Number of Singaporeans Qualifying Yearly for Project Silver Screen
Ministry of HealthSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the participation rates and government funding for assistive devices under Project Silver Screen (PSS), which offers functional screening to seniors aged 60 and above. Ms See Jinli Jean requested data on the number of qualifying Singaporeans, participation rates, and the proportion of participants receiving subsidies for vision, hearing, and oral health aids. Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung replied that an average of 28,000 seniors participated annually, excluding pandemic years, with screenings priced at $5 or less. He explained that seniors needing assistive devices receive a voucher of up to $200 per set, regardless of income, alongside the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund. The government remains committed to encouraging PSS participation and facilitating the acquisition of necessary assistive devices through continued partner collaboration.
Transcript
42 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Health (a) for each year from 2019, how many Singaporeans qualified for Project Silver Screen which provides functional screening of the eyes, ears and oral health for Singaporeans aged 60 and above; (b) what is the yearly participation rate; (c) how many who participated are prescribed assistive devices for decline in (i) vision, (ii) hearing and (iii) oral health; (d) what proportion per each category has qualified for Government funding for assistive devices; and (e) how many have purchased the prescribed assistive devices; and (f) what proportion of these devices are funded by the Government.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: As part of the Ministry of Health's efforts to extend preventive health to the population, community functional screening was launched nationwide in 2018. Called Project Silver Screen (PSS), it is available to all Singapore Residents aged 60 and above, at a cost of $5 or less. Excluding the COVID-19 years when the programme was suspended, on average, about 28,000 seniors participated in PSS each year.
The number and proportion of Singapore Resident seniors who were prescribed assistive devices and purchased assistive devices from 2019 to 2022 are as follows:
We provide each senior who requires assistive devices with a voucher of up to $200 per set of device, regardless of household income. This is over and above Government support, such as the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund, for eligible seniors. We do not have the breakdown of actual Government subsidies provided based on assistive device type. We will continue to work with our partners to encourage seniors to participate in PSS and facilitate the take-up of required assistive devices.