Speech by Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Health, at the White Cane Community Day, 30 September 2017

Dr Wong Hon Tym, Chairman of Guide Dogs Singapore,

Directors, Staff, Beneficiaries and Volunteers of Guide Dogs Singapore,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Morning.

1             Thank you for inviting me to Guide Dogs Singapore (GDS)’s White Cane Community Day. It gives me great pleasure to be here today.

2             Firstly, I would like to thank all the staff and volunteers at GDS for working tirelessly to serve the blind and visually-impaired community.  Over the past 11 years, GDS has transformed the lives of many visually-impaired people in our society, assisting and enabling them to live their lives to the fullest.  Its success can also be seen in the public spaces where there is now greater acceptance for guide dog use. To all GDS staff and volunteers, your dedication and passion have empowered many beneficiaries to live more confidently and independently.

3             The government has been working towards better support for the blind and visually impaired community. For example, the Ministry of National Development (MND) has streamlined the process of applying for licenses for guide dogs in HDB flats since 2014, making it faster and easier and for guide dog users to have their guide dogs live with them in their HDB flats. In addition, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has also installed audible pedestrian signals at more than 850 signalised pedestrian crossings and is looking to install more over the next few years.

4             As our population ages, we can expect more age-related eye conditions. Besides providing support to the visually-impaired, it is equally important that we move upstream to prevent the development of serious eye diseases through enhanced eye screening programmes.

5             The Ministry of Health has declared War on Diabetes last year. It is projected that 670,000, or 15.2%, of the population will be diagnosed with diabetes in 2030, and this will correspondingly lead to a significant number of patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy (DR).  Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and known to be one of the leading causes of blindness. For prevention and early detection of DR, it is important for diabetics to go for regular diabetic eye screening such as the diabetic retinal photography (DRP). DRP is available at Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), polyclinics, and more recently, Primary Care Networks (PCNs) clinics. CHAS patients can also undergo DRP at subsidised rates at the FMCs or CHCs.

6             Under the Singapore Integrated Diabetic Retinopathy Programme (SiDRP), the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) and National Healthcare Group Eye Institute (NHGEI) have collaborated with the polyclinics to support the provisions of DRP screening for diabetic patients. The programme allows transmission of retinal images from the polyclinics to trained image graders at SNEC and NHGEI. Patients noted to have diabetic retinopathy or other retinal conditions requiring specialist care will be referred to the Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs) accordingly.

7             SiDRP exemplifies the collaboration between the acute and primary care settings to provide more convenient and timely care for patients requiring DRP screening and follow-up care. Since Mar 2016, the programme has been made available at all 18 polyclinics, and received more than 78,000 attendances in 2016.

8             We must continue to improve public education on eye care, link up with community care providers, and leverage technology to enhance the quality of life of both our patients and those who are afflicted with vision impairment, so that they can lead more active, independent and fulfilling lives.

9             Last but not least, I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate GDS on your rebranding this year, from the former Guide Dogs Association of the Blind (GDAB) to Guide Dogs Singapore. With the new brand, I hope that you will find a renewed purpose and also achieve greater success as a full-fledged service provider.

10                I hope everyone will have a fun and meaningful time today.  Thank you!