Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony, 26 Jul 2016

Distinguished guests,
Scholarship recipients,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.           I am delighted to join you this afternoon for the 2016 Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony.

2.           My heartiest congratulations to all our 305 healthcare scholarship recipients this year.  I am also glad that many of your parents, principals and teachers are here to witness and celebrate your achievements today. They have educated, nurtured and supported you in your aspirations to become a healthcare professional.

Better Health, Better Care, Better Life

3.           Since we launched the Healthcare 2020 masterplan in 2012, we have made significant progress towards improving accessibility, quality and affordability of healthcare for Singaporeans.

4.           With an ageing population, our healthcare needs will grow. There is therefore a critical need for us to transform healthcare delivery to ensure that Singaporeans will continue to receive appropriate care from a sustainable healthcare system.

5.           We are doing this in three key ways. First, we are transforming our healthcare system from one that is built around the hospital, to one that is aimed at meeting the needs of Singaporeans and keeping them in the community.  Towards this end, we are developing primary care as the first line of care and driving the “One Singaporean, One Family Doctor” vision, so that Singaporeans can have access to good quality care in the community. Second, we are focusing on moving beyond providing quality to enhance value of our healthcare by providing care appropriate to the needs of Singaporeans. This will allow us to make the best use of our limited resources and build a sustainable healthcare system in the long run. Third, we are moving beyond healthcare to focus on providing good health for all Singaporeans. In particular, I have recently declared war on diabetes as it is a key long-term chronic disease that we have to address now to keep Singaporeans healthy.

6.           As we focus on these strategic shifts, it is essential that we also develop our healthcare workforce so that they are ready to embrace and contribute to the transformation of healthcare delivery. We are training more family physicians, and geriatric and internal medicine specialists to care for our population in the community. We are also grooming more highly-skilled Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) to lead and implement complex evidence-based care programmes and operate more independently in the community.

7.           To attract Singaporean students studying overseas in healthcare related disciplines to return back to Singapore, we have introduced the Pre-employment Grant for the medicine and dentistry students, as well as the Healthcare Training Grant for nursing and specific allied health professions. We have given out almost 800 grants since the inception of both schemes, and the response has been encouraging. We will continue to reach out to these overseas Singaporeans who want to return home after graduation to serve in the public healthcare sector.

Building the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

8.           As we grow our healthcare manpower, we also need to nurture the right leaders with a strong commitment to lead our healthcare system. 

9.           The nursing profession is the backbone of the healthcare workforce. Nurses will play a key role in shaping and leading the healthcare system of tomorrow. We introduced the new Integrated Nursing Scholarship (INS) in January this year to develop the next generation of nursing leaders. The scholarship is offered to outstanding GCE ‘O’ Level graduates who demonstrate leadership potential and wish to pursue Nursing as a career. We will continue our efforts to encourage more school leavers to join this meaningful profession, and to make nursing their career of choice.

10.        I am also pleased to announce the launch of Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholarships for selected young talents who are currently pursuing medicine or dentistry studies locally. The scholarships aim to develop doctors and dentists with a strong sense of public service and with leadership potential, to serve as future leaders in the public healthcare sector. Applications for this scholarship will start from September this year.

Our Healthcare Scholars

11.        Our 305 healthcare scholars this year come from diverse backgrounds but they all share a common passion to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

12.        One example is Mr Mah Yi Hui from Serangoon Junior College.  Yi Hui will be pursuing Physiotherapy in Australia under our Healthcare Merit Scholarship. Inspired by his late father who was diagnosed with leukaemia, he was determined to do his best in his studies. Having gained insights from friends on a career in Physiotherapy, Yi Hui looks forward now to pursuing Physiotherapy as a career and contributing to the public healthcare sector. 

13.        Another example is Ms Rachel Tan, who graduated from Tampines Junior College and went on to pursue Occupational Therapy in University of Queensland in Australia. Rachel spent time after school to help out at her parents’ hawker stall during her Junior College days. Having to balance her time between helping out at the stall and her studies, she did not do as well as expected in her ‘A’ levels. Yet, she was determined to do better and went on to excel in her degree course and was awarded the mid-term Healthcare Merit Award to pursue Occupational Therapy. Currently, Rachel applies her skills and knowledge in OT as a volunteer at a hospital near her hostel.

14.        Ms Eleanor Teo, from Ngee Ann Polytechnic will be pursuing Medical Social Work at the National University of Singapore under our Healthcare Merit Scholarship. Eleanor had interviewed Ms Lilian Mark, Head Medical Social Worker at the Institute of Mental Health, as part of her school project. She was inspired by Lilian and moved by the selfless nature of the profession. Eleanor’s passion to serve the community is evident in her significant involvement in volunteering activities. For instance, she initiated a peer tutoring programme in Ngee Ann Polytechnic to help students who need additional academic support.

15.        One of our Integrated Nursing Scholarship recipients is Ms Almahirah, who graduated from Woodgrove Secondary School. She was inspired by her mother who is a nurse at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Two of her aunts and three cousins are also in the nursing profession. With the strong support of her mother and extended family, her passion for nursing was reaffirmed. Almahirah is positive that she will, like her mother, be able to impact many lives.

16.        I hope that Yi Hui, Rachel, Eleanor and Almahirah together with all our other scholarship recipients today, will motivate and inspire more young talented Singaporeans to join public healthcare.

Conclusion

17.       As healthcare scholars, you will play an important role in leading the transformation journey, and shaping the future of Singapore’s public healthcare system to achieve Better Health, Better Care and Better Life for all Singaporeans.

18.       As you embark on your studies, I encourage you to take this opportunity to learn and share new ideas and experiences, as well as develop your skills and interests. Do all this with the patient at the centre.  We will continue to partner, support and develop you in this journey to realise your fullest potential and fulfil your aspirations.

19.       Once again, congratulations to all our new scholarship recipients of 2016.  I wish all of you the best in your future endeavours. Thank you.