SPEECH BY MS RAHAYU MAHZAM, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE 5th BRAINY CAR RALLY 2022 ON 31 JULY 2022

Good morning everyone.

It is so heartening and heart-warming for me to see so many of you here today, in support of a very good cause and to support the brain tumour community. I am also very happy that the Brain Tumour Society (Singapore) managed to organise the Brainy Car Rally again after a hiatus because of COVID-19. I think it is a really good time for all of us to come back together and strengthen the community support.

2.             The theme of today’s event is “Live Life to the Fullest”, which is such a beautiful reminder of the strength and positive attitude of our beneficiaries here today. Their optimism inspires us all in a lot of things in life, and motivates us to want to do better to support the community.

Brain Tumour Research Efforts   

3.             I wanted to touch on two aspects which reflect the collaborative efforts among the different sectors in the community. Firstly, on research efforts. Brain tumours are not as well-known as some of the other cancers. However, it is not insignificant, its impact is great. In Singapore, Brain and Central Nervous System cancers are the third and sixth most common cancers affecting those below 30 years old for males and females respectively[1]. It is therefore quite significant, and I think there is a lot we can do to help support research efforts in this area.

4.             In particular, I believe glioblastoma is also something that is of concern as it is an aggressive cancer, and a lot can be done in trying to find out how we can treat it better. In June 2021, the Ministry of Health (MOH) approved nearly $10 million in a grant to the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), National University of Singapore (NUS) and Duke-NUS. The grant aims to support collaborative research for drug targets for the treatment of glioblastoma[2]. This is really a show of support in this front.

Shared Care Model with Healthcare Institutions

5.             Aside from research to hopefully find a meaningful cure, we are also looking at other forms of collaborative efforts. Healthier SG, for instance, is about shifting care towards community and collaborative effort. I am glad that BTSS is taking the opportunity to work together with healthcare institutions to bring together services for their beneficiaries. I know that there are talks lined up, and I think these will be meaningful for the beneficiaries and their families.

6.             We are also here today at HCA’s Oasis@Outram day hospice, an important addition to the palliative care landscape in Singapore. BTSS is also playing an instrumental role in introducing palliative care services to the beneficiaries who may need them. This is a reflection of the efforts by the different sectors coming together, and that is something worth celebrating today.

Closing

7.             I understand BTSS also achieved their Institutions of Public Character (IPC) status, congratulations! I think these are all efforts made to support the ecosystem. To the beneficiaries and families, I just want to acknowledge you for your resilience, and to let you know that you are not alone in this journey. Stay strong, and you are indeed an inspiration to us all. Together, we can help and work together and overcome some very difficult challenges in this journey. As a community, we can become stronger and provide the necessary support. Again, it is a reminder for all of us to "Live Life to the Fullest". I hope that you will carry on with this positive note. All the best with the activities today, and hopefully you grow in strength. Thank you very much.

[1] Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report 2019

[2] The grant was received under the Open Fund Large Collaborative Grant, which is supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore and administered by the National Medical Research Council. The team comprises researchers from NNI, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Duke-NUS.