Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre, 30 June 2018

Dr Noel Yeo, Chief Executive Officer, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, 

Dr Ann Tan, Medical Director, Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre, 

Dr Charles Lim, former Medical Director, Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre, 

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Good afternoon. 

INTRODUCTION

           It is my pleasure to join you this afternoon to commemorate the 30thanniversary of the Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre. I am delighted to see many of the babies this Centre had helped conceive, all grown up and here with us today.

2.        I am also heartened by the Centre’s continued commitment to raise awareness of and facilitate conversations about fertility issues on its milestone anniversary.

SUPPORTING SINGAPOREANS’ MARRIAGE AND PARENTHOOD JOURNEY

3.        For many couples, having children brings special meaning and purpose to their lives. Parenthood aspirations in Singapore remain strong. Couples can realise these aspirations by planning ahead and starting their journey early, when chances of natural conception are significantly higher.

4.        The Government is fully committed to supporting Singaporeans’ parenthood aspirations and needs. We have in place a comprehensive suite of measures to support Singaporeans at each stage of their marriage and parenthood journey. These include schemes to help couples obtain their flats faster, better manage their family and work commitments through enhanced parental leave schemes and work-life support, and improved access to affordable quality pre-schools. Measures such as the Baby Bonus, Child Development Account, MediSave Grant for Newborns, tax benefits and co-funding for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments also help to defray the costs of starting and raising a family. We have been strengthening government support over the years, and will continue to work with our partners in the private and people sectors to foster a more family-friendly society where marriage and parenthood are achievable, enjoyable and celebrated.  

STARTING A FAMILY EARLY

5.        Young Singaporeans today have many opportunities and life goals. Some prefer to pursue higher education, embark on their careers, or establish themselves financially before settling down and starting a family. We see more people getting married and starting families later. [1]

6.        However, fertility should not be taken for granted. Unlike other life goals, there is a limited biological window to conceive. Clinical evidence shows that age is a key determinant in male and female fertility. It is well-established that one’s chances of conceiving diminish sharply after the age of 35. [2]

7.        While more couples are turning to ART such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to increase their chances of conceiving at a later age, medical technology is not a silver bullet and can be costly. Even with ART treatment, the chances of conception are very low at the older ages, as success rates decline rapidly with age – women aged 35 to 39 have success rates of about 18%, while those aged 40 and above have lower success rates of only about 7%.

8.        Hence couples who aspire to parenthood should start trying to have children early, even as they pursue other meaningful life goals.

EARLY FERTILITY SCREENING AND MEDICAL HELP FOR COUPLES

9.        Besides age, there are other causes of infertility such as lifestyle choices and health conditions. Early fertility screening can therefore be helpful in detecting potential issues that may affect fertility today or in future. With fertility screening, couples can make more informed decisions about family planning, and seek medical help earlier if necessary.

10.       For couples who have difficulties in conceiving, the Government provides 75% co-funding for ART procedures at the public hospitals. We recently increased the co-funding caps to $7,700 for fresh cycles, and $2,200 for frozen cycles, to further support couples. Couples can also withdraw up to $15,000 from their MediSave account to defray the out-of-pocket costs from private or public centres for their ART treatments, subject to per-cycle withdrawal limits.[3]

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT FERTILITY ISSUES

11.       While the Government continues to study ways to better support marriage and parenthood in Singapore, the community plays a critical role in fostering an open environment that encourages conversations about fertility. Raising awareness about fertility issues can help Singaporeans become more understanding and sensitive to the challenges faced by couples with fertility challenges.

12.       For couples dealing with infertility, the journey can be an isolating, daunting, and trying one. But they are not alone in this journey. I am heartened that various individuals and organisations in the people sector have come forward with initiatives to raise awareness about fertility issues.

PARKWAY PANTAI HOSPITALS STRIVE TO ATTAIN BABY-FRIENDLY HOSPITAL INITIATIVE ACCREDITATION BY END 2018

13.       In 2017, the Ministry of Health (MOH) called for private hospitals to come on-board the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) launched by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to achieve BFHI accreditation and provide a supportive environment for successful breastfeeding and optimal nutrition for babies.

14.       Today, I am happy to share that Parkway Pantai’s four hospitals in Singapore will progressively work towards attaining BFHI accreditation starting with Mount Elizabeth Novena, from the end of this year.

15.       To achieve this, Parkway Pantai has ramped up engagement of its private specialists, education for mothers-to-be, and training for all staff who come into contact with expectant mothers. In addition, the hospitals are reconfiguring their maternity wards and staff processes to accommodate 24-hour rooming-in for mothers and newborns to stay in close proximity, which is a key requirement for BFHI accreditation.

16.       From 1 July 2018, Parkway Pantai will also cease all sponsorships from formula milk companies and introduce more affordable ready-to-feed (RTF) formula milk as part of the milk rotation schedule at their hospitals. This follows the practice at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and National University Hospital (NUH). A bulk procurement exercise by SingHealth Group Procurement Office was conducted last year to procure only more affordable RTF formula milk for and on behalf of public hospitals, as part of their milk rotation schedules. KKH has included more affordable RTF formula milk as part of its rotation schedule since March this year, and all three public hospitals, including SGH and NUH will only be rotating more affordable RTF starting from tomorrow, 1 July 2018. For parents who need to purchase infant formula for their babies, this means that they will not be locked in to more expensive brands of formula milk even before they leave the hospital, since the majority of parents tend not to switch brands after leaving the hospital.

17.       I applaud Parkway Pantai for stepping up to support the Government’s efforts in promoting breastfeeding. Raffles Hospital had earlier this year also announced its commitment to attain BFHI accreditation by early 2019. We urge the other private hospitals to similarly strive towards BFHI accreditation, to foster a supportive environment for breastfeeding.

CONCLUSION

18.       In closing, congratulations to Mount Elizabeth Fertility Centre on your 30th anniversary. I would like to thank the Centre for their thirty years of great work in providing medical help and support to build families in Singapore. I wish the Centre every success and look forward to many more years of fruitful collaborations to help Singaporeans fulfil their marriage and parenthood aspirations.

Thank you. 

[1] Median age at first marriage in Singapore from 2000 to 2016 has increased from 26.3 to 28.0 for citizen brides, and from 28.5 to 30.0 for citizen grooms. (Source: Department of Statistics) 

[2] A normal healthy couple in their 20s has about a 20% chance of conceiving in any particular month. At age 35, the chance is only 15%. After age 40, the chance is even slimmer at around <10%. (Source: KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital) 

[3] Per-cycle limits are $6,000 for first withdrawal, $5,000 for second withdrawal, and $4,000 for third and subsequent withdrawals, up to lifetime limit of $15,000.