With a new parliament, Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) is reviewing its existing strategies and programs, with a view to formulating new priorities for the next five years. This is being done at several levels, involving healthcare professionals, administrators, experts and stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
The healthcare group will work closely with the MOH to reach out to Singaporeans, in a bid to better understand their perspectives, and to identify areas and propose new initiatives for further improvement. Their input will help shape the MOH component of the presidential addendum.
The group will study how Singaporeans can be further encouraged to lead a healthy life, thus avoiding unnecessary healthcare costs. It will also examine how citizens can continue to have access to good-quality healthcare at the out-patient, in-patient and step-down care stages, and be able to pay for it.
The group will consider the needs at each stage from the perspectives of different income groups, and recommend measures to meet them, especially for lower and middle income Singaporeans. The group will also examine current financing policies (Medisave, MediShield and Medifund) and the role of individuals and their families, insurance, employers, healthcare providers and the government in managing healthcare expenditure.
The group will also look into emerging priorities for the MOH, such as the management of long-term chronic diseases, mental health, and health promotion.