November 9, 2009 by admin
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From our Correspondent
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said during a speech at Assisi
Hospice last night that terminally ill patients should not treat
death as a taboo subject.
He was speaking as the guest of honour at Assisi Hospice’s 40th
anniversary charity dinner. His wife, Ms Ho Ching, is the patron of
the hospice.
PM Lee urged them to discuss with their families and
doctors plans for dying with dignity and under the best possible
care.
He also said he felt more public education was needed about what
hospice and home palliative care can do to provide comfort for
patients in their last days.
With medical advances, people are living longer, but with
terminal illnesses, lives can be prolonged only up to a point when
‘more aggressive treatment will likely do more harm than good’, he
said.
Palliative care is a field of medicine that helps
terminally ill patients live the remaining days of their lives with
minimal pain and suffering. There are few specialist
palliative-care physicians in Singapore.
Singapore’s aging population will put more strain on its public
healthcare system which was rated one of the best in the world
by the World Health Organization.
Unlike Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom, palliative care
is not a recognized specialty in Singapore. The current palliative
care physicians are mostly geriatricians or internists whose
postgraduate training is in internal medicine.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) is recruiting and training more
doctors, nurses and social workers who can provide palliative care
which will also be introduced to nursing homes.
Earlier this year, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan caused a furore
when he suggested that Singaporeans send their aged parents to live
in nursing homes in Johor Baru where medical expenses are lower. It
is not sure if there are any hospices in Johor Baru which can
accept Singapore patients in the future.