SINGAPORE:
Family doctors play a key role in delivering good and affordable care to
Singaporeans, said Minister of State for Health Dr Lam Pin Min on Saturday (May
14). He added that this is a critical part of efforts to shift care from
hospitals to the community.
He was
speaking at the third Japan-Singapore Inter-professional Collaboration (JSIP)
symposium, which saw medical doctors from Singapore and Japan discussing
strategies to maintain a sustainable healthcare model in light of their ageing
populations.
Dr Lam
pointed out that by 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be 65 and above -
double the current figure - while, the number of Japanese in that age bracket
will be more than one in four. He also noted that the growing ageing population
in Singapore means healthcare demand is set to rise because more will suffer
from chronic diseases.
As such,
there is a need to focus on care delivery in the community, he said. This would
also mean providing better support to family doctors.
For one,
the Health Ministry will enhance existing IT systems and online portals to make
it easier for doctors to submit claims for healthcare financing schemes, such
as the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS).
Dr Lam
added that there are also plans to further assist family doctors in clinic
management and the use of electronic medical records.
“Demand
for healthcare will increase, even as our Singapore workforce is shrinking,
making it even more challenging to sustain the provision of healthcare to meet
the needs of our people,” he said. “We cannot continue to provide care in the
same way in the future. The shifts we need to make have to start now.”
CNA/ek
Faris
Mokhtar
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