Speech by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Health, at Thomson Celebrating Life Family Day 2017, 3 December 2017

Speech by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communication and Information & Ministry of Health, at Thomson Celebrating Life Family Day 2017, *SCAPE The Ground Theatre, 3 December 2017, 1.30pm

Mr Roy Quek, Executive Chairman, Thomson Medical

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

        Good afternoon. I am happy to join you today to celebrate the launch of Thomson Medical’s Celebrating Life Loyalty Programme. Let me first extend my heartiest congratulations to Mr Roy Quek and the Thomson Medical team on this happy occasion.

Public healthcare challenges facing Singapore

2.        Statistics from the World Health Organization show that Singaporeans are now living longer with an average life expectancy of 83 years, putting us in third place globally after Switzerland and Japan.  This is a positive outcome which shows that we have high standards of public health and a good healthcare system in Singapore.

3.        However, one challenge which we face together with many East Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and China is our low total fertility rate, which leads to a rapidly ageing population.  In Singapore, we estimate that the number of seniors age 65 and above will double over the next 15 years.  This is why MOH has stepped up efforts to increase the capacity of our healthcare and long-term care sectors, build stronger capabilities and attract more Singaporeans to join these sectors. At the same time, we need to keep the healthcare system sustainable so that it can continue to deliver value and quality care for our patients in the future.  This requires a transformation of our healthcare system, moving beyond hospitals to community; and beyond healthcare to health.

4.        One key enabler is to forge stronger partnerships between different providers, including collaborations with the private and people sectors. By coming together, we can pool our limited resources and leverage one another’s capabilities.

Preventive Health for a Sustainable Healthcare System

5.        Today, we witness the launch of Thomson’s Celebrating Life Loyalty Programme, which is an example of how private hospitals could play a role in promoting health and preventing diseases. Thomson Medical has progressively expanded its efforts to help families stay healthy. Under the newly introduced Loyalty Programme, participating members can access their personal records, appointments and healthy living tips so that they are able to keep track of their health status and well-being.

6.         By partnering Health Promotion Board’s (HPB) HealthHub Initiative, the Celebrating Life Loyalty Programme encourages the mutual participation of members at events organised by Thomson Medical and HPB. There is also a reward system to incentivise members to adopt healthy habits and lifestyles.

Conclusion

7.        Let me conclude by congratulating Thomson Medical on the launch of your Celebrating Life Loyalty Programme. We look forward to closer partnerships with Thomson Medical and other private healthcare providers, as we embark on this journey together to help Singaporeans achieve better health and a better life.

8.        Thank you.