Tag: MOH

MOH: No Link Found Between GBS And Sashimi Consumption

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has not found any link between the Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection and consumption of sashimi-style raw fish, it said yesterday (Aug 26).

It posted a clarification on Facebook, stating that its investigations have only found an association between GBS infections and the consumption of “yusheng” — a raw fish dish. It had earlier detected traces of the bacteria on samples of Toman fish and Song fish.

MOH’s Facebook note comes after was alerted to a rumour being circulated via WhatsApp and SMS. The message claims one person died from a bacterial infection after eating sashimi over the Jubilee weekend and that a professor was critically ill from consuming salmon sashimi two months ago.

Screenshot of a message circulating via WhatsApp. Photo: Channel NewsAsia

Last month, the ministry noticed a spike in GBS cases and advised food stall holders to temporarily stop the sales of raw fish dishes using Song fish and Toman fish. A few GBS patients told Channel NewsAsia that they had painful swelling of the joints and some had to have surgery.

The health ministry yesterday reiterated that there has been a downtrend in the number of GBS cases since mid-July, after the sale of yusheng was halted.

“MOH would like to reiterate that GBS is a common bacterium that colonises the human gut and urinary tract. While GBS does not usually cause disease in healthy individuals, it may occasionally cause infections of the bloodstream, skin and soft tissue, joints, lungs and brain. The risk factors for GBS infection include underlying chronic or co-morbid conditions,” it said.

“As a general precaution, vulnerable groups of people, especially young children, pregnant women, elderly persons, or people with chronic illness such as diabetes, should continue to exercise caution by avoiding raw ready-to-eat food.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 27, 2015
Polyclinic Fees Up: Government Healthcare Operating Expenditure % Lower Than 1970?

TOC’s article, “Polyclinics up consultation fees from 1 July” (Jul 2) notes that “The consultation fees at the 18 polyclinics around Singapore have been increased from 1 July.”

The article further went on to state, “The two groups which oversee the clinics, Singhealth and National Healthcare Group (NHG), have updated their websites with the new charges … for Singaporean adults at NHG polyclinics are up $0.60, from $11.30 to $11.90″.

70% increase last 18 years?

As polyclinic fees were $7 in 1997 – it has increased by up to 70 per cent ($11.90 divided by $7) with the periodic increases in the last 18 years.

Inflation – 35% increase last 18 years?

Against this increase – inflation was about 35 per cent during the same period.

So, why increase polyclinic fees which cater to the poorest Singaporeans by double (70%) the rate of inflation (35%)?

Polyclinics are for the poorest?

While I can understand and appreciate the need to raise fees, I would like to suggest that fees for polyclinics be kept unchanged, because the needy should be spared the brunt of rising costs of so many increases in the cost of living.

1970 – govt healthcare operating expenditure 9.5%

According to the Department of Statistics’ (DOS) Singapore, 1965-1995 Statistical Highlights: A Review of 30 Years’ Development – government operating expenditure on health as a percentage of total government operating expenditure was 9.5 per cent in 1970.

2005 – govt healthcare operating expenditure 8.1%

According to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) reply to the Straits Times Forum on 29 March 2007 – government operating expenditure on health as a percentage of total government operating expenditure was 8.1 per cent in 2005.

2013 – govt healthcare operating expenditure 9.2%

Using data from the MOH web site, I calculated the government operating expenditure on health as a percentage of total government operating expenditureto be 8.0, 9.2 and 9.8 per cent in FY2012, FY2013 and FY2014 respectively.

Any country spent less compared to 43 years ago?

Are there any developed countries in the world whose government operating expenditure on health as a percentage of total government operating expenditure, was lower in 2013 (9.2%), 2012 (8.0%), 2005 (8.1%) compared to 1970 (9.5%)?

Very low public healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP?

Health expenditure, public (% of GDP)

Data from World Bank

The increase in polyclinic fees now underscores the fact that our public healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP, at 1.9 per cent in FY2014, is one of the lowest in the world.

WB

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com

July 6, 2015
Polyclinic Increases Consultation Fees From 1 Jul
The consultation fees at the 18 polyclinics around Singapore have been increased from 1 July.

The two groups which oversee the clinics, Singhealth and National Healthcare Group (NHG), have updated their websites with the new charges

Over at Singhealth, consultation fees are up between $0.40 and $2.90.

For Singaporean adults, it is up by $0.80 cents – from $11.00 to $11.80.

While that for Singaporean adults at NHG polyclinics are up $0.60, from $11.30 to $11.90.

Here is a comparison of the new fees at Singhealth polyclinics:

Adults: $11.00 to $11.80 (increase $0.80)

Children/Elderly: $6.10 to $6.50 (increase $0.40)

Permanent Resident: $21.00 to $22.50 (increase $1.50)

Non-Resident: $41.70 to $44.60 (increase $2.90)

The fees at NHG polyclinics are now as follow:

Singhealth Polyclinics are located in:
1. Bedok
2. Bukit Merah
3. Geylang
4. Marine Parade
5. Outram
6. Pasir Ris
7. Queenstown
8. Sengkang
9. Tampines
National Healthcare Group polyclinics are located in:
1. Ang Mo Kio
2. Bukit Batok
3. Choa Chu Kang
4. Clementi
5. Hougang
6. Jurong
7. Toa Payoh
8. Woodlands
9. Yishun
Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com
July 6, 2015
Measures Are In Place To Prevent MERS Outbreak In Singapore

Local hospitals have been reminded to remain vigilant and to stand ready to screen and isolate individuals suspected to suffer from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Coronavirus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (Jun 3).

South Korea has confirmed five more cases of MERS, the Korean health ministry said early on Wednesday, bringing to 30 the total number of cases in the country of the often-deadly illness. All cases of infection in South Korea have been limited to household and hospital contacts among the patients, and all have been linked to the first identified case. Given this, the Health Ministry said there is no evidence of sustained community transmission in South Korea.

MOH revealed in a press release that three categories of patients with clinical signs or symptoms of pneumonia or severe respiratory infection with breathlessness, who travelled to the Middle East in the two weeks before onset, will be referred to any of its public and private hospitals for further evaluation to exclude the infection.

Patients from South Korea, and also those with fever and respiratory illness of any severity who had visited a healthcare facility while in the Middle East or South Korea will also be similarly referred, according to MOH.

Clinics said they will step up their precautionary measures on the Health Ministry’s advice.

“So when the situation gets worse, the Ministry of Health will tell us that we need to be vigilant and more alert about it,” said Dr Philip Koh, family physician at Healthway Tampines Clinic. “Then we will have to don our personal protective equipment, which is our masks, our gloves, and our goggles and basically the clinic will be turned into a pandemic centre of preparedness.”

“What happens is when a patient comes in, who is suspected of having fever, cough and breathlessness, will be attended to by a nurse donned with this personal protective equipment at the entrance,” added Dr Koh.

The Ministry said that temperature screening at air checkpoints for passengers arriving from the Middle East have been in place since May 18 last year. It said that health advisories continue to be in place at the local border checkpoints for travelers coming from and going to areas affected by MERS, and that screening may be ramped up to include passengers arriving from South Korea should evidence of sustained community spread turn up.

SIA HAS PLANS TO MINIMISE DISEASE SPREAD

Also on Wednesday, a Singapore Airlines (SIA) spokesperson assured that the national carrier has measures – “both on the ground and on board” – in place to “minimise the spread of diseases”. These include passenger screening by airport ground personnel.

“If any passenger appears to be unwell, he or she will be asked to see a doctor immediately. We will not carry any passenger whom we believe is a risk to others on board,” the spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia.

SIA added that it has developed standard operating procedures to handle various medical emergencies, including infectious diseases.

The airline said these measures “will be coupled with the health regulations implemented by local authorities”, citing cabin crew basic first-aid training as one of such measures.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

June 4, 2015
Supermarket Chain Pledge No Tobacco Sales Today

Supermarket chains Cold Storage, Jasons, Market Place, NTUC FairPrice, Prime Supermarket and Sheng Siong have joined in the fight against tobacco use in support of World No Tobacco Day this year by voluntarily not selling tobacco products on Sunday (May 31).

This year, HPB launched its annual National Tobacco Control campaign, I Quit, at a walkathon event on Saturday, which saw approximately 300 participants pledging to lead a smoke-free life to mark World No Tobacco Day.

Participants were joined by Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, who flagged off the event, held at West Coast Park on Saturday afternoon.

I Quit, a national anti-smoking social movement was introduced by HPB in 2011. HPB said in 2014, I Quit garnered increasing interest, with 10,000 smokers signing up for the “I Quit 28-Day Countdown”, a 570 per cent increase from the inaugural I Quit 2011 edition. Fifty-seven per cent of those who participated in 2014 now smoke less or have successfully quit smoking.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 31, 2015