EFFORTS ONGOING TO RAISE AWARENESS AND ACCESS TO PALLIATIVE CARE

We thank Dr Desmond Wai Chun Tao for his letter (“Help more patients accept palliative care via greater public awareness and insurance support”, 11 Aug 2026).   

We agree with Dr Wai that palliative care is an important part of our healthcare system. We want to support Singaporeans to pass on peacefully at home, in a familiar environment, surrounded by loved ones and preferably without pain.  

The Ministry of Health has therefore been raising public awareness of end-of-life care planning through the national Legacy Planning Campaign. As part of this effort, we encourage Singaporeans to discuss their care preferences early through Advance Care Planning (ACP). Partners such as the Singapore Hospice Council also help normalise end-of-life conversations and promote a supportive palliative care environment. 

We would like to clarify that inpatient palliative care is already covered by both MediShield Life as well as all Integrated Shield Plans (IPs).   

For home palliative care services, patients generally do not need to pay any cash out-of-pocket after subsidies, MediSave and charity dollars provided by service providers. 

We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that palliative care remains very affordable for all Singaporeans. 

Arjun Naidu
Director (Aged Care Services)  
Ageing Planning Office  
Ministry of Health