed their time, volunteering with HPB to engage residents. Many of them have been assisting seniors to come on board the Healthy 365 mobile app. Their role is all the more important with Healthier SG, to enable more seniors to take advantage of digital solutions and use Healthy 365 to register for healthy lifestyle activities.

7.     The Tripartite Oversight Committee on Workplace Safety and Health, which I co-chair, has always been looking at how more companies can implement holistic workplace interventions for the well-being of their workers. I am heartened to see how organisations have supported the physical and mental health of their workforce, and how some had gone the extra mile for their employees during the COVID-19 period. Among the winning organisations¹ this year, nine in 10 have implemented programmes that support their employees’ mental well-being.

Closing

8.     I look forward to your continued support, in building supportive ecosystems for those around us. Once again, I applaud all recipients today for being shining examples of how our efforts and actions can directly impact the health and well-being of the people around us.

Thank you.

[1] Organisations that won the Achievement Award and Excellence Award