Joint Press Statement UK-Singapore Seminar On Health Care For The Elderly

05 Oct 1999

The Ministry of Health and the Department of Health, UK, in association with the Singapore British Business Council will be organising a joint UK-Singapore Seminar on Health Care for the Elderly on 8 and 9 Oct 99. The objective is to discuss the challenges faced by the UK and Singapore by a rapidly ageing population, provide a forum to share the approach and experience taken by the UK and explore opportunities for collaboration in elderly care in Singapore and the region.

In conjunction with the seminar, there will be a visit by Lord Hunt, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, UK from 6 to 8 Oct 99. Lord Hunt is the spokesman for the UK's Department of Health in the House of Lords. He will make a courtesy call on Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Health, on 7 Oct 99. During the visit, he will be introduced to the Singapore's health care delivery and financing system, the findings of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Health Care for the Elderly and the local hospital facilities at Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He will be accompanied by UK health ministry officials and a mission of UK health care company. Lord Hunt will depart Singapore for London on 8 Oct 99.

Singapore's close relationship with the UK in the area of health care goes back many years. Over the last ten years, the Ministry has sponsored many local health care professionals and personnel for further training or postgraduate Fellowship in the UK. Majority of the senior doctors in Singapore have postgraduate qualifications from the UK. During the last decade, many experts from the UK have also come here to share their knowledge and skill under the Health Manpower Development Programme (HMDP). This joint seminar will further strengthen the close ties that Singapore has with the UK and its health care institutions and professional medical institutions.

See Annex for programme.

• Annex (10 KB)