Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital's 105th Anniversary Celebration, 21 November 2015

广惠肇留医院105周年庆

卫生部长颜金勇先生讲词

2015年11月21日

广惠肇留医院主席李国基先生，

广惠肇留医院名誉主席兼董事会顾问梁庆经博士，

女士们、先生们，

1.    早上好。今天非常高兴能够参加广惠肇留医院一百零五周年庆典。我在此感谢广惠肇留医院过去105年为我们社区所做出的积极贡献。

广惠肇留医院的背景

2.    广惠肇留医院是本地历史最悠久的医疗机构之一，在新加坡独立之前，就开始为国人和祖先作出显著的贡献。成立于1910年的广惠肇留医院，当年由一群广东籍的善心商人所发起，主要为南来的中国移民提供免费医疗服务。广惠肇多年来延续了这样的社区服务精神，不分种族或宗教，照顾本地有需要的病人。如今，广惠肇留医院是本地公认的老年服务业者之一，并继续不断提升和扩展服务，以应对本地不断演变的老龄化人口的医疗需求。。 

3．  新加坡人口迅速老龄化。目前，每九个居民中，就有一人年纪超过65岁。到了2030年，这个比例将增加到每五人中有一人。随着人口老龄化的步伐加快，我们需要调整医疗系统，应付老龄化的需求。因此，我们将继续扩展护老服务以协助我们的年长者，在病情稳定后能在社区里康复而不是留住急症医院。我们希望让年长者能更方便地获得适当的护理服务。 

4．  政府推动政策同时，需要像广惠肇留医院这样历史悠久而有规模、有实力的社区组织来成为我们的伙伴。这些社区伙伴能利用它们的人脉和社区关系来协助有需要的居民。他们的献身精神也能为我们的年长者提供一个温馨的环境，让他们能获得细心照顾。因此，我们将继续跟这些社区伙伴携手并进。广惠肇留医院能响应我们的号召，为我们社区作出更多贡献，令我们感到欣慰。 

5．  首先，为方便年长者获得照顾， 我们将增加护老设施的床位。我们计划把疗养院病床位从去年的一万张，增加到2020年的1万7000张。我们感谢广惠肇留医院通过原地重建和扩展设施来协助我们达到目标。广惠肇将利用他们的护老方面经验，通过新设施经营600张病床。这比原有的350张病床增加了约七成。新设施预计将在2017年投入运作，到时广惠肇将成为本地最大的疗养院之一。 

6．  其次，我们致力与护老业者合作为年长者提供更高素质的护理。广惠肇留医院也将扩大现有服务范围，新设施将包括一家可每天为至少120名年长者提供日间护理和复建的乐龄护理中心。卫生部也从今年四月起资助广惠肇留医院的居家护理服务。广惠肇留医院将通过更全面的居家和社区护理服务，为我们的年长者提供更完善的照顾。 

7．  此外，广惠肇也跟其他社区服务业者合作，为邻里居民提供更全面的服务，以及跟基层领袖配合推广一些社区活动。通过这些多方面的努力，广惠肇能更有效地协助我们的年长者原地养老。 

8．  新设施方面，广惠肇留医院设想周到，致力为年长者设计适合他们疗养的环境。保留下来的花园和庭院也可让年长者、他们的家属和公众到那里散步、休闲。患有失智症的病人也可沉浸在特别为他们设计，能刺激他们的感官、降低焦虑和忧郁情绪的失智症花园。他们还能通过特别设计的60年代街景，走入时光隧道，帮助他们回忆往事。 

9．  广惠肇留医院也采用现代科技来提升护理素质。新设施将采用无线网络服务和无线射频识别系统（RFID）科技来协助护理人员提高生产力。这里的病人还能通过Skype和平板电脑游戏享受一代的社交活动。广惠肇接着也会跟大专学府合作开发设计, 来改善疗养院护理的科技。 

10． 为协助年长者负担护理服务, 2012年7月，我们显著改善了长期护理业的津贴制度。2011年，我们也推出了社区乐龄基金，通过一元对一元的方式鼓励更多人捐款给护老服务业者。社区乐龄基金至今就资助了广惠肇留医院1250万元，来提升疗养院的各方面能力。 

总结 

11． 广惠肇留医院在过去105年为国人提供了卓越的医疗服务，也在业务s上取得了很大的进展，这归功于董事会成员、职员、捐赠者和义工的无私奉献。我相信，广惠肇留医院将继续把照顾弱势群体的精神发扬光大 。 

12． 我恭贺广惠肇留医院欢庆105周年，也再次感谢广惠肇，并期待未来能继续合作，为我们年长者提供优质的服务。谢谢！

ADDRESS BY MR GAN KIM YONG, MINISTER FOR HEALTH

AT KWONG WAI SHIU HOSPITAL’S 105TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION,

ON 21 NOVEMBER 2015

Mr Patrick Lee, Chairman of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital

Dr Leong Heng Keng, Honorary Chairman and Advisor to Board of Directors

Ladies and Gentlemen

1.    Good morning. I am very pleased to be part of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital’s 105^th anniversary celebrations today. Let me first congratulate KWSH on 105 years of active and remarkable service to the community.

Background of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital  

2.     As one of the oldest charitable healthcare institutions in Singapore, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital has made significant contributions in caring for many generations of Singaporeans and their forefathers, even before Singapore’s independence.  Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital was founded in 1910 by a group of philanthropic Cantonese merchants to provide free medical services to immigrants from China. It has continued this strong tradition of community service, having cared for Singapore’s sick and needy regardless of race or religion. It is now one of the most established providers in the aged care sector, and continues to enhance and expand its services to meet the evolving healthcare needs of Singapore’s ageing population.

Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital Doing More 

3.         Singapore is ageing rapidly. Today, one in nine residents is over the age of 65 years. By 2030, one in five residents will be over the age of 65 years. As the pace of ageing gathers momentum, we will need to fine-tune our healthcare system to make it more age-appropriate. With this in mind, we will continue to build up our aged care services so that our seniors can recover and recuperate in the community rather than our acute hospitals after their conditions stabilise. Our aim is to give our seniors greater accessibility to care, better quality care and more affordable care. 

4.         Even as the Government presses on with our strategy, we need the support of strong and established community partners like Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital who can complement our efforts. Community partners are able to draw on an extensive network of personal and community ties to help the needy. Their dedication and commitment to community service also enable our seniors to be cared for in a warm and welcoming environment. We will therefore continue to work alongside community partners, and are heartened that Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital has also responded to our call for the community sector to do more.   

5.         First, we are ramping up capacity in the aged care sector so that seniors have greater access to care. We are on track to grow our nursing home capacity from 10,000 beds in 2014 to 17,000 beds in 2020. We appreciate Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital’s contribution to this capacity increase with the redevelopment and expansion of its facility at this site. It has leveraged its experience in aged care in planning to operate over 600 beds at the new Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital. This is an increase of about 70% from its current 350 beds. Once operational in 2017, this facility will be one of the largest single-site home in Singapore. 

6.         Second, we are working with the aged care sector to provide better quality care to our seniors. In line with this, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is also expanding its suite of services. The new facility will include a Senior Care Centre that can provide day care and rehabilitation services to at least 120 seniors on a daily basis. MOH has also supported Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital’s home care services since Apr 2015. With a comprehensive suite of home and community care services, they can take better care of our seniors’ needs.  KWSH has been collaborating with community service operators to provide holistic care for the community, working with community grassroots for various community outreach programmes.  Through these efforts, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is able to more effectively support our seniors to age in place in the community. 

7.         Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital has spent considerable effort in designing its new facility to provide an ideal environment for seniors to recuperate.  Seniors, family members and the public can look forward to taking a stroll comfortably in a beautiful heritage garden with its iconic pavilion and conserved buildings at this new home.  For dementia residents, they can also enjoy a Dementia Garden specially designed to simulate their senses and help reduce anxiety and depression for them.  A “Memory Street” which is a reconstruction of a street scene typical of the 1960s will help them to revive fond old memories. 

8.         Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is embracing modern technology in delivering better care.  I understand that the new facility will be equipped with Wi-Fi coverage and RFID technology so that care staff can improve their productivity through the use of technology.  Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital will be introducing new social activities using technologies such as Skype communication and tablet games for residents.  Going forward, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital will also be partnering tertiary institutions to design technologies to further improve resident care. 

9.         Third, we are also continually reviewing our financing policies to support community partners in providing affordable care to our seniors. We made significant enhancements to subsidies in the long-term care sector in Jul 2012. We also introduced the Community Silver Trust Fund (CST) in 2011 to provide a dollar-for-dollar matching grant to encourage greater charitable giving in the aged care sector.  To date, the Community Silver Trust has provided $12.5m to Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital to support the Hospital’s capability development.

Conclusion 

10.       Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital has certainly come a long way in the past 105 years. I applaud the selfless contributions from Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital’s board members, staff and the many donors and volunteers.  I am confident that Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital will continue to inspire the community in its spirit of caring for the needy. 

11.       On this occasion of your 105^th Anniversary, I would like to once again congratulate Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital for your commendable service in delivering quality care to our seniors and I look forward to many more years of partnership with Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital ahead.