SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health is looking for more opportunities for public and private healthcare providers to work together as Singapore’s healthcare needs are set to grow.
This will allow the sector to pool its limited resources and leverage on the different healthcare providers’ capabilities, said Senior Minister of State for Health Chee Hong Tat on Sunday (Dec 3).
Mr Chee was speaking at an event in which Thomson Medical Group (Thomson Medical) announced a healthcare loyalty programme in conjunction with the Health Promotion Board (HPB). This is the first time that a private healthcare provider is partnering with HPB.
The Thomson Celebrating Life programme includes a mobile application that taps on HPB’s HealthHub for health articles. The app also shares the group’s in-house articles with HPB.
Additionally, the app will allow Thomson Medical patients to track their medical appointments and health records.
Senior Minister of State for Health Chee Hong Tat viewing the carnival booths at the Thomson Celebrating Life Launch on Sunday (Dec 3). (Photo: Thomson Medical Group)
Mr Chee called the partnership “a good start” and reiterated the ministry’s position on getting all healthcare providers to contribute to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) – a move the ministry is looking to legislate next year.
The sharing of patient data will better facilitate public-private partnerships, said Mr Chee, a view shared by Thomson Medical which is keen on a closer working relationship with the public sector.
“We can bring down the average waiting time (at the hospital) if we collaborate (and) are able to move patients from public to private fairly seamlessly,” said Thomson Medical executive chairman Roy Quek.
“The NEHR, for example, is an enabler because it allows records to move from public to private and vice versa,” Mr Quek added.
The group is not yet on the NEHR, it has said that it is working on upgrading its software in order to be compatible with the national database.
“It’s really about us getting our own house in order and making sure that we are ready to plug into the NEHR. We’ve been talking to the ministry for the longest time now and we are very clear that we want to be a part of the system,” said Mr Quek.
Senior Minister of State for Health Chee Hong Tat at the launch of the Thomson Medical healthcare loyalty programme on Sunday (Dec 3). (Photo: Thomson Medical Group)
There are several public-private collaborations to date including the Community Health Assistance Scheme (CHAS), where lower income patients can use their CHAS cards for subsidised rates at private general practitioners’ clinics.
A partnership between the health ministry and Raffles Medical Group also gives patients easier access to Accident & Emergency services. Emergency patients are sent to the private hospital if it is the nearest available hospital, but patients pay subsidised rates similar to what they would pay in the public hospitals.
Said Mr Chee: “We need to keep our healthcare system sustainable for the longer term so we can continue to deliver value and quality care to our patients in the future – this requires a transformation of our healthcare system, moving beyond hospitals to the community.”
