O..now he also doing the same.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan wants to plug the gaps in Singapore's healthcare
system. (Yahoo!/Liyana Low)
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan was
overcome with emotion during a rain-soaked PAP rally held at
Woodlands on Tuesday.
Speaking to an estimated 1,000-strong crowd, he struggled to hold
back tears as he recalled how residents in his Sembawang GRC
had asked him about his health after the heart bypass he
underwent a year ago.
He said many residents on his walkabouts and Meet-the-People sessions had become like "personal
friends" to him and for that he is "truly grateful" as he bowed in
appreciation.
He added that, "So long as we stay united as one people, we can
face rain, hurricane, tsunami... we will be all right.
A grassroots supporter waited for an hour for the rally to start.
(Yahoo!/Liyana Low)
During the rally which had to be delayed due to a heavy downput,
the Minister also said that Singapore's healthcare system is not
perfect, but it is not bad either.
He admitted there are gaps and deficiencies in the system after
many opposition parties criticised the lack of hospital beds and
medical personnel in their rally speeches.
To address this, the Minister said there are already plans to build
two more hospitals in Jurong and Sengkang, three new community
hospitals and two more polyclinics.
While he feels that the opposition has good intentions for the
residents by suggesting policies like void deck polyclinics to
provide subsidized patient care, Mr Khaw questioned the viability
of the plan and asked, "Where are they going to get all the doctors
and nurses?"
Instead, if elected, Mr Khaw wants to build on the current
Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS), under which if residents
are means-tested and they need to see a doctor, they can go to one
of the 700 approved General Practitioners near their house, instead
of waiting in line at a polyclinic.
Patients will pay a subsidized rate at the GP clinic, a price that
is similar to the rate at polyclinics. According to him, the Health
Ministry is looking into expanding the PCPS, which currently
focuses on the elderly, to meet the needs of the lower-income group
in Singapore.
He also wants to look into subsidizing those born with congenital
diseases because they cannot get insurance, and also who require
nursing home care.
With opposition parties campaigning to do away with
the 3M policy of Medifund, Medishield and Medisave and opt
instead for a national health insurance plan, Mr Khaw
contended that under such schemes, there is the "Buffet Lunch
Syndrome" where people pay a fixed sum of money and because they
want to get their money's worth, they opt for the most expensive
treatment available.
He said that Singapore's own unique brand of insurance under the 3M
policy are specifically designed to avoid many pitfalls, such as
the one mentioned above.
But the government will continue to make adjustments to these
insurance policies to ensure that Singaporeans can have good
quality healthcare without worrying about financial burdens.
While the main hospitals have been providing relatively good
services for Singaporeans, Mr Khaw feels that more can be done for
care outside the hospitals.
He explained this was why S$1 billion was set aside during the
Budget for the Community Silver Trust Fund, where the
government works together with voluntary welfare organisations
to help seniors age with dignity.
Mr Khaw is currently leading the Sembawang GRC team comprising
seasoned campaigners Ellen Lim and Hawazi Daipi and first-timers
Vikram Nair and Ong Teng Koon, against the Singapore Democratic
Party led by James Gomez.
Voters in the 2006 General Election gave Mr Khaw a 76% mandate,
which is the highest winning margin in all of the contested
seats.
You can watch a video of Mr Khaw's speech here.
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