Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at SATA CommHealth's 70th Anniversary Celebration Dinner, on 28 October 2017

SPEECH BY MR GAN KIM YONG, MINISTER FOR HEALTH, AT SATA COMMHEALTH’S 70^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION DINNER, AT THE HILTON HOTEL SINGAPORE, 28 OCTOBER 2017, 7.20PM

Ms Theresa Goh, Chairman, SATA CommHealth

Dr K Thomas Abraham, CEO, SATA CommHealth

Board members and staff of SATA CommHealth

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen 

        Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to be here at SATA CommHealth’s 70^th Anniversary Celebration Dinner.

2.    SATA CommHealth has grown remarkably as a charity organisation over these 70 years. SATA CommHealth traces its humble beginnings to 1947, when it focused on providing diagnostic and treatment services to tuberculosis patients. Today, it is one of the leading charity organisations in providing affordable primary and community healthcare services across Singapore.

Evolution of Healthcare Needs and Models of Care

3.    SATA CommHealth’s focus is aligned with the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) shift from hospital to community. Primary and community healthcare serves as a key pillar in managing both acute and chronic conditions, as the first and continuous line of care for patients.

4.    The prevalence of chronic diseases significantly increases with an ageing population. About a quarter of Singaporeans aged 60 and above will have at least one chronic disease. Our national chronic disease load will increase, not just in the number of cases, but also in their complexity. We need to invest beyond hospital-centric care models to ensure our health system will be sustainable. An integrated and affordable primary and community healthcare system will become increasingly important. 

5.    Earlier this year, we took the first important step of restructuring our healthcare systems into three integrated clusters, each with a wider range of healthcare facilities, capabilities, services and networks across different care settings, including its own group of polyclinics and GP networks. This move to strengthen the primary care capabilities of each cluster reflects our emphasis on primary care. With the reorganisation, each cluster will bring together the capabilities of service providers to drive primary care transformation and anchor care firmly in the community.

Ongoing Efforts and the Roles of Community Providers

6.    Starting upstream, we are enhancing our efforts in health promotion. Examples include the Healthy 365 app and the National Steps Challenge, now in its third season. We also recently enhanced the Screen for Life programme to encourage early disease detection and follow-up.

7.    Further downstream, there are ongoing efforts to right-site patients with stable chronic conditions from specialist to primary care. Care coordinators play a vital role in this process by helping to identify suitable patients, consolidating patient visits, and facilitating a smooth transition of care between specialists and primary care doctors.

8.    To support primary care transformation, MOH is working with GPs and healthcare partners to reorganise the GPs into Primary Care Networks (PCNs) which will enable GPs to develop team based care together with other healthcare professionals, including nurses and allied health professionals to provide better chronic care in the community.

9.    The Ministry also established nurse-led Community Health Centres (CHCs) which provide GPs with support services. SATA CommHealth’s Jurong East CHC is a good example.

10.    Besides primary care, the intermediate- and long-term care (ILTC) sector plays an equally important role delivering care in the community. Government-funded ILTC facilities are being developed alongside those from charity organisations, providing extended medical management and rehabilitation for patients discharged from hospitals and the elderly who need help for activities of daily living. Such services, including SATA CommHealth’s rehabilitation services and Homecare Service, which provides home-based treatment for the dependent elderly, are key in supporting our ageing population.  

Conclusion

11.    The Singapore healthcare system has come a long way. We have built a strong core as reflected in the latest Global Burden of Disease study 2017, where we ranked number one in the world for progress made on health-related goals set by the United Nations. As we transition from a hospital-centric care model towards one that is focused on continuity of care in the community, the continued success and sustainability of our healthcare system lie increasingly with our primary and community care partners. With committed healthcare partners like SATA CommHealth, I am confident that we will be able to develop a strong primary and community healthcare landscape in Singapore, and champion a healthier nation.

12.    With this, I would like to commend SATA CommHealth for your efforts for the past 70 years. You have made indelible contributions to Singapore’s healthcare scene and as a result, made a difference to people’s quality of life here. Congratulations on your 70^th year milestone! I look forward to SATA CommHealth’s continued contributions in the years ahead.

13.    Thank you, and have an enjoyable evening ahead.