Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State for Health Healthcare Scholarship Award Ceremony, 21st August 2012

1     A very warm welcome to everyone. I am delighted to join you at this year’s Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony. I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to all our scholarship and award recipients. I am glad that your family members and teachers are here with you today, to celebrate your achievement and witness your commitment to serve in our public healthcare sector.

Rising Healthcare Needs

2     Singapore’s healthcare needs are expected to rise in the coming years. Our population grew by 25% in the last ten years and will continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace, over the next decade. At the same time, our population is also ageing rapidly. By 2030, 1 in 5 Singaporean residents will be aged 65 and above. The ageing population will be a strong driver for healthcare demand, as the elderly are likely to require more medical care.

3     To address the growing healthcare demand, we are investing heavily in the expansion of Singapore’s public healthcare infrastructure. Two new acute hospitals – Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Sengkang General Hospital – are scheduled to open in 2014 and 2018 respectively. Three new community hospitals are also being planned next to the current Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and the two new acute hospitals. We are also committed to increasing the capacity of our intermediate and long-term care sector and will more than double the existing number of beds and places in nursing homes, home care, day care and rehabilitation facilities by 2020.

Continue to Build Talent for the Healthcare Sector

4     As we invest in hardware by building new hospitals and care facilities, my Ministry is committed to investing in human capital, which is equally, if not more, important. As such, attracting top talent into healthcare careers is our top priority. I cannot stress enough that we are not giving out scholarships every year because we have more jobs to fill. We are giving out scholarships in nursing and health sciences because these professions will be at the forefront of major changes to Singapore’s healthcare delivery model and we need committed top students in every cohort to lead in the transformation effort.

5     Worldwide, inter-professional team-based care is gaining momentum as being the right strategy to improve on patients’ healthcare outcomes and to achieve continuity and effectiveness of healthcare from primary care to acute, hospital-based tertiary settings. Healthcare is no longer confined to just medical care. For example, diabetic patients would not only need check-ups with the doctor, but also regular follow-ups with the nurse to monitor blood sugar levels, screen for potential diabetic complications, and to provide information, direction and support to the patients and their families. Diabetic patients with impaired circulation and vision may need support from podiatrists and physiotherapists to manage foot ulcers and to provide advice on appropriate footwear and the use of walking aids. They may also need support from the medical social worker to assist with financial and other psycho-social needs. The trend towards team-based care arose partly because of our shortage of doctors, and partly because we value the importance of primary care and preventative medicine. But mostly, it is because nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals are now trained at a much higher level than before and they are more than capable of delivering quality healthcare and driving innovations in healthcare delivery.

6     We must also not forget about dedicated professionals who work in niche areas quietly behind the scenes, such as epidemiologists and microbiologists. They play a central role in our study of disease patterns and health risks affecting Singapore’s population and track emerging viruses around the world, so as to better inform Singapore’s public health policy. We also need health economists and biostatisticians to analyse issues related to efficiency, effectiveness, values and human behavior in the production and consumption of healthcare services, so that our policies are grounded in robust analysis and aligned in implementation with our mission of providing affordable and quality healthcare to Singaporeans.

7     Singapore does not only require talent in healthcare professional manpower. As demand for healthcare continues to increase, we will need to attract high-quality people across all leadership functions into our public healthcare system, including healthcare administrators, who partner healthcare professionals in ensuring that services are run as efficiently and effectively as possible. We recognise the need to strengthen our talent pipeline for healthcare administrators, so that our public healthcare institutions will continue to have talented individuals with strong administrative and leadership capabilities.

Healthcare Scholarship Awards in 2012

8     I am delighted to announce that we are awarding a bumper crop of 176 healthcare scholarships this year, which is a significant increase from the 115 scholarships given out in 2011. We are glad that an increasing number of talented students have shown a keen interest in healthcare and we are happy to award more scholarships to aspiring future healthcare leaders. The increase in the number of scholarships offered this year demonstrates our firm commitment to grow and develop talent for the public healthcare sector.

9     Today, I am also pleased to highlight that among the 176 scholars, 16 are recipients of the new Singapore-Industry Scholarship for talented individuals keen to pursue a career in healthcare administration in the public sector. This new scholarship is a collaborative effort between MOE and various ministries and statutory boards to groom young talent for the key economic and social sectors in Singapore. Amongst all the other industries offering the Singapore-Industry Scholarship, I am happy to note healthcare awarded the most number of scholarships in 2012. We will continue our efforts to attract more talented individuals to join healthcare and to further strengthen our talent pipeline.

Forging Ahead

10     To the principals, teachers and parents present today, I would like to thank you for your selfless efforts in nurturing our scholars and imbuing them with the right values and attitude to want to serve in healthcare.

11     To all our scholarship and award recipients, having accepted the scholarship, you have now joined the healthcare family, and have taken on the important responsibility of caring for the health of fellow Singaporeans, friends and family. There are few other professions in which you would be able to impact the lives of others, the way you can in healthcare. It is a high calling that you have responded to and I hope that this strong sense of purpose will remain with you throughout your healthcare career. All of you are our future healthcare leaders, and we have high hopes that all of you will return, and contribute in your own way, to raising Singapore’s healthcare capabilities to greater heights.

12     Congratulations once again for having been awarded this scholarship! I am confident that the journey ahead of you will be very challenging yet fulfilling. My best wishes to every one of you.

Thank you.