Palliative Care Education

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2610 
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 27 FEBRUARY 2024

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Yip Hon Weng
MP for Yio Chu Kang

Question No. 5775

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the target number of students expected to be trained through the new Master of Science in Holistic Palliative Care programme; (b) what employment opportunities and career progression in our public healthcare system are available for graduates; and (c) what other initiatives is the Ministry undertaking to broaden and improve palliative care education for healthcare professionals.

Answer

1    The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) anticipates an initial enrolment of about 15 students for the new Master of Science in Holistic Palliative Care programme (“MSc HoPE”). Graduates can be employed in healthcare institutions and community care organisations that provide patients with end-of-life support. 

2     Workforce training and development is a key enabler to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) national palliative care strategy. Healthcare professionals are equipped with knowledge on palliative care in two ways. First, palliative care has been integrated into the local undergraduate training curriculum for medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and various allied health disciplines. Second, postgraduate training programmes in palliative care are offered by the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC)’s Learning Network, healthcare organisations and Institutes of Higher Learning. Healthcare professionals can tap on training grants and scholarships when they attend such programmes.