Speeches
Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd SG-ANZICS Intensive Care Forum, on 24 April 2015
27 April 2015
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Dear colleagues,
It is my pleasure to be here this morning to witness the launch of the 3rd SG-Anzics Intensive Care Forum.
2 Intensive care medicine in Singapore has come a long way. Before the 1970s, the concept of intensive care was close to non-existent. Today, we have state-of-the-art ICUs and well-trained healthcare professionals providing inter-disciplinary team-based care for the critically ill. These include intensivists, specialists of various disciplines, nurses, respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dieticians, medical social workers and other allied health professionals.
3 In terms of outcomes, we are comparable with other developed countries. For example, we have a comparable survival rate of about 66% for ICU patients with severe sepsis. Our intensive care teams have also been recognized for achieving good outcomes. Let me name a couple of examples:
a) The National University Hospital’s Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, and the Emergency Medicine Department, received the National Clinical Excellence Team Award in 2014 for bringing down the mortality from severe community-acquired pneumonia, such that 85% of these patients admitted to the medical ICU survived.[1] And
b) Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s ICUs won the Gold Award in the Asian Hospital Management Awards in 2014 for early mobilisation and rehabilitation of their patients after an episode of critical illness[2], to improve patient outcomes and functionality.
4 I would like to congratulate the respective institutions for their achievements and encourage you to continue in your efforts to improve intensive care practice and outcomes.
Intensive Care Moving Forward
5 Given the relatively high mortality and costs associated with intensive care, it is important to improve our understanding of the burden of critical illness in Singapore so as to better inform intensive care management to achieve the best possible outcomes for critically ill patients.
6 To do this, the Ministry of Health is working with the intensive care community from the various hospitals to pilot national intensive care data-set and data collection standardization. It is also carrying out an IT landscape study of current data collection gaps, so as to develop a national database of ICU data.
7 These efforts will help us better understand the epidemiology, management and outcomes of the critically ill, as well as patient risk factors and outcomes. It should also facilitate improvement of the quality and continuity of care, better capacity planning and optimise resource utilization.
8 As critical illness can occur at various points in life, and is generally associated with significant mortality and morbidity, we need the best people with the appropriate ICU facilities to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients.
9 Enhancing the competency of ICU staff entails continuing professional development and medical education, as well as research to further equip our healthcare professionals in improving the provision of intensive care for patients.
10 Just as important is the training of our people to be competent in all aspects of end-of-life care which is always sensitive and emotive. It requires a good understanding when intensive care will not benefit patients, how best to communicate with families or surrogates, guiding and supporting them on making decisions on care options, and finally to ensure that patients’ and their families’ views are respected.
Conclusion
11 The ICU is a unique place, with lives at stake. Intensive care, applied competently, can save lives which are not meant to be taken away prematurely.
12 Intensive care teams in ICUs across our island toil for their patients day and night. These same care teams also comfort patients and their families, when it becomes clear that the end is inevitable.
13 Events in the ICU can bring about a roller coaster ride of emotions, not just for the patients and their families, but for the ICU staff as well. I therefore salute all the healthcare professionals who are here today, the unsung heroes who have been dedicated to the care of the critically ill.
14 In closing, I would like to congratulate the Society of Intensive Care Medicine, Singapore, and the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) for working together to make this 3rd Singapore-ANZICS Intensive Care Forum happen.
15 To the delegates who have travelled to Singapore from abroad, welcome. This year marks Singapore’s 50th birthday, so may I take this opportunity to encourage you to tour our country and get to know more of its history and culture.
I wish all of you a very successful and fruitful Intensive Care Forum.