Manpower and Infrastructure Plans to Ensure Sufficient Healthcare Support for Elderly
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong's inquiry regarding manpower and infrastructure plans to ensure sufficient community healthcare support for the elderly. Minister Ong Ye Kung highlighted the expansion of the Eldercare Centre network, with over 200 additional centres to be onboarded by 2024. Infrastructure developments include adding 4,600 day care and 3,100 home care places since 2015 and increasing the number of polyclinics to 32 by 2030. Primary care is being strengthened through networks of over 600 GP clinics and the co-location of polyclinics with nursing homes or senior care centres. Manpower initiatives include funding to raise salary competitiveness in the community care sector and job redesign pilots to enhance career progression for healthcare workers.
Transcript
19 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Health in light of the ageing population, what are the upcoming manpower and infrastructure plans to ensure that there is sufficient healthcare support for the elderly living in the community.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: MOH has strengthened community support for seniors so that they may continue to age-in-place in the community. This includes strengthening of the network of eldercare centres and enhancing the range of community care services and primary care services.
Since May 2021, we had rolled out the Eldercare Centre (EC) service model, to serve as go-to points for seniors in the community. We will on-board an addition of more than 200 centres onto this model by 2024. They will promote active ageing, befriending of seniors and provide care services.
To support our seniors’ care needs, we have added 4,600 day care places and 3,100 home care places since 2015. For seniors requiring medical and clinical support, we have strengthened primary care infrastructure. There are currently 10 primary care networks involving over 600 GP clinics to help seniors manage chronic diseases. We are also expanding our network of polyclinics to 32 by 2030, some of which will be co-located with eldercare services such as nursing homes and/or senior care centres.
We are proactively building up manpower for the sector. Recently, we have announced funding support to raise salary competitiveness of the community care workforce. We have also embarked on a job redesign pilot to enhance opportunities for career progression.