SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE AIC COMMUNITY CARE DAY 2023, 1 NOV

Mr Tan Kwang Cheak, Chief Executive Officer, AIC

Mr Chan Wah Tiong, Cluster Chief Executive Officer, St. Andrew’s Nursing Home

Ladies and gentlemen

Community Care Day

1.                Since 2019, we have been commemorating 1 November as Community Care Day. It is a special day to recognise the hard work and dedication of everyone in the Community Care Sector. Through the years, especially when we were battling COVID-19, your contributions have made a mark on our seniors. We thank you for your dedication.

2.                As our seniors needs change, work in the Community Care sector will become even more challenging. As part of Age Well SG, we will move to further anchor care for our seniors in the community and reduce the need for institutionalisation. We will need your collective effort and support, as we push to making this a reality.

Investing in our Community Care Staff Force

3.                To deliver such quality care in the community, we need to invest in you, our community care workforce. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) are committed to doing this.

4.                First, by building Capabilities through staff training and supporting your continuous development. For example, we have been expanding the AIC Learning Network by onboarding reputable training providers to provide subsidised training. CCOs can also encourage staff to deepen their skills and further their career within the sector through programmes such as the Community Care Manpower Development Award. More than 800 awards have been conferred since 2017. I look forward to more applications in the coming years.

5.                Second, by improving your work environment. Earlier this year, the Tripartite Workgroup for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment of Healthcare Workers has recommended the adoption of a standardised zero-tolerance policy against the abuse and harassment of healthcare workers. We work together with unions, brothers and sisters who are here today. MOH will launch a national public education campaign later this year, with the objective of promoting positive relations of trust and respect between healthcare workers, clients, and caregivers. We will also step up efforts to support mental well-being in the workplace, which is critical for frontline workers.

6.                Third, by putting in place competitive compensation, rewards and recognition for staff. Through MOH’s Community Care Salary Enhancement exercise, we had committed more than $290 million to raise the salary of Community Care staff from 2022 to 2023. Besides monetary awards such as the COVID-19 Healthcare Award and the more recent Nurse Special Payment Package, we are also working to raise the profiles of community care professionals through campaigns such as Care to Go Beyond. Through these efforts, we hope to retain and attract new staff to join the community care sector.

Community is the “C” in Collaboration

7.                To help our seniors to age well in the community, we must not only make sure we invest in our staff, but we also need to invest in community collaboration efforts. Community Care Day is into its fifth instalment this year and we are doing things a little different by bringing the celebrations into the local community.

8.                All CCOs will receive the Community Care Day Fund to celebrate with their staff. We have also specially curated merchant discounts and vouchers for staff to enjoy whenever they wish to.

9.                As part of the celebration, we are also running this celebration at three locations, one here at Saint John’s- Saint Margaret’s Nursing Home. There are two other ongoing events happening at St Luke’s Elder Care in Ang Mo Kio and Vanguard (Tampines Care Home). With our three CCOs playing hosts, colleagues from neighbouring CCOs have also been invited to join in the Community Care Day festivities.

10.           It is extra special to see so many of you from different CCOs coming together to celebrate, and even better, use this opportunity to network with one another. This is important as we seek to build local collaborations with each other, so that we can work in concert to serve the seniors in our own local communities better.

11.           In the spirit of building community connections, I would also encourage you to extend your links to your neighbourhood GPs, social service offices and PA. This way, we can work collectively to leverage on each other’s strengths, open up more community spaces to engage our seniors, and keep them healthy in the community for longer. 

12.           On this note, I would like to extend a big thanks to all the AIC volunteers and staff who have helped organise this event. I am honoured to be with all of you here today at the Community Care Day. Thank you so much for what you have done for the community. Have a great meaningful celebration ahead. Thank you very much.