Speech by Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health, at Public Free Clinic Society's 47th Anniversary Ceremony, 5 December 2021, 2.00pm at Public Free Clinic Society Headquarters

大众医院院长 罗桂清先生

全体理事委员

各位嘉宾

各位女士与先生们

1.     大家下午好。今天是大众医院47周年院庆，我很高兴受邀与大家一同欢庆盛会。大众医院这47年来风雨不改，为贫苦病黎提供中医药治疗。我向大众医院院长罗桂清先生和全体董事、医师们和全体员工致以衷心的感谢与祝贺。我希望大众医院继续发扬慈善的崇高精神，继续为人民提供负担得起的优质中医药治疗。

2.     自2020年爆发冠状病毒疾病以来，全球面临本世纪的公共卫生危机。在新加坡，对抗冠病疫情的工作已有20多个月，我要借此机会感谢中医界的配合和支持、遵循卫生部的通告与指示，并鼓励年长病人接种疫苗。截至2021年11月中，我们已为本地人口接种超过1000万剂冠病疫苗，而超过百分之85已接种两剂疫苗，疫苗接种率是全球各国当中最高的其中一个国家。身为医护人员，我希望各位符合条件的中医师也能尽早接种疫苗，包括已经陆续给各群体施打的追加剂。同时，鼓励您的年长病人尽早接种、得到疫苗的保护，进一步降低患上重症入院和死亡的风险。大家做好本分，继续努力，我们才能尽早过渡到与冠病共存。

3.     中医药在养生保健与预防疾病方面有独特的理论。在新加坡人口正迅速老龄化、慢性疾病日益普遍，和新传染病的出现之际，中医药在新加坡医疗保健体系中扮演着重要的辅助角色。据我了解，大众医院的病人有近百分之80是超过50 岁的。为了更好地为他们提供中医治疗，大众医院设立了一所“老年病中医治疗中心”, 以更好地照顾这些年长病人的医疗保健需求，治疗慢性疾病或一些常见病痛、例如身体疼痛，胃口不佳和失眠等。中心自2019年设立以来，已有超过600位年长患者受惠于相关服务，但中心因冠病疫情而得暂停服务。希望疫情好转后，中心的服务能尽早恢复，继续服务大众。

4.     我们生活在一个节奏快、由数据驱动的时代，各类信息量庞大，而且各学科有更多相互交流。因此，中医药若要与时并进，就必须不断地提升、运用新知识与技能，我们的中医师也就能更好地服务与治疗病人，推动医师们的职业发展。新加坡中医药的发展，与中医师的培训以及人才培养息息相关。因此，我们已经初步与各大中医团体展开协调合作，有意成立两个工作小组。其中一个工作小组将负责探讨加强本地新注册中医师临床培训计划的可行性，例如通过制定一套统一的新注册医师培训课程和评估框架。新注册医师也可能有机会到参与培训计划的中医药机构进行临床实习。另一个工作小组则探讨如何提升中医师的受雇能力和职业发展，从而保留中医领域的年轻人才，包括通过不同途径支持投入管理、研究或教学等不同岗位的中医师。我已在11月底与两个工作小组的成员会面，并期待他们提呈的建议报告，推动中医药在新加坡的可持续性和长期发展版图。

5.     展望未来，新加坡的中医药发展，需要政府和中医界继续共同努力。我希望我们的努力能推动新加坡中医界的持续发展和进步，以更好地为人民服务。我借此机会感谢社会各界善心人士，一路来对大众医院的支持，使得大众医院可继续为民服务。在此祝贺大众医院47年来奉献，更希望大众医院再接再励，提升医师们的专业素质，促进中医药发展。谢谢。

[English translation for reference]

Mr Loh Kooi Cheng, Public Free Clinic Society President

Public Free Clinic Society Board of Directors

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1.     Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to join you today at Public Free Clinic Society’s (PFCS’s) 47^th anniversary celebrations. Over the past 47 years, PFCS has been providing affordable TCM treatment to the lower income. I would like to express my gratitude and congratulations to PFCS’s President Mr Loh Kooi Cheng and all directors, TCM physicians and staff. I hope that PFCS will continue its charitable spirit and remain steadfast in its philosophy of offering affordable and good quality Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services to all Singaporeans.

2.     The world is facing the public health crisis of the century since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. In Singapore, it has been over 20 months into the fight against COVID-19 and I would like to thank you for your cooperation and support, adhering to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) advisories and encouraging your elderly patients to come forward to get vaccinated. As of mid-November 2021, we have administered more than 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and our vaccination rate at 85% is one of the highest in the world. As healthcare professionals, I hope that eligible TCM practitioners (TCMPs) will also register for your booster vaccination and encourage your elderly patients to do the same so as to further reduce their risk of severe outcomes such as developing severe illness and death. Let us all continue to work together and do our part, so that we can transit to living with COVID-19 sooner.

3.     TCM has its unique theory on health and disease prevention. At a time when Singapore's population is ageing rapidly, chronic diseases are becoming more common and new infectious diseases are emerging, TCM plays an important complementary role in Singapore’s healthcare system. I understand that nearly 80 per cent of PFCS’s patients are aged above 50 years. To better provide TCM treatment for these patients, PFCS has set up a Geriatrics TCM Treatment Centre to cater to their healthcare needs to better manage symptoms of chronic diseases and other conditions such as aches and pain, poor appetite and insomnia. Since the Centre opened in 2019, over 600 elderly patients have benefitted from its service. However due to COVID-19 restrictions, these services have been suspended and we hope it can resume soon.

4.     We live in a fast-paced, data-driven era where there is abundance of information, and greater inter-disciplinary interactions. To keep up with times, TCMPs must continually learn and apply new knowledge and skills, to better treat patients and further their careers. The development of TCM in Singapore is closely linked to training and talent development of TCMPs. Hence, we are working with major TCM organisations to set up two workgroups. The first is to review and look into the feasibility of enhancing our local clinical training programme for newly registered TCMPs, for example by setting up a standardised training curriculum and assessment framework, including possible clinical rotation with participating TCM institutions. The other workgroup will look into how we can enhance the employability and career development of TCMPs, so as to retain young talents in the field of TCM, through different pathways to support those involved in roles like management, research or teaching. I have met with the members of the two workgroups at end November and I look forward to their recommendations on supporting the long-term sustainability and development of TCM in Singapore.

5.     Looking ahead, the future development of TCM requires the continuous collective effort of the government and stakeholders in the TCM sector. I hope our efforts will contribute to the continued growth and progress of TCM in Singapore to better serve the people. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Singaporeans from all walks of life for their continued support to PFCS, which has enabled PFCS to continue serving the people. Once again, I congratulate PFCS on their contributions over the past 47 years, and hope that they will continue to work hard to raise the professional standards of their TCMPs and promote the development of TCM. Thank you.