The MediShield Life Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2024 introduces several changes to the MediShield Life framework to adjust premium structures, enhance administrative powers and improve the affordability of healthcare coverage. I would like to seek clarification on several areas that may impact Singaporeans financially and administratively.
Ministerial Powers for Regulation and Subsidy Criteria
Clause 11 amends Section 34 of the Act, which grants the Minister broad powers to make regulations, including determining premium rates for different classes of insured persons. MediShield Life premium subsidies now consider both Per Capita Household Income (PCHI) and the Annual Value (AV) of one’s residence. The AV tiers provide the highest subsidy to lower income insured persons living in properties with AVs up to $21,000 and a reduced subsidy for AVs between $21,000 and $25,000, while AVs above $25,000 receive no subsidy, unless they are from the Pioneer or Merdeka Generation.
This criterion could present a financial challenge for some low or no-income households, particularly retirees living in private property and are born in 1960 or later. These individuals may face rising medical bills yet do not qualify for premium subsidies due to the property they live in. Many of these elderly Singaporeans are unlikely to downsize their homes, especially if they are currently suffering from serious illnesses. The physical and emotional disruption of relocating during a vulnerable period is impractical and could worsen their health conditions.
For retirees and other low-income households, I urge the government to consider removing AV as a means-testing criterion. Minimally those with AVs above $25,000 should still be allowed to apply for premium subsidies, and a holistic and transparent assessment should be made based on their individual circumstances. This approach would allow the scheme to target subsidies more effectively towards those who genuinely lack cash flow for their healthcare needs.
Premium Adjustments and Transparency
Clause 5 grants the Minister flexibility to set premium rates through prescribed means, possibly via online publications. Although this change could streamline the process, I have some concerns about stability and predictability of premium rates. Policyholders, especially those with lower incomes, rely on consistent healthcare costs to plan their finances. Frequent premium adjustments could challenge their ability to budget effectively.
Will the government establish a regular schedule for premium adjustments, and if not, how much advance notice will policyholders receive to prepare for changes? This will provide policyholders with more transparency and predictability regarding their healthcare expenses.
Approval of Claimable Medical Services
Clause 4 grants the Minister discretion to approve medical institutions and the treatments they offer as eligible for MediShield Life claims. Although this change may help manage costs, it could also limit access to necessary care if certain treatments or institutions do not receive approval. Unapproved services might force policyholders to pay out-of-pocket, discouraging them from seeking essential treatment.
Could the Minister clarify if the criteria for approving medical services and a complete list of approved services and institutions will be published regularly? This will help policyholders to make informed healthcare choices and avoid unexpected costs.
Additionally, does this amendment allow the Minister to designate Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other traditional medical practices as approved medical treatments in the future? Many Singaporeans rely on TCM and other traditional practices for managing chronic conditions and maintaining overall health.
Enhanced Penalties for False Information
Clause 6 broadens the scope of offences related to false or misleading information in health declarations, means declarations or claims. This amendment aims to deter fraud, but it may disproportionately impact elderly or less tech-savvy policyholders who may make honest mistakes in their submissions.
What are the provisions for rectifying minor or first-time errors, especially for vulnerable groups? Establishing a grace period or correction mechanism would prevent harsh penalties for honest mistakes, particularly for seniors unfamiliar with digital processes.
Use of Means Information for Recovery Actions
Clause 9 allows the government to use means information to assess eligibility and support recovery actions for outstanding premiums. Although this approach may ensure targeted resource allocation, it could place additional pressure on low-income policyholders. Aggressive recovery actions, if based primarily on financial data, could create financial stress for households already struggling to meet healthcare costs.
Will the government provide safeguards like automatic premium loans or deferred payment options to protect financially vulnerable policyholders and help them maintain coverage without incurring penalties?
Will policyholders lose coverage if they still fail to pay their premiums?
Service of Documents and Demand Notices
Clause 10 introduces electronic methods for serving official documents, including email, which may improve efficiency. However, policyholders who are less comfortable with digital platforms might miss important updates, potentially leading to unintended coverage lapses or penalties.
Does the government offer additional communication methods, such as phone calls or in-person notifications, to ensure all policyholders receive and understand crucial information?
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, this Bill seeks to enhance the MediShield Life framework, but these changes must not place unnecessary burdens on those who rely on the scheme most. For low-income households, I urge MOH to review the use of AV as a criterion for means testing, so that retirees and those with limited cash flow can receive subsidies based on their actual financial need.
Committee of Supply debate, Ministry of Health, 5 March 2024
The healthcare costs and lost productivity caused by smoking in Singapore has been estimated to be at least $600 million a year.
Singapore has some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking laws. Yet, continuing to raise tobacco taxes and extending public smoking bans may be seeing diminishing returns. Stricter rules in public spaces have ironically driven smokers to light up at home or create informal smoking corners, harming their children’s health and sparking neighbour complaints about second-hand smoke.
In January 2023, the Ministry of Health stated it is reviewing international practices on cohort smoking bans. The UK plans to increase the minimum smoking age every year until eventually no person can legally buy cigarettes. New Zealand initially implemented a cohort smoking ban, but the new conservative government revoked it to fund tax cuts.
DPM Lawrence Wong stated in January 2024 that public health and not potential tobacco tax revenue loss were factors in banning e-cigarettes. I trust this principle will also apply to any government decision on a cohort smoking ban.
A generational smoking ban is specifically designed to safeguard the future, without imposing restrictions on current smokers. This forward-looking approach ensures that today’s adults can make their own choices, while laying the groundwork for a healthier legacy for their children and grandchildren.
I urge the government to implement a cohort smoking ban for all individuals in Singapore born on or after 2010. This will give us four years to prepare new smoking regulations before we see our first smoke-free generation for all children currently aged 14 and under.
Committee of Supply debate, Ministry of Health, 5 March 2024
Currently, Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation and Public Assistance cardholders receive special subsidies under CHAS.
I would like to propose adding persons with disabilities or special needs as another group of Singaporeans to receive special subsidies under CHAS. They should also receive additional MediSave top-ups and more subsidies for intermediate and long-term care.
All this will help persons with disabilities or special needs — and their families — to defray their medical expenses, which are likely to be larger over their lifetimes.
I would also like to suggest that MOH track the number of individuals under CHAS who are persons with disabilities or special needs, so as to better understand the healthcare expenses and needs of this group of Singaporeans.
I recently asked a parliamentary question to obtain data about patients at public hospitals and polyclinics who declined to collect their prescribed medication. In my question, I sought information on the frequency of such occurrences, the average price of medication declined by patients, the common reasons cited for non-collection, and whether the Ministry of Health (MOH) would consider collecting this data if it is not currently doing so. I was seeking to address a concern that had been brought up to me about whether the cost of medication could be a reason for their non-collection.
In response, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung explained that MOH does not currently track the number of times patients decline to collect their prescribed medication, nor do they monitor the average price of such medication. Instead, he referred to a research study published in March 2023 that highlighted various non-cost-related factors influencing medication adherence. These factors include concerns about potential side effects, lack of knowledge about the medication and the underlying disease.
I looked up the research study that the Minister was likely referring to. The study mentioned that:
Although financial issues were not mentioned as a factor substantially hindering medication adherence, a minority of participants expressed that paying for regular prescriptions could be a burden for the family in the long term and hence would likely impede medication adherence. As one participant described: “The new oral medication for my diabetes was so costly as it was not covered by subsidies. My family is not well-off. So I stopped the medication.” (#4, M, 71)
The issue of patients declining to collect prescribed medication is a matter of concern. It can lead to worsened medical conditions, increased complications and higher healthcare costs due to delayed and more intensive treatment. Understanding non-collection reasons is vital for healthcare providers and policymakers to craft effective strategies for boosting medication adherence. These include addressing cost-related and other barriers.
The Minister did not answer my question about whether the Ministry will consider collecting such data. I would argue that public healthcare providers should track this to better grasp the medication adherence challenges and enhance patient care and outcomes.
Here is the full question and answer on 22 November 2023
DATA OF PATIENTS FROM SPECIALIST OUTPATIENT CLINICS AT PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND POLYCLINICS DECLINING COLLECTION OF MEDICATION IN LAST FIVE YEARS
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) in each of the last five years, how many times have patients from specialist outpatient clinics at public hospitals and polyclinics declined to collect their prescribed medication; (b) what is the average price of medication declined to be collected by patients; (c) what are the common reasons cited for non-collection; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider collecting such data if it is not currently doing so.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Ministry of Health does not track the number of times patients from specialist outpatient clinics at public hospitals and polyclinics declined to collect their prescribed medication. We also do not monitor the average price of such medication.
A research study published in March 2023 concluded that a wide range of non-cost-related factors influenced medication adherence. This includes concern about side effects, lack of knowledge of the medication and the disease.
The world is facing a severe manpower crunch in health and social care. The CEO of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) said last year that “the scale of the worldwide nursing shortage is one of the greatest threats to health globally.” The ICN estimates that due to existing nursing shortages, the ageing of the nursing workforce and the effect of COVID-19, up to 13 million nurses will be needed to fill the global nurse shortage gap in the future. The Southeast Asia region alone is facing a shortfall of 1.9 million nurses, according to the World Health Organization.
Singapore needs another 24,000 nurses, allied health professionals and support care staff to operate hospitals, clinics and eldercare centres by 2030. Our rapidly ageing population is causing demand for health and social care to increase dramatically. Yet Singapore is facing a high attrition rate of nurses. One of the reasons why nurses in Singapore have reported to be resigning is because of their heavy workload and stress, which is caused in large part by the manpower shortage.
Boosting local healthcare manpower
Urgent measures are needed to address this manpower shortage. There are no quick fix solutions. We need to encourage more Singaporeans to choose health and social care as a career so as to boost the pipeline of future professionals in this field.
I highlighted in my speech on Singapore’s COVID-19 response in March that nurses in Singapore are often still seen as the assistants to doctors instead of being professionals in their own right. We need to boost the image of the profession and enhance societal esteem for nurses and allied healthcare workers. Nurses should be granted more autonomy and entrusted with higher level responsibilities.
Schools should highlight careers in health and social care early to students. Professional associations should come up with materials and videos highlighting the careers in this field and share these with schools to disseminate to their students. I agree with Dr Tan Yia Swam’s call just now for a repository of articles on navigating the healthcare system — and I hope she starts her blog again so that we can continue to tap on her knowledge. Career guidance should start early in secondary one. This is so that students’ interest in health and social care careers can be sparked early and they can start working towards choosing suitable subjects as they move up to secondary three.
As I mentioned in my speech on the education system in April, schools should move away from sorting students according to their grades and towards allowing students to take subject combinations based on their interests. This is how we can continue to raise up a generation of future healthcare professionals who love what they do and are passionate about their work.
IHLs (institutes of higher learning) could develop guidebooks to help local students prepare themselves for their eventual applications to these institutions. These guidebooks could include information on the subjects they need to take in school, the grades they need to obtain, and the co-curricular and extracurricular activities they need to get involved in to best prepare themselves to get admitted to the institution and major of their choice. For example, this guide could recommend that students take certain subject combinations, join the science club, find opportunities to conduct scientific research, write and publish research papers, or work as an intern in a health or social care institution during their school holidays.
It should provide guidance on how to search out these opportunities and work with professional health and social care associations to create these opportunities for students. These could all help our students focus early on pursuing their area of interest in health and social care and better prepare them for their eventual careers in this exciting field. It is too late to attempt to put together a portfolio just before applying for university or polytechnic. Yet this is often what many students do, because they go through secondary school with little idea of what they are interested in, and do not participate in activities that prepare them for their future careers.
Students from more well-resourced families, on the other hand, often obtain this guidance from their parents and are provided with opportunities for hands-on experience through their parents’ professional connections. In order to level up our society and capture a wider pool of talent in our population, we need to make this information available to every student.
However, changing public perceptions and increasing public awareness about health and social care careers takes time and requires a concerted effort from various stakeholders, including the government, the media, schools and parents. We must continue to develop targeted initiatives to address the concerns of healthcare workers, such as work-life balance, remuneration and career progression.
Technology as a force multiplier in healthcare
Having said all this, it is simply not sustainable to rely on increasing manpower supply alone to meet the health and social care needs of our nation. Considering our own ageing population in Singapore, which will require greater care needs, if we are to staff all our health and social care institutions with the doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and care workers to meet the ideal healthcare worker-to-patient ratios, the health and social care sector will likely take up a disproportionate share of Singapore’s manpower and will starve other sectors of the economy of skills and talent.
Technology can play an important role in boosting productivity and augmenting manpower. In my adjournment motion in this House in 2013 on easing the cost of healthcare, I said that technology should be used as a force multiplier in the face of limited manpower in our healthcare system. This is even more so now than it was a decade ago.
Healthcare technology — or HealthTech — is a fast-growing and promising field which must be developed further in Singapore. Transformational technologies are being developed now which will revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered in the future. These include artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics that can detect diseases early and make more accurate diagnoses more quickly than conventional means. For example, researchers at MIT have developed an AI model called Sybil that can predict a patient’s risk of lung cancer within six years using low-dose CT scans.
The emerging field of precision medicine has the potential to transform healthcare and is being used in the treatment of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases and genetic disorders. It can potentially improve patient outcomes by providing more targeted and effective treatments, reducing adverse reactions to medications, and optimising disease prevention strategies. I note that there is now a Singapore Precision Medicine initiative aiming to generate precision medicine data of up to one million individuals, integrating genomic, lifestyle, health, social and environmental data. This is a very positive development.
There are also other healthcare technologies that are not as “deep tech” as what I mentioned earlier but are already in the market and can provide a boost to the productivity of healthcare workers, enhance the patient experience and improve health outcomes.
The National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) system is a major, multi-year HealthTech initiative. According to the MOH website, there are 2,231 healthcare institutions participating in the NEHR as of 5 May 2023. This list appears to be growing every day and I note there has been a marked increase in the number of participating healthcare providers since the start of this year.
The Straits Times reported on 2 May that the “private sector has been slow to participate in the NEHR since it was launched in 2011”. According to a PQ reply by Minister Ong Ye Kung to Mr Leon Perera in March 2023, only about 30% of licensed private ambulatory care institutions have view-access to the NEHR and less than 4% are contributing data.
A 2020 survey and paper by Clinical Asst Prof See Qin Yong of Changi General Hospital entitled “Attitudes and Perceptions of General Practitioners towards the NEHR in Singapore” found that solo-practising GPs who were more than 40 years old and who had practised for more than 15 years were less likely to view and contribute data onto NEHR. Doctors who regarded themselves as less computer savvy and those who perceived that an inadequate level of technical or financial support was available were also less likely to use the NEHR.
The Health Information Bill was supposed to be tabled in Parliament in 2018 to make the contribution of data to the NEHR mandatory for licensed healthcare groups after a grace period. However, this was deferred in the wake of the cyberattack and data breach of SingHealth systems in July that year, in order for technical and process enhancements to improve the security posture of the NEHR to be implemented first. Most of these security enhancements were supposed to be completed by last year, according to SMS (Health) Janil Puthucheary.
Can I ask the SMS if all the security enhancements to the NEHR have now been implemented? I understand that MOH aims to table the Health Information Bill in the second half of this year. Is MOH reaching out to doctors to address concerns they might have about the security of the patient data they will be required to contribute to the NEHR? How is MOH assisting the remaining GPs and dentists to get on board the NEHR?
Former Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in 2017 that “patients can realise the full potential of the NEHR only if the data is comprehensive”. He added that “for NEHR data to be comprehensive, every provider and healthcare professional needs to contribute relevant data to it.”
Given the NEHR’s goals and the fact that $660 million has been spent on the system so far, it is imperative that the full roll-out is implemented without undue delay, while addressing the valid concerns of doctors.
We need to tap on the knowledge and experience of GPs who have been practising for many years, especially as we move forward into the Healthier SG initiative, which will see GPs playing a key role in promoting healthy lifestyles and providing preventive healthcare.
Technology can be used to help GPs focus on what they do best. Many private clinics find it a challenge to manage the dizzying array of IT systems that they need to manage their clinics, and connect to CHAS (Community Health Assist Scheme), Healthier SG and the NEHR. I note that there is a technology subsidy scheme available to help GPs to implement Clinic Management Systems that are compatible with Healthier SG. However, implementing these systems still requires a lot of time and effort on the part of GPs and their clinic assistants — time which they simply do not have, if they want to focus on direct patient care.
MOH should explore the possibility of offering and financing an “IT manager-as-a-service” to GPs and dental clinics. This would enable them to benefit from the expertise of IT professionals, who can assist them in resolving their healthcare IT-related issues. By providing a point of contact for IT matters, GPs and their clinic assistants can then concentrate on delivering high-quality clinical care to their patients. This solution would not only enhance the efficiency and productivity of GP clinics but also help them stay current with the latest technological advancements.
Conclusion
Urgent action is needed to tackle the shortage of manpower in health and social care institutions and grow the pipeline of Singaporeans entering this field. I have proposed some ways in my speech on how we can do so and I hope that MOH and MOE will consider them.
To boost productivity and augment manpower in the health and social care sector, we need to double down on the use of technology as a force multiplier, and assist providers to implement and use these technologies.
The world celebrates International Nurses Day this Friday May 12, which is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. I would like to take the opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our nurses in both public and private healthcare institutions in Singapore. We appreciate your selfless service, sacrifice and care for our people!
This was a speech I delivered in Parliament on 9 May 2023 during the debate on Supporting Healthcare.
As Singapore’s population ages, the demand for intermediate and long-term care (ILTC) will continue to increase. A paper on the Future of Long Term Care in Singapore by researchers from the LKY School of Public Policy identified three main issues to tackle in this sector: manpower capabilities, infrastructure capacity and coordination across the sector. I will focus on manpower in my cut.
Manpower shortages are a key challenge for the ILTC sector. The ILTC workforce includes doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and social workers. A high proportion are foreigners. The Lien Foundation has pointed out that Singapore’s ILTC sector is more reliant on foreign workers than other fast-ageing economies such as Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. More needs to be done to attract locals to work in the ILTC sector.
What plans do MOH and ILTC providers have to encourage more Singaporeans to join the sector and what results have been achieved so far?
What progress has been made in enhancing salaries, work-life balance, organisational culture, professional development opportunities, and fostering a greater sense of purpose towards the profession, particularly in the ILTC sector?
The Ministry could also look at attracting non-practicing or retired nurses to return, perhaps on a locum basis, to help relieve the manpower crunch in ILTCs. Ms Sylvia Lim also called for this earlier.
Lastly, only 12% of registered nurses in 2021 were males. Is MOH looking to encourage more men to enter the profession so as to boost the overall numbers of nurses?
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Committee of Supply Debate, Ministry of Health, 3 March 2023
Caring for elderly parents or relatives is a heavy responsibility that many Singaporeans bear and it can take a toll on their physical and mental health, leading to burnout. Many caregivers are women or single adults who sacrifice their careers or personal lives to be caregivers. Our society must recognise caregivers’ challenges and give them more support.
The Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) is now between $250 to $400 per month. However, those who have a household monthly income per person of more than $2,800 do not qualify.
A study by researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School found that the cost of informal caregiving time for a care recipient who needs help with three or more Activities of Daily Living is about $53,244 annually, or $4,437 monthly.
Can I propose that the Government extend the HCG to households earning up to the prevailing median income per household member? This will help more middle income earners who struggle with the cost of caregiving.
Second, caregivers sometimes need temporary nursing home places for their loved ones so that they can occasionally travel or have some respite care. Can MOH expand the availability and accessibility of such temporary nursing home places?
And lastly, I would like to reiterate my call — and that of other Members — for Family Care Leave to be legislated. While this is not a panacea to address caregiving challenges, it can be part of a package of help that is extended to caregivers.
Caregiving is probably one of the most stressful responsibilities for anyone to bear. Implementing these suggestions will go some way to assure caregivers that they have not been forgotten in their difficult and often lonely journey.
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Committee of Supply Debate, Ministry of Health, 3 March 2023
Singapore is recruiting 180 foreign junior doctors, mostly from India, over three years, as part of overseas hiring to supplement local supply. Rather than rely on the recruitment of foreign doctors, it might be better to facilitate the return of Singaporean doctors who graduated from foreign universities.
The Pre-Employment Grant (PEG) was established for this purpose. According to the Minister for Health, in recent years, an average of 120 students have been awarded the PEG annually. The median grant amount is about $80,000 per student over two years. Recipients of the grant will be required to serve in the public healthcare clusters for a minimum period of between three to four years.
Are there plans to increase the number of PEGs, so as to attract more Singaporean doctors to return home to serve in the healthcare sector? This was a Parliamentary question I posed to the Minister for Health on 20 October.
The Minister did not commit to an increase in PEGs, but said that the number and percentage of successful applicants vary from year to year, depending on each year’s applicant pool and hiring demand among the public healthcare institutions.
Read the full PQ and answer below:
Applications for Pre-Employment Grant by Singaporeans studying medicine overseas (20 Oct 2022)
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health in each year since 2016 (a) how many Singaporean students studying medicine overseas have applied for the Pre-Employment Grant (PEG); (b) how many of these are approved; (c) what is the median grant amount; (d) what are the main reasons for the rejected applications; and (e) whether the Ministry will consider increasing the number of PEGs so as to attract more Singaporean doctors to return home after their studies to serve in the healthcare sector.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: We are encouraging Singaporeans who study medicine in recognised overseas universities to return home to contribute to our healthcare system.
The Pre-Employment Grant (PEG) was introduced in 2010 for this purpose. In recent years, an average of 120 students have been awarded the PEG annually. The median grant amount is about $80,000 per student over two years.
The number and percentage of successful applicants vary from year to year, depending on each year’s applicant pool and hiring demand among the public healthcare institutions. All applicants are assessed holistically, based on a range of factors, including their overall academic performance, professionalism, and commitment to serve in the public healthcare system.
The upcoming changes to the insurance coverage of cancer drugs not on the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s Cancer Drug List may affect patients with rare cancers, who may find themselves saddled with far higher bills for unsubsidised drugs.
On 4 July 2022, I asked the Minister for Health two Parliamentary questions on this issue:
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has assessed to what extent the new limitations on insurance coverage and Medisave use for cancer drug treatments will impact doctors’ treatment decisions for their patients based on their clinical judgement; and (b) how it will affect patient care for those suffering from less common cancers.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health whether his Ministry plans to establish and fund a National Cancer Care Appeals Board consisting of doctors from different specialties to discuss appeals from doctors on behalf of individual patients with complex cancers for whom standard therapies may be inappropriate or ineffective, review real world evidence and make timely decisions on whether to allow insurance coverage and Medisave use for off-label drugs or drugs not on the Cancer Drug List.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Health) Rahayu Mazam responded to my questions on 5 July 2022. After her answer, I asked her several supplementary questions:
I’m not sure if my question on the introduction of a National Cancer Care Appeals Board was answered. I understand from the Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) website which SPS just referred to that it takes 10-11 months from the time pharmaceutical companies submit their pre-submission form to ACE, to the time the Drug Advisory Committee (DAC) meets. However, for individual cancer patients for whom time is of the essence, anything more than one week may be too long to wait for a decision on a drug subsidy approval. Can we therefore have a National Cancer Care Appeals Board which can make rigorous yet speedy decisions to subsidise drugs for individual patients, to allow these patients to get the life-saving drugs they need? The DAC can then take the necessary time to review the drug for inclusion on the Cancer Drug List to benefit patients at the national level.
Secondly, has MOH modelled out how many patients per year will be adversely affected by these changes to the insurance policies, how much in cost savings are expected, and what is the price in human lives that MOH is prepared to accept in order to achieve these cost savings?
The SPS’ replies will be published in the Parliament Hansard and reported in the media.
During the 9 May 2022 sitting of Parliament, I asked the Minister for Health what percentage of polyclinics and GP clinics are currently able to access the National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) system. I also asked whether this access will be extended under the proposed Healthier SG initiative. His answer is below:
PERCENTAGE OF POLYCLINICS AND GP CLINICS ABLE TO ACCESS AND INPUT INTO NATIONAL ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS SYSTEM
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) what percentage of polyclinics and general practitioner clinics (GP) are currently able to access the National Electronic Health Records (NEHR) system; and (b) to what extent will polyclinics and GPs be able to access and input details of outpatient consultations for their patients under the proposed Healthier SG initiative.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As of April 2022, all polyclinics and close to 60% of private medical clinics have access to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR). All healthcare professionals who are involved in direct patient care can apply to access NEHR.
To support the outcomes of the Healthier SG programme, care providers will be able to access patients’ medical records, track their patients’ conditions and progress over time, and share the records with other healthcare providers, using the NEHR. To govern these processes and to ensure secure data sharing, we intend to table a Health Information Bill.
