Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the official opening of Farrer Park Hospital, 16 March 2016

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Mrs Goh Chok Tong,

Prof Maurice Choo, Chairman of The Farrer Park Company,

Dr Peng Chung Mien, Chief Executive Officer of The Farrer Park Company,

Dr Timothy Low, Chief Executive Officer of Farrer Park Hospital,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.        A very good morning to you.  It gives me great pleasure to join you here this morning at the official opening of Farrer Park Hospital.

2.        First, let me congratulate The Farrer Park Company and the hospital team on the successful launch of Farrer Park Hospital.

3.        Since the hospital opened its doors in December 2014, more than 1,000 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents have received their medical treatment here.  Singaporeans now have an additional option for their medical treatment. 

4.        I am glad that Farrer Park Hospital is going beyond healthcare services and has entered into an MOU with the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to serve as one of the school’s teaching destinations.  Students have the opportunity to attend selected classes organised by and implemented on-site at Farrer Park.  They will also benefit from specialists who are based here but appointed as academic clinical teachers to lecture at NTU.

Adapting for an Ageing Population

5.        The private sector plays a significant role in Singapore’s healthcare system, accounting for close to 20% of acute bed capacity and an even larger share of specialist outpatient care. 

6.        As our healthcare needs grow with an ageing population, the private sector will be an important partner in meeting this need.  Serving an ageing population however calls for some changes in our approach.  Let me suggest three. 

7.        First, the type of healthcare services we provide, and how they are delivered and organised, will need to change in order to meet the needs of an older population.  The demand for services such as geriatric medicine and rehabilitation medicine are expected to rise.  More elderly are also likely to have severe or multiple chronic conditions that require complex care by multiple specialists.  Elderly patients being admitted for acute conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, may also be frequently accompanied by multiple co-morbidities or even cognitive and functional deterioration.  This calls for a greater use of a multi-disciplinary team-based approach that treats the patient holistically, instead of fragmented care where individual ailments are treated separately.  Not only is this poor-quality care, it could also chalk up the bill considerably.

8.        Second, healthcare providers will have to work more closely with one another.  Older patients are more likely to have patient journeys that cross from one healthcare setting to another.  Take the example of an elderly patient who fell at home and has suffered a hip fracture as a result.  The patient would first be admitted to an acute hospital to undergo inpatient surgery by orthopaedic specialists.  After discharging from the hospital, the patient might then be transferred to a nearby community hospital for rehabilitation where he or she undergoes regular physiotherapy.  When the patient eventually recovers and returns home, he or she might follow-up with the neighbourhood GP for routine check-ups.  Therefore, it is crucial to ensure continuity of care as our patients move across the healthcare system.

9.        To achieve seamless patient-centred care, coordination and communication between healthcare providers are important.  Private hospitals should develop the systems and relationships to facilitate this.  For example, the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) enables a healthcare provider to check on their patient’s recorded allergies and care history with other providers, before deciding on how to treat the patient.  I will encourage private hospitals to upgrade their IT systems to not only view NEHR records, but to also contribute their inputs on patients’ health records.  

10.    Finally, a perennial priority, is affordability.  Elderly patients are often more price sensitive.  The Government has put in place many schemes to help make healthcare more affordable.  What we are aiming for is not the cheapest care, but good-value care that is both effective and affordable.  Healthcare providers must aim to give effective and affordable treatment to their patients.  This means helping them to adopt a healthy lifestyle, screening for chronic conditions and certain cancers at the recommended intervals, and choosing drugs and implants for their function and not brand name.  By helping our patients make the right choice, we help them stretch their healthcare dollar, and assure ourselves of a more sustainable model – a trusted doctor-patient relationship.  

11.    Taking innovative steps to improve efficiency and lower costs are equally important.  I am happy to hear that this building is equipped with smart systems to enhance connectivity among its various users.  Doctors have ready access to patient information, such as diagnostic images and laboratory test results, through tablets and mobile devices.  ‘Live’ operations can also be streamed from the operating theatres to various rooms in Farrer Park, providing observers with an immersive learning experience.  Injecting innovation is another way the private sector can contribute to our healthcare system. 

Conclusion

12.    My vision for the private sector is one where it is closely integrated into our national healthcare system, serving Singaporeans young and old very well and at affordable prices, in partnership with other healthcare providers, both public and private.  My hope for Farrer Park Hospital is that it will bring us closer to this vision.  

13.    On this note, I wish Farrer Park Hospital every success in caring for its patients well.  Once again, let me congratulate the management and staff of Farrer Park Hospital on the official opening of the hospital today.  I wish everyone a pleasant morning ahead.

14.    Thank you.