Speech by Minister for Health, Mr Gan Kim Yong, at the Opening Ceremony of the Annual Scientific Meeting 2013 for the Society for Emergency Medicine in Singapore, on 6 April 2013

Dr Phua Dong Haur, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Annual Scientific Meeting, Society for Emergency Medicine in Singapore (SEMS),

Associate Professor Lim Swee Han, President, SEMS,

Professor Anantharaman, Founding President, SEMS,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning to all of you.

Introduction

1.         First, let me congratulate SEMS on your 20^th anniversary. Twenty years is a very long time. Over the last 20 years, you have made a significant contribution to our medical landscape. And it is because of your work, our old and young people are able to live peacefully as they are assured that if something happens to them, or their loved ones, they will be looked after. So once again, I want to thank you for your contributions to our healthcare services in Singapore.

2.         I also want to thank you for inviting me to attend this opening ceremony of the Annual Scientific Meeting of SEMS. I am happy to see the diversity of emergency professionals, such as nurses, paramedics and doctors seated together here, especially on a Saturday morning. It is fantastic to see many of you dedicated and wanting to learn. It is indeed commendable that all of you here are eager to learn more about new developments in your field of expertise, so as to improve the delivery of emergency care to our patients.

3.         I am also pleased to hear that we even have medical and nursing students attending this meeting. They are our next generation of healthcare professionals and I am very glad that they have taken an interest to learn and interact with their more experienced seniors.

Emergency Care Challenges

4.         Singapore’s population is ageing very rapidly. By 2030, a third of our population would have been aged 65 years and above. With the ageing population, there will be a rise in chronic diseases especially in the long term care sector. But demand for acute care, including emergency care services, will also rise, placing an increasing stress on our health care system. Therefore, we need to ensure that quality care is provided efficiently.

5.         MOH recognises the importance of rendering prompt intervention for critical emergencies. It is directly related to better patient outcomes and survival. Every minute counts when treating such patients. Therefore, we have collaborated with various agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Singapore Civil Defence Force and training and education providers, to strengthen the whole continuum of care and provide an integrated system from the pre-hospital to the hospital setting. We will continue to review and enhance our work processes, to improve the standards of emergency care. MOH welcomes passionate individuals and groups to come forward to contribute their ideas and skills.

6.         The theme of this year’s conference is Emergency Medicine: At the Cutting Edge. Indeed, our healthcare community is a forward-looking one, ever willing to learn from our local experiences, as well as international best practices, always seeking solutions to healthcare challenges by leveraging on cutting edge technology and innovations. I understand that we have our local Emergency Medicine experts with us for this meeting. World expert on hypothermia resuscitation, Assistant Professor Benjamin Abella, will also be sharing his knowledge, skills and experience with us.

Living up to the Challenges

7.         I am confident that with our enthusiasm and efficiency, we will live up to the challenges. Healthcare professionals like you have contributed to our laurels of being recognised as one of the most efficient and effective healthcare systems in the world, providing our population with quality medical care. This is not a small feat of achievement, given the small size of our country, and we will continue to strive for greater heights.

8.         In a span of three decades, the specialty of Emergency Medicine in Singapore has come a long way. Today, it has grown into an established medical specialty with its own chapter of Emergency Physicians in Academy of Medicine and special interest areas like paediatric emergency care, toxicology, emergency cardiac care, emergency trauma care, pre-hospital and disaster medicine. In 2010, the Society for Emergency Medicine in Singapore had hosted more than 2000 delegates at the International Conference of Emergency Medicine.

9.         This year, Singapore commemorates the 10^th anniversary of SARS. When we were besieged by this fatal disease in 2003, our healthcare workers stood their ground despite the dangers they and their family had risked. The sight of their own colleagues and friends dying from the disease was a big blow yet they never wavered. They performed their job to the best of their abilities, despite the very trying circumstances. Amongst them, are our emergency healthcare workers who were at the front line of that battle performing their duties with dedication and courage.

A Call for Celebration

10.       This meeting is not only a meeting of minds to keep us abreast of emergency care developments, it is also a celebration of the dedication and professionalism of Emergency healthcare workers. A celebration of self-sacrificing-patients-first attitude from everyone - from the senior physicians, the nurses, the paramedics, doctors all the way to the young students.

11.       With your dedication and everyone’s hard work, we shall stand together shoulder to shoulder to face the challenges.

12.       In this note, I want to thank all of you for being here and I wish all of you a fruitful scientific meeting