SPEECH BY MR ONG YE KUNG, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF SHENG HONG ACTIVE AGEING HUB, 9 NOVEMBER 2022

各位来宾、城隍慈善基金会和城隍庙的领导

城隍慈善基⾦会主席⻰仕庚先⽣、城隍慈善基⾦会荣誉秘书陈添来先⽣、

各位国会同僚、

基层顾问，

1.             大家早上好。这个地方有一点特别。城隍慈善基⾦会荣誉秘书陈添来先⽣跟我解释，左边是幼儿园，右边是乐龄中心。有些父母把孩子送左边，父母放在右边，所以这样的一个机制其实在日本相当普遍。老人小孩一起活动，对两边的身心都是特别好的。你们想得出这样的方法，我非常赞成，谢谢你们。

2.             最近，卫生部在照顾病人，操作医院，忙得不可开交，还要抵抗冠病。现在，我们接下来在5到10年来最注重的是预防性医疗。我们都意识到预防胜于治疗。

3.             我最近认识很多医生，看到医生就问他们很多问题。我就问老人痴呆症的专家，怎么避免老人痴呆症。他们说，科学研究显示，要避免，首先身体要健康，头脑就健康。身体要怎么健康？饮食起居要好，要睡得好，吃得好，吃得健康，要多做运动。然后，要有社交，有亲戚朋友、有小孩在周围，心情就好，身体就好，头脑就好。患上老人痴呆症的几率就可能减少。

4.             最近参加一个帕金森宴会，就问一些帕金森的专家，帕金森怎么预防？他们说身体好，头脑就好，患上帕金森的几率就比较低。身体要怎样好？饮食起居要好，要睡得好，要吃得好，要有社交，生活要充实。

5.             最近也要问一些心脏病的专科、癌症的专科、糖尿病的专科，问他们这些病要怎么预防？他们都说饮食起居要好，要睡得好，要吃得好，要吃得健康，要有社交

6.             所以西方医疗也好，东方医疗，，中医，印度的治疗方法也好，大家在预防性治疗方面其实都是一致的。我们要保持身体健康，最重要的还是饮食起居。饮食起居不用花太多钱，少吃盐、少吃糖，是省钱的办法。多睡是不用钱的，交朋友也是不用钱的，心情开朗不用钱的。自己选择快乐，不要整天忧愁，所以与其做一些不用钱让自己健康的事，好过病了花一大笔钱来医病。

7.             我们现在人口老化，所以我们的医疗体制一直在发展，老人院也在建、医院也在建、综合诊疗所也在建。其实最重要的是像这样的设施。我们要建很多很多这样的设施，给住在新加坡的老人有这样的地方可以去。除了这样的地方，更重要的是，我们的邻里要变成乐龄中心。我们的邻里是能够成为乐龄中心的，因为我们的政府组屋建得太妙了。楼下有空间，旁边有咖啡店，走多几步有巴刹，再走多几步有超级市场，再走多几步有联络所，有乐龄保健中心。

8.             其实，我们的共同空间有这样的设施，让年长者能过快乐普通的生活。我们要使所有的政府组屋区都成为乐龄中心。最重要的是软件，不是硬件。软件都有了，软件都需要大家进来，组织一些活动，互相照顾。我们的年长者就能够在饮食起居上过得好，病痛就能够避免。好像我们城隍这个乐龄中心，我就问陈添来先⽣有免费给人家吃东西吗，他说有。庙宇有一些捐助，卫生部也有预算。

9.             我们亚洲人，能吃就是好。一吃就可以交朋友，心情就好，就可以预防很多病痛。这就是我们的软件，从吃做起是一个好办法。接下来，5年10年内，我们的工作很多，不只要照顾有病的年长者，更重要的是，不要让年长者生病，尽量延迟得到疾病。

10.          大家一起携手合作。各种的社区组织都是我们的好帮手，都是我们团队的一份子。谢谢大家今天的光临。

ENGLISH TRANSLATED VERSION

Distinguished guests

Mr Adrian Long, President, Society of Sheng Hong Welfare Services

Mr Tan Thiam Lye, Honorary Secretary, Society of Sheng Hong Welfare Services

Members of Parliament

Grassroots Advisers

             Good morning. This place is special as there is a kindergarten on the left and the Sheng Hong Active Ageing Hub (AAH) on the right. The Honorary Secretary of Society of Sheng Hong Welfare Services, Mr Tan Thiam Lye, shared with me that some parents would send their children to the kindergarten, and drop their aged parents off at the AAH at the same time. Such a design, which is quite common in Japan, promotes inter-generational bonding between our seniors and the young, which is good for their physical and mental health. I would like to express my thanks to you for coming up with this approach.

2.             Amid the pandemic, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been working hard to expand our overall hospital capacity to ensure that care for our patients is not compromised. In the next five to ten years, preventive care will be our top priority as we are all aware that prevention is better than cure.

3.             I have met many doctors and always ask them how we keep dementia at bay. Research has shown that staying healthy slows the onset of dementia. We can stay healthy by exercising more and eating, sleeping and living well. It is also important for us to have social interactions with our relatives and friends. Interacting with children would also help to reduce the incidence of dementia as being in their company keeps your mind active and puts you in a good mood.

4.             This also applies to preventing many other diseases. After speaking with many experts of different specialties, I am told that the key to preventing Parkinson’s, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes is to stay in good health and to keep an active mind.

5.             It does not cost us much to stay and eat healthy. Sleeping more, cutting back on salt and sugar and making new friends does not cost us much. It also does not take money to be happy. So always be cheerful and do not worry. It is also better to be engaged in activities that keep you healthy rather than to spend a lot of money on medical treatment if you fall sick.         

6.             As our population ages, our healthcare system will continue to expand as we build more nursing homes, hospitals and polyclinics. We will continue to build more facilities like the Sheng Hong Active Ageing Hub, which promotes inter-generational bonding between the young and old.

7.             Most importantly, we need to transform our neighbourhood into a community that promotes active ageing. Our HDB estates are carefully designed to include shared spaces for our elderly. For example, you would find that the void deck, coffee shop, market, supermarket, community centre and active ageing hub within your neighbourhood are all built within close proximity.

8.             Since we have these existing shared spaces for seniors, we want to transform all HDB estates into AAHs. The most important factor is having the “software” and not hardware. When the “software” is in place, everyone can organise activities to take care of one another. Our seniors will then be able to lead healthier lives and avoid illnesses.           

9.             In the next five to ten years, we not only have to take care of seniors who are sick, but more importantly, to ensure that they do not fall sick and delay the onset of their illnesses.

10.          MOH will continue to work with our community organisations who are valuable partners to help us in this effort.  Thank you.