Opening of Asian Interventional Cardiovascular Therapeutics

04 Aug 2005

By Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, and Health

Venue: Suntec City International Convention and Exhibition Centre

Good Morning A/Prof Lim Yean Teng

Dr Tan Huay Cheem

Course Directors for the 1st Asian Interventional Cardiovascular Therapeutics (AICT),

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me to this inaugural AICT conference. This is an innovative conference jointly organised by several Asian countries    (including India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore) with the intention to provide a high quality comprehensive course focusing on issues related to cardiovascular disease. This is the first such collaborative effort and it provides an Asian perspective of this rapidly evolving field. This meeting aims to showcase the basics and the latest advances in coronary intervention technology in the form of live demonstrations, didactic lectures and interactive sessions with experts.

Live case demonstrations form the core of this teaching course with renowned operators interacting with expert panel on the discussion of treatment options and strategy in percutaneous coronary intervention. The discussion will center around choice of devices, adjunctive therapies, optimal strategy of intervention and appropriate use of drugs supported by evidence-based medicine and personal clinical experience.

I understand that delegates will witness live demonstration from our own National University Hospital and four overseas hospitals mainly from China, India, Thailand and the United States via satellite. The organisers are to be commended for bringing together an impressive array of international and local faculties; and coordinating the broadcasting of so many live demonstrations from around the world. I am sure that you, the delegates, appreciate this opportunity to learn about the latest advancements and issues related to cardiovascular disease.

Conferences, such as this one, are important for the opportunity they afford for doctors to share advances, learn from and network with others in the same field. Besides that, the topics of this conference are of particular importance because of the prevalence of coronary heart disease. In Singapore, coronary heart disease is the second leading cause of death. My Ministry has been working with the cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeons to ensure that the cost of coronary disease care is kept affordable. Last year, before the Medical Services Package was introduced, the 50th percentile bill size for patients undergoing angioplasty in B2 wards after the government subsidy was $4,793. With the introduction of the Medical Services Package, the 50th percentile bill size has come down by almost a thousand dollars to $3,821. This is because patients undergoing procedures that involve devices and implants now have additional subsidies. These additional subsidies will amount to about a million dollars for the year 2005. Through the MSP, medical care for cardiac conditions is being kept affordable for Singaporeans. I want to thank all their cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons for their involvement in the successful implementation of the MSP for cardiac diseases.

It now only remains for me to wish you all a fruitful and instructive conference, and to those of you who are visiting, I hope you will enjoy your stay in our country and come back again. I declare this meeting officially open.