Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, at the 12th Academic Meeting of the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Speciality Committee

Prof Lee Zheng Ji
Chairman of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies

Prof Sum Shu Chun
Chairman of the Specialty Committee of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Dr Tan Kok Chuan
Chairman of the Organising Committee

Board of Committee Members
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen 

           A very good morning to all of you, and to our distinguished delegates from around the world, a warm welcome to Singapore. It gives me great pleasure to join you here this morning at the 12th Academic Meeting of the Orthopaedics & Traumatology Specialty Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies. I am heartened to see many of our local Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) organisations and TCM physicians here today to exchange experiences and share on the latest TCM developments and findings with the international TCM community.

2.        TCM plays a complementary role in our healthcare system. It has contributed to our population’s health since Singapore’s early days. Till today, many trust TCM physicians to be able to address common presenting ailments such as muscle sprains and strains, and many turn to TCM physicians to alleviate their pain.

Challenges that arise from an ageing population

3.        Today, Singapore, like many other first-world countries, is ageing rapidly. By 2030, more than one-fifth of our population will be over 65 years old. About a quarter of Singaporeans aged 40 and above are projected to have at least one chronic disease. Healthcare needs remain one of the main concerns faced by Singaporeans, and the prevention and management of chronic diseases will become increasingly important.

4.        There is thus a need to further strengthen and develop the local TCM sector, to enhance its capabilities to meet these new challenges. For TCM in Singapore to continue playing a complementary role to mainstream western medicine, the integration of three important aspects – clinical practice, education, and research is essential. 

Upgrading professional standards of TCM physicians through education

5.        The TCM community has made strides over the past decade to improve professional standards. I am happy to note that efforts to upgrade TCM training in our local TCM schools by offering joint degree courses with renowned TCM universities in China have paid off and that  the percentage of TCM physicians who have obtained degree qualifications has increased from 5.2% in 2006 to 26.5% in 2016. We aim to continue supporting young TCM physicians to continue to enhance the standards of TCM practice.

6.        At the same time, we want to enable TCM practitioners to stay relevant with their professional knowledge. The Singapore TCM Practitioners Board (TCMPB) has put in place a structured Continuous TCM Education (CTE) programme for all registered TCM practitioners to keep current, and upgrade their skills. The CTE programme started in 2013, on a voluntary basis, with a view to transit it to a compulsory programme as a requirement for the renewal of practising certificates, within the next few years. I encourage our TCM institutions to develop and offer more of such courses, and encourage their members to attend these courses, in order to continually improve the professional standards of TCM locally.

7.        Platforms such as today’s conference are also invaluable in facilitating information and knowledge exchange with the global TCM community. This allows local TCM practitioners to stay abreast of the latest TCM findings and developments, and better equip them to deliver quality care to patients. With the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s recent signing of the 6^th Plan of Cooperation on TCM with China’s State Administration of TCM, I look forward to continued collaboration with the international TCM community, to drive the continued development of the sector.

Encouraging more clinical research to promote evidence-based TCM

9.        Scientific research in TCM is crucial to the growth and development of the TCM sector. Recognising this, MOH launched the TCM Research Grant in 2014 to encourage collaborative research between our TCM institutions and researchers in our public healthcare or academic institutions. The objectives of the grant were to introduce modern research methodology to the local TCM community, while creating greater awareness and understanding of TCM philosophy among researchers and healthcare professionals. The 2014 grant call received a positive response, with five proposals eventually awarded. All five proposals are in their various stages of completion, and we look forward to announcing the preliminary findings by the end of this year.

10.      To stimulate further collaborative research and promote the translation of TCM knowledge into better outcomes, MOH launched the second TCM Research Grant Call earlier this year. We are currently reviewing the proposals, and will share more about the awarded projects of the second grant call later this year. We recently announced that MOH will provide a further funding of $5 million over the next five years for the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Grant (TCMRG) to promote the translation of TCM knowledge into better care and improved health outcomes.

11.      We will also establish a $5 million TCM Development Grant to support skills development and capability building for TCM professionals. The grant will provide co-funding for training and professional development of all registered TCM practitioners listed with TCM Practitioners’ Board, funding support to TCM course providers who are accredited by the TCM Practitioner’s Board and also support TCM service providers to improve their operational efficiency by adopting IT solutions.

Chinese Remarks

12.      请允许我用中文说几句话。大家早上好！欢迎来自世界各地的代表们来到新加坡。我很高兴看到许多本地的中医协会和中医师参加今天的会议，并与国际中医药界分享中医界最新的发展。

13.      我国人口正在迅速的老龄化。到了2030年，我国有五分之一的人将满65岁以上，而大约四分之一年龄介于四十岁以上的国人预计会患有至少一种慢性疾病。中医药疗法的原理，以及在预防和管理疾病上所采取的策略，在本地主要扮演辅助主流疗法的角色。

14.      为了确保中医药能继续在新加坡扮演辅助主流疗法的角色，我们必须加强三方面。这包括临床试验，教育和研究。我很高兴得知，自从南洋理工大学与北京中医药大学合作推出双学位课程后，本地持有文凭的中医从业员人数有所增加。为加强中医从业员的专业发展，卫生部打算把中医继续教育列为更新执业证书的必备条件。

15.      除此之外，我们也必须通过科学方法和证据为基础的研究使中医药现代化。卫生部在2014年拨款300万元的“中医药科研津贴”鼓励研究人员对本地普遍的慢性疾病进行合作研究。过去两次的拨款活动也收到积极响应。卫生部将在未来五年拨款额外500万元。卫生部也通过拨款500万元建立中医药发展补助金，共同资助所有与中医管理委员会（TCM Practitioners’ Board）注册的中医师开发相关技能和能力。 

Conclusion

16.      最后，我要祝贺世界中医药学会联合会成功举办这次的会议。我相信参与者将从学术交流中获益，并与其他的区的同辈们建立友好的关系，以促进中医药业的发展，使更多国人受益。祝大家有个充实的一天。