Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital's 106th anniversary celebration cum community care day, 3 December 2016

广惠肇留医院主席李国基先生，

广惠肇留医院董事会顾问梁庆经博士，

国会同僚王志毫先生，

女士们、先生们，

1.   早上好。今天非常高兴能够和大家一起参加广惠肇留医院建院一百零六年的周年纪念。在过去的一百多年以来，广惠肇留医院在我们的社区里为我们的长者和病患提供了百多年的服务，这是非常值得嘉奖的。在这过去的几年，我们一直在探讨一个问题，就是我们这么面对人口老化所带来的挑战。我们为了迎接更年长的社会，我们也要做好准备。

2．  第一方面，我们要扩展兴建我们的护老和医疗的设施。另一方面我们也要不断的提高服务的素质。第三，我们需要确保这些服务是我们人民所能够负担得起的。在这几方面，我们能够一直积极的和社区许多的单位不断的合作。而广惠肇留医院也是我们的社会伙伴之一，我也希望能继续和广惠肇留医院合作。

3．  广惠肇留医院在扩展方面也配合了卫生部的策略。一方面扩展他们的设施。刚才我们也听到李国基先生为我们大家分析在新的广惠肇留医院建成之后，将增添300个床位，为更多的居民带来服务。另一方面广惠肇留医院也会扩大他们的服务范围，在加冷和黄埔两个地方来开始发展我们的活跃乐龄中心。 通过这两个中心能够更有效的为我们的长者提供更优质，全面的服务 – 这都是非常重要的。

4．  在过去一百多年以来，广惠肇留医院能够不断成功的经营， 要归功于我们的董事部英明的领导。还要谢谢董事部的领袖们，英明的带领，让广惠肇留医院的事务能够不断的扩展。

5    另一方面我们也要谢谢医院的员工们多年以来刻苦的经营和献身的精神。这都是我们非常值得赞赏的。第三方面，我们也要谢谢社区里面各个单位和社区伙伴的支持，特别是我们的义务工作人员在这里多年以来不断的辛勤的工作，一直有献身的精神和服务的精神，是值得我们赞赏的。

6．  在这里我要再次的谢谢广惠肇留医院多年以来的贡献。我们也希望卫生部能继续和广惠肇留医院扩大合作范围为我们的居民提供更好更优质的服务。

谢谢大家。

1.    I am delighted to join you today to commemorate the 106th Anniversary of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital. Let me first thank the Hospital on your many years of contribution and service. Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital’s role in serving the needy in Singapore will become more important as the demand for healthcare services increase in tandem with our ageing population.

Planning Ahead on Aged Care Needs

2.      In 2015, 1 in 8 was 65 and older. By 2030, this will be 1 in 4.  We are addressing the need for aged care services in several ways.

3.      First, we are ramping up our capacity to make care more accessible. We grew our nursing home capacity from 9,400 beds in 2011 to 12,000 in 2015. We are on track to provide 17,000 nursing home beds by 2020.  The government is building more nursing home and tendering these out for providers to operate. We also directly support providers like Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital in expanding its capacity.

4.      Secondly, we will continue to ensure that aged care services are affordable. We enhanced our subsidy framework for the Intermediate and Long-Term Care (ILTC) sector in 2012, and we will regularly review the adequacy of our funding rates.  We announced earlier in August that MOH will be looking into enhancing the ElderShield scheme. This will further strengthen our social safety net. We will also provide resources for nursing homes to better care for their residents. For example, we encourage charitable giving through the Community Silver Trust Fund (CST), which provides a dollar-for-dollar matching grant for donations raised. To date, the Community Silver Trust Fund has provided more than $22m to Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital for capacity development. 

5.      Third, we are continually improving the quality of services so that we can provide better care. In terms of hardware, we are evolving our nursing home design to make the environment more comfortable and conducive for our seniors to recuperate. We are piloting a “cluster living” concept, and we have injected greenery and mid-level gardens for seniors to enjoy.  

6.      However, good care goes beyond just hardware improvements. MOH is initiating various efforts to improve the overall quality of care. We have sharpened the focus on the dignity of care and psycho-social aspects of care through our Enhanced Nursing Home Standards.  Through the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC)’s Wellness Programme, we have empowered nursing home providers to pilot arts therapy and other initiatives.

7.      Nursing homes can also evolve into elder hubs. Several nursing homes are already working with senior care centres, offering home care services to continue supporting nursing home residents who can go home. These services also support seniors in the vicinity of our nursing homes to age in place.

Leading the response to our ageing population

8.      Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is an important strategic partner in caring for our seniors.  It is one of the oldest charitable healthcare institutions in Singapore, and is continuing its strong tradition of community service, and caring for Singapore’s sick and needy regardless of race and religion. It is stepping up its delivery of aged care services to provide better care for our seniors. When the new Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is completed, it will be able to care for more than 600 residents. This represents an increase of around 300 beds, providing greater access to care for our seniors.  

9.      Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is also improving its quality of care. It is innovating the design of its new nursing home so as to make it more conducive for the residents, especially those with dementia.  Working with students from the SIT-Glasgow School of Art Interior Design Programme, common spaces will be transformed into thematic areas such as a hair salon, karaoke and even a day activity space with a ‘seaside’ theme.  There is also a Dementia Garden specially designed to help residents with dementia stimulate their senses and help reduce anxiety and depression for them.

10.    To support seniors in transiting seamlessly from hospital to community, it has rolled out a new integrated hub concept. This platform pulls together several streams of services, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic, day care services and home care services, to enable seniors with varying needs to be supported in the community. This is aligned with MOH’s vision.

11.    Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is expanding the scope of its services by going beyond its nursing home walls into the community. Its upcoming Active Ageing Hubs in the nearby Kallang-Whampoa neighbourhood will enable Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital to reach out further into the community and better integrate care services for our seniors.  These hubs are one-stop day centres for seniors in the vicinity that provide active ageing programmes for both active and ambulant seniors.  In addition, they will provide day care, day rehabilitation and assisted living services such as housekeeping and even grocery shopping for seniors who may need them.

12.    To better position Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital to continue to evolve and expand its services to meet the future healthcare needs of our population, it is modernising its corporate structure, to convert itself into a Company Limited by Guarantee.  This will allow Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital a greater flexibility to expand the scope of its charitable activities, and benefitting more people.  We have tabled a bill in Parliament in November 2016 and hope to complete the process by 2017.

Involving the Whole Community

13.    To manage the challenges arising from our ageing population, our whole society must work together as one.  In this regard, I am heartened by Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital’s efforts to encourage more volunteers to come forward to befriend and improve the well-being of our residents.  Through the Kopitiam Diaries Programme, the volunteers who are called “Kopitiam Kakis”, gather with the residents every week to chit chat, exchange stories and belt out golden oldies over the familiar smell of Kopi.  I understand from Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital that their residents always look forward to this lively weekly sessions to recollect the good old times.  I am happy to note that the programme will be expanded to cater to the increased number of residents by the end of 2017, and more volunteers will be recruited with the support of the Silver Volunteer Fund. I hope that more individuals from the community, both young and old, will step forward to befriend and care for the seniors, creating a more inclusive and caring community.

Conclusion

14.    Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital has certainly come a long way since its founding in 1910 by a group of philanthropic Cantonese merchants.  Looking forward, I am confident that Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital will continue to build on its long tradition of community service to care for our seniors.  Indeed, this success of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital is due in no small part to the contributions of its board members, staff and the many donors and volunteers. This is indeed a commendable effort.   

15.    I look forward to more years of partnership with Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital to provide quality care for our seniors. Thank you.