Health

by Jenny VAUGHAN Hundreds dead in the Philippines; a threefold increase of cases in Vietnam; hospitals overrun in Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia — dengue is ravaging Southeast Asia this year due in part to rising temperatures and low immunity to new strains. But one group of scientists is rolling out trials to breed dengue-resistant bugs in a bid to tackle …

The CareShield Life Bill was passed in the PAP-dominated Parliament on Monday (2 Sep) after its second reading. This means that Singaporeans who were born in 1980 or after will have to pay compulsory CareShield Life insurance fees starting next year. It is optional for those who were born in 1979 or earlier. CareShield Life is meant for covering Singaporeans …

47-year-old Sarojini Jayapal, who was battling late-stage ovarian cancer since three years ago, had passed away last Sat (10 Aug). Her lawyer, M Ravi, shared the news of her death in a Facebook post the same day, and said that he is “deeply saddened by the news”. M Ravi also extended his condolences to Sarojini’s husband, Suriia Das, and their …

47-year-old Sarojini Jayapal, who has been battling late-stage ovarian cancer since three years ago, is currently in “critical condition”, according to her lawyer M Ravi. “Just received the heartbreaking news from Suriia that Sarojini is in critical condition. Please join me in prayer for this brave lady and her supremely devoted husband,” M Ravi wrote in a Facebook post today …

Around 72 per cent of dementia patients in Singapore experience loneliness surrounding their condition, with over 54 per cent of the general public expressing their discomfort when interacting with individuals with dementia, according to a recent study done by the Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) and the Singapore Management University (SMU). The 54 per cent included 30 per cent of caregivers …

While Singaporeans are experiencing increased longevity, many will spend their later years in ill health, concluded a study commissioned by major insurance company Prudential. The study called Healthy for 100? Healthy Care in Singapore was conducted and published by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU). Interviewing 203 people in the healthcare field including physicians, nurses, senior management and administrators as well …

Insurer Great Eastern (GE) and Singapore-based healthtech startup Doctor Anywhere have partnered launch a spectrum of integrated health and wellness tech services to provide greater convenience for GE’s customers. Both companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last Friday (19 July) which will see the duo leveraging on platform, content and product resources, as well as tech and industry expertise to …

“Caring for the nation has become a top priority for the government,” said Singapore’s Chief Dental Officer Dr Chng Chai Kiat in his opening speech at the 4th Asian Symposium on Advanced General Dentistry on 19 July at Marina Bay Sands. “The ageing population has brought forth new challenges in the way we manage healthcare,” said Dr Chng, adding that …

Much has been said about the affordable healthcare system in Singapore. In particular, the 3M (MediSave, MediShield (Life) and MediFund) formula has been hailed as an effective system to help keep government healthcare expenditure low while not burdening people which heavy out-of-pocket medical expenses. In fact, Ministry of Health (MOH) has said on their Facebook page that “Singapore has come a …

Singaporeans’ ideal situation of a “good death” is to die at home surrounded by loved ones. But according to a report released by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on Friday (12 July), this desire to have a dignified passing is far from the reality on the ground and argues that a lot needs to be done to change the …