SPEECH BY MINISTER ONG YE KUNG AT WOODLANDS HEALTH CAMPUS FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND COMMUNITY HEALTH DAY

Minister of State Rahayu Mahzam, my ministry colleague

My parliamentary colleagues and Advisers of this whole area, from Marsiling-Yew Tee all the way to Sembawang – Hany Soh, Mariam Jaafar, Gabriel Lam, Vikram Nair and Ng Shi Xuan

Ms Jennie Chua, Chairman, Woodlands Health Fund

Dr Jason Cheah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Woodlands Health

Prof Joe Sim, Group CEO, National Healthcare Group (NHG)

Dr Nicholas Chew, Chairman, Medical Board, Woodlands Health

Dr Wong Kirk Chuan, Chief Operating Officer, Woodlands Health

And everyone here

2.             I just want to say that Woodlands Health Campus is meaningful in at least three levels. Number one, it is a very important health infrastructure nationally and also for the north. There was a whole period of 20 years where we did not develop any hospitals. Then in fairly quick succession, we had the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for the north, and then Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in the West, and then Woodlands Health again. But the Woodlands Health journey was the toughest, I think. Because you hit right into COVID-19. And thanks to Jennie, who held everybody together, somehow we managed to pull through, and albeit with three years delay, but we still delivered this campus. I think Woodlands Health bridges the next phase of development where we will have the redevelopment of Alexandra Hospital, the new Eastern General Hospital, and then Tengah Hospital.

3.             Why do I say it is a bridge? Because for 20 years, we did not build any hospital. By the time we built Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, there were clinicians and the Ministry of Health (MOH) coming together, thinking of the care model for the future, a hospital for the future. Then when you build Sengkang General Hospital again, there was such an idea. By the time we reach Woodlands, I think we have such an idea too. However, I would say Woodlands, in many ways, set the standard for hospitals of the future. Standard, in the sense that in future, when we build a hospital, we refer to what Woodlands did, and that becomes the standard model.

4.             You will see that increasingly, as we build our infrastructure, we need to build it in a more efficient way – standard design, as opposed to everyone being something special. Everyone will be something special, but harmonise the standards and it will allow us to build it a lot more quicker and a lot more efficiently. So I am greatly appreciative for this infrastructure in the north. It is also a very important facility for this community, which all of us are Advisers to. We see residents every day, and can feel how it has touched their lives so personally, such as Mr Wong Hsien Loong and his family.

5.             Particularly, for the longest time, we were very worried about the situation at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. It is so crowded, serving the entire northern area. A&E is so crowded. Waiting times are long. I watch the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) and Emergency Department (ED) numbers every week. With the opening of Woodlands Health, the situation has really come down.

6.             I think also to the residents, they know that in the north they are served by two regional hospitals. I think very few places in Singapore have that luxury and are so lucky. And care is immaculate and prompt. Waiting times are very reasonable. And I meet so many residents who say “I also do volunteer work at the hospitals, at Woodlands Health”. Today, we have a health carnival. People come forward, and so you have really become part and parcel of this community and for that, thank you very much.

7.             There must always be some vision for the future. I know Jason mentioned a few things that I talked about, and he said “we ticked all your boxes already”. There are more boxes to be ticked.

8.             Society is ageing. Population health is important. Preventive care is important. I must say, for various reasons, chronic illness prevalence is higher in the north. And I think in Woodlands Health, you notice it. People come forward to A&E, some not even very old, in their 40s, 50s, already diabetic. Maybe a few even have gangrene. And that is disturbing. So, underlying our hospital care, in the community, people are falling sick. But like all chronic illnesses, you don't feel you are falling sick, you feel okay. But chronic illness is about you moving closer and closer to the edge of a cliff. One day, you take one more step, and then you drop, and life will never be the same. So preventive care is not just about keeping you healthy, but also uncovering those who are already sick, but who are not taking action, or who do not know, and then we take early action so that catastrophe don't strike in their lives.

9.             I think this is one major project between Woodlands Health and our community partners. We have to work together. Today, the situation is very different. We already have Healthier SG, Age Well SG, and Active Ageing Centres all over the island, including in the north. We have our Grassroots, our volunteers, including corporate volunteers, working together with us, outreaching to seniors. We have an unprecedented opportunity as Singapore ages, to reach out to people who might be sick, uncover them and take early actions. When we take early actions, we are not talking about surgery or anything very intrusive. If we discover early enough, just at the onset of chronic illness, simple social prescription and community interventions may well keep them healthy and ensure Singaporeans and our residents have good quality of life into their old age.

10.          A lot of work to be done still. Boxes still need to be checked. But I think it is a very exciting time for healthcare. I thank NHG and Woodlands Health for putting in all this effort. I think we can make a real difference to the healthcare system of Singapore and to the north of Singapore. Thank you very much.