Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health at Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony 2019

Distinguished Guests

Scholarship Recipients

Ladies and Gentlemen

          Good afternoon. I am delighted to join you at the 2019 Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony.

2.        Allow me to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the 174 scholarship recipients this year. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the parents and loved ones, principals and teachers, who are here with us today. Your guidance and support have set them on a journey to becoming healthcare professionals, and as one of our scholars, they will be making meaningful contributions to the healthcare sector in years to come.

The Three Beyonds and Inspiring Others

3.        With an ageing population and rising burden of chronic diseases, healthcare demand is growing. To meet this growing need, we are transforming our healthcare delivery in three ways. First, we are investing in health promotion to move beyond healthcare to health. Indeed, you must have read in the papers about the HealthySG Taskforce. Much of it has to do with promoting healthy lifestyles and behaviours and we hope that that will encourage more Singaporeans to do so. Second, we are expanding our horizons beyond the hospital, and continue to strengthen our services to patients so that more Singaporeans will have their healthcare needs met within the community. This will allow our fellow citizens, especially the seniors, the comfort of ageing gracefully in familiar surroundings. Third, we are focusing on providing healthcare that is not just of good quality, but also of good value to patients.

4.        To achieve the transformation that we envision, MOH will continue to nurture the capabilities of our healthcare workforce. We will require talented and passionate healthcare professionals and leaders to transform the practice and delivery of healthcare services. To the healthcare scholars here with us today, you play an important role in shaping the future of Singapore’s public healthcare system.

5.        The healthcare system is evolving rapidly. Care models are changing, new technology and processes are being piloted and scaled up. While education may equip you with the necessary skills and competencies needed for your profession, you will also need to stay agile and adaptable in order to take on challenges in a fast-changing environment, and develop resilience so as to persevere in the face of these demands and difficulties. As potential future leaders in your respective fields, we hope that each of you will not only be able to adapt to the changes to come, but to lead the change and co-create a better healthcare system to meet the needs of Singaporeans.

6.        Let us also remember that effecting the right change also requires the right heart, with patience, resilience, empathy, and compassion for patients and their loved ones. What all of you have in common is the desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and a passion to do this through service in public healthcare. Even as you embark on your studies, I want to encourage you to constantly pursue opportunities for development and learning, and look out for avenues to make meaningful contributions in your own capacities, throughout your studies and your future career. I hope that all of you will serve as a model and inspiration to our patients, fellow colleagues and the community when you graduate from your studies and become a healthcare professional.

2019 Healthcare Scholars

7.        Let me share some inspiring stories of our 2019 healthcare scholars seated here today. Ms Nor Diana Binte Alias, is one of the in-service nurses who is receiving the Community Nursing Scholarship today. Nor Diana started out pursuing the NITEC in Nursing programme at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). She performed exceptionally well while she was practising as an Enrolled Nurse, and she was sponsored by her employer to pursue a diploma in nursing at the Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP). Today, she will be receiving the Community Nursing Scholarship to pursue a degree conversion programme at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). She is married with two young children under the age of 5. I truly admire Nor Diana’s spirit to continually upgrade her clinical skills in an effort to provide the best care to her patients.

8.        Yu Xuan’s story is also inspiring. He was a Year 1 student studying Biological Sciences at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) when he decided to switch to nursing, despite initial objections from his parents. He eventually managed to convince them with his sheer determination and passion for the profession. I am sure Yu Xuan will make his parents proud, as one of the 58 nursing scholars with us here today, by making a difference in the lives of his patients. He will be receiving the Healthcare Merit Award to pursue nursing studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

9.        I am also really happy to see siblings pursing healthcare careers together! Today we have twin sisters Charlotte and Celine Lee with us as Healthcare Merit Award recipients. Both of them have such a strong passion to serve in healthcare, that they have decided on similar careers as allied health professionals. Charlotte will be pursuing Podiatry in the University of Southampton in the U.K., while Celine will be pursing Physiotherapy in SIT.

10.       We wish Nor Diana, Yu Xuan, Charlotte and Celine, as well as all other scholarship recipients seated here, the very best in your studies and future careers. May you inspire more young Singaporeans to join the public healthcare sector.

Conclusion

11.       The road ahead as a healthcare professional in the public healthcare family will be an exciting one. We hope that all of you will form meaningful bonds with your fellow course mates, mentors, and patients. In the face of a changing healthcare landscape, stay humble to learn from one another, and be generous to provide support to each other and those in need.

12.       Once again, I offer my warmest congratulations to our new 2019 scholarship recipients. I wish you all the best in your studies, and I look forward to the day when you return from your studies and serve alongside us in the public healthcare family, to give Singaporeans better health, better care, and a better life. Thank you.