Speech by Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health, at the Official Opening of the Pioneer Polyclinic

Mr Richard Lim, Board Member, National University Health System

Mr Latiff Bin Ibrahim, Board Member, National University Health System

Prof John EL Wong, Chief Executive, National University Health System

Mr Chua Song Khim, Deputy Chief Executive, National University Health System

Dr Lew Yii Jen, Chief Executive Officer, National University Polyclinics

Mr Cedric Foo, Adviser to Pioneer Grassroots Organisations and MP for Pioneer Constituency

Mr Patrick Tay, Adviser to Boon Lay Grassroots Organisations and MP for West Coast GRC (Boon Lay division)

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

               Good afternoon to all of you. I am pleased to join you this afternoon at the official opening of Pioneer Polyclinic. This is not my first time here, I was here several months ago before the official opening to do a “secret” visit – to find out what is happening and to also ensure that everything is in order before they officially open.

2.            Pioneer Polyclinic is the first of six new polyclinics to be developed by 2020, as we outlined under the Healthcare 2020 Masterplan. With this new polyclinic, residents of Jurong West can now have more convenient access to quality, integrated and seamless care closer to their homes. This is a key milestone in our journey to further strengthen our primary healthcare system to meet the care needs of Singaporeans in future.

Meeting the Challenges in Primary Care

3.            The greatest challenge facing our healthcare system is the rising chronic disease burden that comes with an ageing population. Because primary care is the first line of care, its demand is also expected to grow.  We need to transform the way we deliver primary care so that we can better meet our future needs.

4.            This Pioneer polyclinic has been designed with this in mind, and with the patient in the center; with greater convenience and accessibility for the aged or those with mobility difficulties. Related clinical services are physically located on the same floor where possible, to minimise the distance patients need to travel. For instance, phlebotomy service stations are co-located with chronic care management clusters so that patients can receive seamless care within the polyclinic.

5.            In Pioneer, patients are also enrolled into care teams comprising doctors, nurses and allied health professionals to care for the patient holistically. As they will be taken care of by the same team for their subsequent visits, patients with chronic conditions can benefit from the continuity of care not only of their doctors, but a multidisciplinary care team which can better monitor and manage their conditions. Familiarity and trust built over time between the patient and the care team allow patients to be empowered to take better charge of their health conditions.

6.            Mr Tham, for example, a Jurong West resident, is one such beneficiary. Previously, different doctors saw him during each of his continuous consultations for diabetes and other chronic conditions. Now, with the convenience of coordinated care under a dedicated care team at Pioneer Polyclinic, his medical conditions have seen much improvement. His care team, including his doctor, nurses and dieticians have partnered with Mr Tham to advise him on the different aspects of managing his diabetes, monitor his condition and optimise his medication regime. Coupled with dietary advice, his diabetes is now much better controlled.

Art, healing and community engagement

7.            We also want to help Singaporeans lead healthier and more active lives. I am therefore happy that besides caring for patients with chronic conditions, Pioneer polyclinic will also focus on preventive care, mental health and wellness of its patients.

8.            The Pioneer Polyclinic team has also reached out to collaborate with community partners such as Jurong West Primary, Frontier Primary and Grace Orchard School, as well as the grassroots and residents of Pioneer and Boon Lay Constituency. They have come together as one to mould a spectacular art piece which we will unveil shortly.

9.            Art and music can soothe patients’ minds and help them on their path to recovery. Besides the art piece created by the community, Dr David Tan, Head of Pioneer Polyclinic, has also arranged for a piano to be brought into the polyclinic so that patients and caregivers can enjoy some music during their visit.

Re-organisation of our Healthcare System

10.         The name “Pioneer” for this polyclinic, turned out to be a most appropriate name in more ways than one.  Not only is it the first of our six new polyclinics to be completed, this polyclinic is also the first new polyclinic to be run by the newly established National University Polyclinics group under the National University Health System (NUHS).  When MOH was planning for the reorganisation of our healthcare system into three integrated clusters, we recognised that with the growing demand for primary care, and an expanding polyclinic network, there was scope to start up a new polyclinic group as part of our third healthcare cluster, in addition to SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) and the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP).  This would also ensure each cluster would have a broader range of services, facilities and capabilities with strong integration to better serve Singaporeans.  I hope that the opening of Pioneer polyclinic will also pioneer many new initiatives and innovative care models by NUHS, together with NUP, and the broader primary care community in this area.

Closing

11.         It was indeed a tall order for a brand new organisation to open a new polyclinic just a few short months after its establishment.  It was only possible because of the strong support and team work between NUP and the team in NHGP who had worked so hard to plan and conceptualise the polyclinic and its innovative care services.  It was always painful to reorganise and NHGP had to give up Pioneer Polyclinic which they planned for a long time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both polyclinic teams, and MOH Holdings for their dedication and commitment in seeing through this project.

12.         I urge NUHS and NUP to build on their existing initiatives and try new programmes with healthcare and community partners, so as to bring even better care and services for Singaporeans here.

13.         It is now my pleasure to declare the new Pioneer Polyclinic officially open. Congratulations and thank you.