Better targeted subsidies to those in greater need as healthcare spending likely to continue rising over time: Gan Kim Yong

Singapore

SINGAPORE'S spending on healthcare has grown every year and is likely to continue rising, which is why the country needs to be prudent and ensure support is targeted at those in greater need, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Friday.

"Even with our best efforts, we will still be spending more on healthcare over time, given an ageing population and increasing consumption of healthcare services," he told Parliament during his ministry's Committee of Supply debate.

He said that the government continues to bear a significant and growing share of the national health expenditure, from 40 per cent in 2013 to 46 per cent in 2018.

Having better targeted subsidies is thus one of the three key thrusts when it comes to strengthening Singapore's healthcare system for the long term, even as the nation is mobilised in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, the minister said.

This would allow those with less to receive more, while keeping healthcare affordable for all and allowing patients to be cared for at the most appropriate facilities, he said.

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Another key thrust is to continue to anchor care in the community by strengthening primary care, the minister said, adding that 12 new polyclinics will be built, bringing the total to 32 by 2030.

The government is also committed to stretching Singaporeans' health dollar, said Mr Gan. This will be done by leveraging risk pooling and by continuing to improve the healthcare system's cost effectiveness and efficiency, through, for example, the Agency for Care Effectiveness and the Agency for Logistics Procurement and Supply.

These initiatives are part of Singapore's care transformation journey.

"As we plan for our future health system, we will study how we can develop a longitudinal system of care services and programmes, to journey with you and design programmes with a life-course approach, taking care of each Singaporean from birth and throughout their life," he said.

As staying well often involves not just health but also social and other factors, the government will explore how it can pull in resources across agencies and service providers to support Singaporeans' overall well-being.

Meanwhile, Singapore is making steady progress with its Covid-19 vaccination programme, Mr Gan said. As at March 4, more than 350,000 Singapore residents had received their first dose, including some 80 per cent of healthcare workers; 215,000 have received their second doses.

At the same time, the ministry is developing a national research and development Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness And Response (Prepare) in anticipation of future public health crises.

Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary said it will help Singapore to "prevent, prepare and respond" to such crises.

"It will include strengthening infectious disease collaboration networks locally and regionally, strengthening capabilities for the accelerated development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines and establishing a national infectious disease repository and database for research and data analysis," Dr Janil said.

MOH will also strengthen the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) system, a colour-coded framework that shows the current disease situation. Singapore remains in Dorscon Orange for now.

This will incorporate lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic to better communicate public health risks and to help Singapore respond more effectively "as a whole society" when "Disease X" strikes, he said.