Singapore's Health Care System: What 50 Years Have Achieved

How did Singapore’s health care system transform itself into one of the best in the world? It not only provides easy access, but its standards of health care, not only in curative medicine but also in prevention, are exemplary. Fifty years ago, the infant mortality rate (IMR) was 26 per thousand live births; today the IMR is 2. Life expectancy was 64 years then; today, it is 83. The Singapore Medicine brand is trusted internationally, and patients are drawn to Singapore from all over the world. And while many countries struggle to finance their health care, Singapore has developed a health care financing framework that makes health care affordable for its people and gives sustainability to the health care system. Reliability is provided by a professional workforce that seeks to continually learn, improve and become ever more proficient with cutting edge technology while emphasizing the relational aspects of health care by nurturing compassion and maintaining high standards of integrity. Convenience and safety are enhanced by a unifying IT system that enables the portability of medical records across health care institutions. All these have been achieved not by chance but by careful planning, strong leadership and dedicated people who are prepared to learn from Singapore’s own experience while adapting best practices from around the world. But the system is not without challenges - not least those of an aging population, and an increasing market influence. This book provides a fascinating insight into the development of Singapore’s health care system from the early days of fighting infections and providing nutrition supplementation for school children, to today’s management of lifestyle diseases and high-end tertiary care. It also discusses how the system must adapt to help Singaporeans continue to “live well, live long, and with peace of mind.“Contents:The Transformation of the Health of Our People: An Overview (Lee Chien Earn & K Satku)A Brief History of Public Health in Singapore (Joan Sara Thomas, Ong Suan Ee, Chia Kee Seng & Lee Hin Peng)Evolving the Governance of Public Healthcare Institutions - A Continuous Improvement Journey (Elizabeth Quah & Neo Boon Siong)Paying for Healthcare (Lai Wei Lin)Healthcare Regulation (Harold Tan, John C W Lim, Se Thoe Su Yun, Suwarin Chaturapit, Melissa Tan, Eric Chan, Ng Mui Kim, Cynthia Kwok, Sia Chong Hock, Foo Yang Tong, Wang Woei Jiuang & Dorothy Toh)Fifty Years of Clinical Quality (Voo Yau Onn)The Growth and Development of Healthcare Professionals (K Satku & Lee Chien Earn)Nursing Manpower Development (Ang Wei Kiat & Pauline C J Tan)Health Promotion - Our Journey (Chew Ling, Jeanne Tan, Jael Lim, Lyn James, Derrick Heng & Chew Suok Kai)Primary Care (Lim Wei & Adrain Ee)Singapore’s Hospitals - Introduction (Lee Chien Earn)Ages and Stages: Five Decades of Community and Residential Services in Singapore (Wong Loong Mun, Nixon Tan, Toh Kong Chian & Jason Cheah)Our IT Journey - One Patient-One Record (Low Cheng Ooi & Peter Tan)Traditional Chinese Medicine (Ng Han Seong)Global Health - Singapore’s Contributions (Yeo Wen Qing, Lyn James, Derrick Heng & Chew Suok Kai)Challenges in Healthcare (Lee Chien Earn & K Satku)Readership: General public, doctors, policy makers, health care workers, and medical students.