Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the Launch Event for Stroke Awareness Campaign 2017 and StrokeHub, on 29 October 2017

SPEECH BY DR AMY KHOR, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH, AT THE LAUNCH EVENT FOR STROKE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN 2017 AND STROKEHUB, AT HONG KAH NORTH COMMUNITY CLUB, ON 29 OCTOBER 2017, 9.10 AM

Associate Professor Deidre Anne De Silva, Chairperson, Stroke Services Improvement, Ministry of Health

Mr Gary Khoo, Director, Preventive Health Programmes, Health Promotion Board

Mr Jimmy Tay, Chairman, Hong Kah North Community Club Management Committee

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

            Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to join you at the launch of the Stroke Awareness Campaign 2017 and StrokeHub Portal on World Stroke Day.

INCREASING BURDEN OF STROKE WITH AN AGEING POPULATION

2.         Each year, there are about 8,000 strokes cases in Singapore. With a rapidly ageing population, this number is projected to increase. The burden of stroke is substantial, and has significant social and economic impact. More importantly, it has serious consequences on well-being: in Singapore, cerebrovascular diseases, including stroke, is the fourth leading cause of death and one of the leading causes of long-term physical disability.

3.         While we would continue to deliver quality stroke care and rehabilitation, it is vital that we arm ourselves with the knowledge of what we can do when a stroke does happen so that we reduce complications and protect our health.

4.         Let me share the story of a 47-year-old patient from the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI). Earlier this year, while at work, she had a sudden left facial droop and loss of power in her left arm and leg. A colleague, realising that she had suffered a stroke, immediately called 995 for an ambulance. Enroute to the hospital, paramedics quickly notified the Emergency Department (ED) about her condition. When she arrived, a team of doctors and nurses were on standby to assess her and performed an emergency brain scan on her. As she had been brought in early, doctors were able to administer tPA, a time-sensitive clot-busting stroke treatment within 38 minutes of arrival at the hospital and within 80 minutes from the onset of her symptoms. Her condition improved that same day. Today, she has fully recovered and has gone back to work. Her recovery is due to the well-coordinated and effective care she received each step along the way. But all this could only have happened because her colleague recognised the symptoms of a stroke and called the ambulance immediately. All of us can play a part – learn to recognise stroke symptoms and call 995 for help. We have the power to protect our health as well as of those around us.

RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT STROKE

5.         Therefore, raising awareness of stroke is important so that the public can be empowered to act if they notice or know that someone has encountered a stroke. Last year’s stroke awareness campaign introduced the internationally recognised FAST mnemonic: Facial drooping, Arm Weakness, Speech Difficulties, and Time to call 995 immediately. This is a simple tool to aid stroke recognition and to call 995. The results of a local study by the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) on the effectiveness of last year’s campaign have been promising: there has been an increase in the number of patients heading to the hospital early enough for time-sensitive stroke treatments. This is encouraging and a step in the right direction, and one which we will continue to build on.

6.         This year, we want to reach out to a wider audience and spread the FAST message further. There will be advertisements at different locations, including bus-stops, train stations, HDB block void decks, community centres and healthcare institutions. The campaign will also extend to the online sphere through the use of social media. Together with our community partners, such as grassroots organisations and stroke support groups, SNSA and S3, we hope the message about stroke recognition and FAST is strengthened within the community. 

LAUNCH OF THE STROKEHUB PORTAL

7.         In addition, I am glad to announce that StrokeHub will be launched on the Health Promotion Board (HPB)’s HealthHub today. It is a one-stop common patient education portal on stroke, and all hospitals, patients and the general public can access this portal. The aim is to provide a one-stop resource that healthcare providers can tap on to provide the latest and most up-to-date information for patients and their families.  From December onwards, material for stroke survivors and their caregivers will be made available in the 4 national languages so that Singaporeans can understand more about stroke in a language familiar to them. Anyone can enter StrokeHub to get the latest information on prevention, recognition and treatment of stroke.  Armed with this knowledge, every one of us can learn more about what we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones and assist those in need.

FOCUS ON PREVENTIVE MEASURES

8.         Prevention is better than cure. We can reduce our risk of stroke by adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including eating a balanced diet with moderate salt intake and exercising regularly, to maintain a healthy weight. Some of us who may find that keeping up with the many do’s and don’ts of healthy eating challenging, but it is not as difficult as it first appears to be. For example, HPB created ‘My Healthy Plate’, an easy-to-understand visual guide on how you can put together well-balanced and healthy meals. There are also healthier food options at food courts, hawker centres, and restaurants now through the Healthier Dining Programme. To encourage active lifestyles, various exercise groups and activities are organised across Singapore, catering to different interests and fitness levels. For example, Hong Kah North CC has a range of activities as part of their wellness programmes, including line dancing, qigong and pilates. Residents around Hong Kah can join these programmes to stay active and healthy. Besides having a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity, it is also important for individuals to not smoke and limit alcohol intake for better health.

9.         In addition to healthy living, I also strongly encourage everyone to attend regular health screening and follow up for chronic conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension, which are significant risk factors for stroke. The Ministry of Health (MOH) recently enhanced subsidies for HPB’s Screen for Life (SFL) programme from 1^st September this year to encourage more Singaporeans to go for evidence-based screening and follow up at Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) GP clinics. This includes screening for diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. Eligible Singaporeans will pay no more than $5 for the screening visit and the first post-screening follow up consultation. CHAS cardholders pay $2, and Pioneers Generation (PG) cardholders do not need not to pay. I urge those who have gone for screening and found abnormal results for any of these conditions, to follow up with their doctor even if they feel perfectly well. This is to ensure that their conditions are managed in a timely manner to reduce the risk of complications like stroke.

10.       All of us can and should do our part by learning about stroke and the measures that can be adopted to help ourselves and those around us. We should equip ourselves with recognising stroke symptoms so that we will be prepared to act FAST in the event of a stroke emergency. There are many avenues for members of the public to find out more about stroke and what can be done to empower and protect ourselves and our loved ones, such as the new StrokeHub portal.

11.      In closing, I would like to thank Hong Kah North CC for partnering with us in hosting this event to raise awareness about stroke and spreading the FAST message. I hope you find the rest of the programme educational and fun, and I wish you all good health. Have an enjoyable morning. Thank you.