Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony 2017, 25 July 2017

Distinguished guests,
Scholarship recipients,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

1.            Good afternoon. It gives me great pleasure to join all of you for the 2017 Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony.

2.            My warmest congratulations to the 188 scholarship recipients this year. Credit must also go to your parents, principals and teachers who have provided you with guidance and support along the way and who are here today to share in your celebrations.

Nurturing healthcare leaders of tomorrow

3.            With an ageing population and a rising burden of chronic diseases, Singapore’s healthcare needs will continue to rise. To meet this growing need, we have to transform our healthcare delivery, and are doing so in three ways. First, we wil invest in preventive health and promoting healthy lifestyles to move beyond healthcare to health. Second, we are moving beyond hospital to community in bringing care closer to patients. Third, we are focusing on providing healthcare that is not just of good quality, but also of good value to our patients.

4.            To achieve the care transformation that we envision, we will require talented and passionate healthcare professionals and leaders to transform the practice of medicine and the delivery of healthcare services, leveraging on technology as well. You are joining the healthcare sector at a very exciting time. As potential future leaders in your respective fields, we hope that each of you will in time contribute to co-creating a better healthcare system for the future.

Building a strong pipeline of nursing leaders

5.            Nurses make up the largest segment of our healthcare professionals in Singapore. They are at the forefront of our care transformation journey. They will play a key role in shaping the healthcare system of tomorrow. We strongly believe in the impact that our nurses can make, and have continued to invest in the nursing profession over the years. This includes the introduction of several nursing scholarships that reflect the range of pathways through which one can enter nursing, and the diversity of roles that nurses can look forward to in public healthcare.

6.            Last year, we introduced the Integrated Nursing Scholarship to support outstanding ‘O’ level graduates to pursue nursing at the diploma followed by the degree level. Following an inaugural batch of 10 INS recipients last year, I am pleased to note that 15 students have been awarded the INS this year. One of the recipients this year is Ms Siti Safrin Farah, who will pursue nursing at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.Due to her late father and grandmother’s medical conditions, Farah often accompanied them when they visited the hospital for their carel, and she interacted frequently with the nurses who cared for them. Witnessing their dedication, perseverance and patience, she was inspired to join nursing and to serve alongside them.

7.            Besides nurturing the younger generation, we also want to keep the doors open for those who may find their calling to healthcare later in life. The Healthcare Graduate Studies Award for Nursing, which we introduced earlier this year, enables fresh graduates and mid-career professionals to join nursing by pursuing a Graduate Entry Masters programme in nursing overseas. Ms Jean Yong, who was working in corporate sales previously, is one of the two who will be receiving the award this year. While volunteering as a befriender with the Singapore National Stroke Association, Jean interacted and worked closely with nurses, stroke patients and their caregivers. She saw the critical role that nurses play in a patient’s journey and was inspired to make the switch to nursing.

8.            As we shift our care beyond the hospital, nurses have an increasingly vital role to play in strengthening care services in the community. They will need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to manage patients with complex medical conditions, so that patients can be cared for at home without the need to be admitted to the hospital. The new Community Nursing Scholarship launched earlier this month will help build up our community care capabilities. ‘O’ and ‘A’ level students, current nursing students, and nurses already in the service will be supported to pursue the relevant nursing training  and develop a career in community nursing. Application for the scholarship is open and we look forward to meeting the first batch of recipients at next year’s scholarship award ceremony.

A multi-disciplinary team for patient-centred care

9.            Alongside their nursing colleagues, a strong team of allied health professionals also works tirelessly to care for our patients. Providing a range of services from rehabilitation and treatment to psychosocial support, they are key members of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team providing holistic care to patients.

10.         I am pleased to know that young people like Ms Amanda Tan have chosen to join healthcare as allied health professionals. Amanda's family had faced financial difficulties when her father had to undergo a major operation previously. During this challenging period, the medical social worker assigned to her family was instrumental in helping them obtain financial assistance and providing them with emotional support. The experience inspired her to pursue social work so that she, too, will be able to help others in their times of need. Today, Amanda will be receiving the Healthcare Merit Award to study Medical Social Work at the National University of Singapore.

11.         We are also keen to identify and develop doctors and dentists with a strong sense of public service to serve as future leaders in public healthcare. Last year, we launched the PSC Scholarships for Medicine and Dentistry and I am pleased that we are awarding four PSC Scholarships for Medicine this year. One of the recipients is Mr Tan Yu Bin, who is continuing the passion for healthcare in his family. Inspired by his mother, who is a nurse at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Yu Bin actively involves himself in community and social services to care for young children. He has also volunteered with a Family Service Centre to mentor children from underprivileged families, and currently works with caregivers of paediatric patients to provide respite palliative care. With Medicine, he will be able to contribute even more to those in need.

Conclusion

12.         Like Farah, Jean, Amanda and Yu Bin, each of you here today has a unique story to tell about why you have chosen to join healthcare. All of you have something in common, and that is the desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and a passion to do so through service in public healthcare.

13.         As you embark on your studies, I encourage you to constantly pursue opportunities for development and learning, and look out for avenues to make meaningful contributions in your own capacities. Keep the public duty in mind as you do so, and stay passionate about your cause.

14.         Congratulations again to all our healthcare scholarship recipients. I wish you all the best and look forward to your future contributions in public healthcare. Thank you.