Singapore’s Hardline, Clear Messaging on Vaping Creates a Rare Opportunity for Global Study: WHO
Despite the introduction of various regulatory measures, vaping rates continue to climb in many parts of the world. According to Dr Wu Shin Ling, writing in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, this trend reflects a deeper problem of inconsistent public messaging, particularly when governments promote e-cigarettes as safer alternatives for adult smokers while […]
Does pricing water like sugary drinks nudge people towards unhealthy choice? A look at Gerald Giam’s claim.
Water is abundantly available in Singapore. You can bring your own water in a reusable bottle — it’s legal, practical, and easy. This option already exists for anyone who genuinely does not want to pay for water at an eatery. People don’t hesitate to pay $1 or more for a bottle of water from a […]
Singapore is world’s new blue zone through intentional government policy and investment
Singapore ranks among the world’s healthiest, happiest, and longest-lived places on the planet according to The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth . Blue Zones are places in the world with the healthiest, longest-living populations. There are five Blue Zones in the world and they are: Okinawa Prefecture, […]
SingHealth Community Hospitals appointed as WHO Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing – the first centre of its kind in the world
SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH), which introduced the novel model of care of social prescribing in its community hospitals since 2019, announced on 28 November that the institution has been appointed as the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Social Prescribing. This appointment took effect from 14 November 2024 and is the first centre of […]
$156 million disbursed through MediFund to help needy Singaporeans pay their medical bills
With MediFund, no Singaporean would be denied access to appropriate, subsidised care due to an inability to pay. MediFund was introduced by the government on 1 April 1993. It’s objective is to be a safety net for needy Singaporeans who are unable to afford their remaining medical bills after Government subsidies, MediSave and MediShield Life […]
Singapore Government plans far ahead to help our people and economy adjust to challenges
Fiscal policy in Singapore is characterised by a strong long-term orientation. The Singapore Government plans far ahead to prepare for longer-term challenges such as ageing and climate change. This enables them to intervene effectively upstream, thereby avoiding the more costly interventions downstream. It also enables them to help our society and economy adjust to challenges. […]
S$3.5 billion set aside for Age Well SG to support seniors to age well in the community: Heng Swee Keat
The Government has set aside S$3.5 billion over the next decade to implement Age Well SG – our national programme to support our seniors in ageing well in the community, DPM Heng Swee Keat said. The number of seniors living alone more than doubled in a decade – from around 28,000 in 2010 to almost […]
Are expired COVID-19 vaccines a waste of taxpayers’ money?
Around S$140 million worth of COVID-19 vaccines have expired. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung described this as ‘insurance premium’, the price that Singapore is prepared to pay to stave of catastrophic consequences. The PAP Government realised early on during the pandemic, that vaccines were our safe exit from the pandemic. They decided to act early […]
Expired vaccines are an insurance premium we paid to stave off catastrophic consequences: Ong Ye Kung
The Government knew early on during the COVID-19 pandemic that vaccines would provide us with a safe exit from the pandemic. Hence the mass vaccination strategy. However, without sufficient doses of vaccines, our mass vaccination strategy would have been a non-starter, as Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament. COVID-19 was a new virus. […]
Can I still afford it if my healthcare bill runs to a few hundred thousand dollars?
No matter if they are admitted to B2 or C class wards in public hospitals, patients will be eligible for up to 80% in subsidies. You can afford it with generous government grants, insurance, and MediSave. This is not a meaningless statement. Many people have testified to it. Case 1 A prematurely born baby spent […]