Allocated Funding, Implementation Timeline and Existing Trained Workforce to Meet Palliative Care Competency Training Targets

18 Mr Low Wu Yang Andre asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what funding has been allocated to meet the target of training 10,000 nurses and healthcare workers in palliative care competencies by 2030; (b) what is the implementation timeline and annual milestones; and (c) what is the current number of healthcare workers already trained to the requisite general palliative care competency standard.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Public healthcare institutions have been progressively building up palliative care competencies amongst our nursing workforce. Institutes of Higher Learning have also incorporated palliative care training in their respective courses of study for healthcare. We have always emphasised skills upgrading and training and will tap on existing training budgets for palliative care training. As palliative care training has become increasingly embedded across the healthcare system and is no longer confined to palliative care specialists, The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not currently track the specific number of healthcare workers trained in palliative care. MOH will plan for and monitor progress towards equipping 10,000 nurses and healthcare workers with general palliative care competencies by 2030.