It will also work with polyclinics, GPs to manage AMK residents' health in line with Healthier SG
The Straits Times (19 March 2022)
Ang Mo Kio residents can now access specialist care in their neighbourhood with the launch of a centre run by Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
The facility in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 will also work with polyclinics and general practitioners, and involve them deeply in managing residents' health. This is in line with the recently announced Healthier SG strategy that involves a shift from a hospital-centric model to a more sustainable one of preventive care.
The TTSH Ang Mo Kio Specialist Centre brings a suite of specialist healthcare facilities and services to the doorsteps of residents and aims to offer continuity of care, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at its opening ceremony yesterday.
Previously, an elderly resident in Ang Mo Kio suffering from blurred vision would have been referred to TTSH for testing, consultation, treatment and follow-up.
"With this new centre, he can now obtain medical treatment, cataract surgery and post-surgery reviews right in his neighbourhood," said PM Lee.
This also applies to patients who require colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures, or musculoskeletal rehabilitation, among others. TTSH said key services from three of its clinics – diabetes care, specialist eye care and care for hearing-related issues – had been redesigned to make them more accessible and appropriate for delivery at the Ang Mo Kio centre.
The centre will be manned by TTSH staff, some of whom will rotate between the Ang Mo Kio site and the hospital in Novena.
Apart from bringing specialist care to the heartland, the new centre also sees TTSH partnering GPs and polyclinics, allowing for direct referrals from GPs to the services offered at the facility.
The team at the centre will also keep the referring doctors updated on their patients' progress, before sending them back for continued care and overall health management.
PM Lee said the Government continually reviews its overall healthcare strategy and policies, builds new and better facilities, and staffs them with well-trained professionals.
Healthcare providers also constantly work on improving the level of care given to residents, he added. "But residents, too, must play your part to keep yourself healthy," said PM Lee.
He cited some worrying statistics that Health Minister Ong Ye Kung mentioned during the debate on his ministry's budget in Parliament.
For example, between 2017 and 2020, the proportion of Singaporeans with high blood pressure increased from about two in 10, to three in 10. The proportion of Singaporeans with high cholesterol rose from about three in 10 to four in 10.
Obesity rates went up from under 9 per cent to over 10 per cent. PM Lee said: "Unless we make progress on these... All the most expensive and advanced medical care in the world will not succeed in giving us more years of healthy life."
All Singaporeans must make the effort to go for regular health screenings, follow the advice of medical professionals, remain active, keep fit and watch what they eat, he added.
He said: "I know there is good food just around the corner. But please, not too much, everything in moderation.
"That is how, even with an ageing population, we can help our healthcare system to ensure sustainable and good healthcare for all Singaporeans."