Health

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (14 May) that of the 23 people have been identified so far as having come in close contact with the patient, five are Singapore residents. The rest are from Britain, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Most of the 23 people identified had attended the same workshop at the man who brought …

A proton beam therapy system will be available to cancer patients by early next year, the Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings (SAM) said on Tue (14 May). The ProBeam Proton Therapy System, which has been successfully installed at the institute’s Proton Therapy in Biopolis in Buona Vista, will use approximately 60 per cent less radiation in comparison to the …

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has proposed a single-payer universal insurance scheme as a more financially viable alternative to the current 3Ms – Medisave, Medishield, and Medifund – for all Singaporeans. The proposed National Health Investment Fund (NHIF) –  which was presented by the Party’s Chairman Paul Tambyah and its Central Executive Committee member Khung Wai Yeen at the SDP …

by ValueChampion Travelling is great for exploring new cultures, cuisines and activities, but it is not without its risks. We discuss 4 things you should do to reduce the risk of unexpected medical emergencies on your trip. With the June holidays coming up, families all over Singapore are gearing up to take a well-deserved mid-year trip. With travel trends ranging from …

A member of the public Andrew Seow Chwee Guan wrote to ST Forum on 27 Apr asking the government to consider giving grants for the elderly to get key vaccinations, especially the pneumococcal jabs to prevent pneumonia. Pneumonia is known to have caused complications in elderly leading to life-threatening conditions like from low blood pressure and kidney failure to bacteremia, …

The College of General Dental Practitioners Singapore (CGDP) has set up a committee to explore alternatives to the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s proposal to enforce a new policy which will exclude general dental practitioners from carrying out procedures labelled by the Ministry as specialist-level, regardless of the general dentists’ experience and level of expertise. The committee will be “exploring options …

Zhenghua Primary School was hit by the latest gastroenteritis outbreak last week, resulting in two hospitalisations and more than 200 pupils developing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. In a joint statement on Thu (25 Apr), the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said that the pupils who were hospitalised have since been …

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) are investigating an incident involving five students from the Prince George’s Park House student residence, who had developed symptoms of gastroenteritis last Fri (12 Apr). A spokesperson from the University told The Straits Times yesterday (17 Apr) that NUS has carried out preliminary checks after being informed of …

by ValueChampion The release of the latest Singapore Mental Health Study gave us rare insight into Singapore’s state of mental health. In using this report and others to analyse Singapore’s mental illness rates, its mental healthcare landscape and how it compares to its peer nations, we were able to gain a better understanding of how well Singapore is dealing with this …

by ValueChampion Certain life-saving procedures can also result in some of the highest hospital bills that even insurance protection may not fully alleviate. Below, we discuss the top 5 most expensive procedures and their potential out-of-pocket costs. Healthcare is expensive in Singapore and even after taking advantage of every subsidy and insurance coverage available, Singaporeans may still be left with high …