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The
well-being of Singaporeans is in good hands. The two national
healthcare clusters — Singapore Health Services
(SingHealth) and National Healthcare Group (NHG) —
are continually innovating and improving their processes
and standards of patient care. Challenge interviews
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SingHealth Professor
Tan Ser Kiat and CEO of NHG Dr Lim Suet Wun to bring you
first-hand insights on the challenges facing the public
healthcare industry and how their organisations are tackling
them head on.
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Prof Tan hopes
to attract more local and overseas talents
by creating a dynamic working environment
that allows them
to flourish. |
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While NHG envisions “adding years of healthy life
to the people”, SingHealth wants to be “at
the leading edge of medicine, providing quality healthcare
to meet our nation’s aspirations”.
Together, they provide a holistic solution
to meet the healthcare needs of Singaporeans.
By keeping their finger on the pulse
of developments in healthcare and continually spearheading
changes and initiatives, both organisations aim to develop
a world-class public healthcare system and global medical
hub in Singapore.
The challenges that confront the industry — new
and emerging infectious diseases, an ageing and expanding
population, rising costs and customer expectations, and
more — are invigorating. SingHealth and NHG are
stepping up their capabilities to address them.
Said Prof Tan, who is also CEO of Singapore General Hospital
(SGH): “SARS caught us by surprise. We learnt our
lessons very painfully. This time round, we will not be
caught by surprise by bird flu or others. We are prepared.
For most diseases, we have an idea of how they are caused
and have developed strategies to counter them.”
As for the challenges of an ageing population, he stressed
the need for people to lead healthy lifestyles to reduce
the risk of developing serious conditions, while assuring
that SingHealth is exploring ways to better serve this
patient segment.
“Most patients above age 65 have several conditions
such as diabetes, high-blood pressure, high cholesterol,”
he noted. “I’m trying to make sure that they
get treated holistically, that the patient needs to come
to hospital only once for all the conditions he has. It’s
a matter of scheduling. The doctor’s work processes
also have to change.”
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We want to make sure that the
care we provide is not just good
in terms of service quality and
caring, but it is also faster,
better, cheaper and safer for
the patient.
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Dr
Lim Suet Wun
CEO of NHG
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The drive to improve clinical processes is common to both
organisations, whose medical staff are continually reviewing
their work processes.
Explained Dr Lim, who is also CEO of Tan Tock Seng Hospital:
“We want to make sure that the care we provide is
not just good in terms of service quality and caring,
but it is also faster, better, cheaper and safer for the
patient.”
For those reasons, NHG sought to enhance its preventive
care services. One key initiative was setting up foot
care centres for diabetic patients. He explained: “Diabetes
affects the whole body, including the nerves and veins.
Many diabetic patients have numbness in their feet and
can’t feel when they injure their feet. People with
poorly controlled diabetes end up with a lot of foot injuries
and amputations.”
At the foot care centres, podiatrists, nurses and therapists
are at hand to teach diabetes patients how to take special
care of their feet and better manage their condition.
Medical professionals at SingHealth and NHG are also actively
exploring ways to improve clinical processes and patient
outcomes.
Said Dr Lim: “Many of our doctors are now realising
that it is not just their individual effort as clinicians
that is important, but the process of delivery and integration
of care, especially across different specialties. The
process and delivery are very important and therefore
doctors and nurses are the people involved in looking
at how to eliminate the unnecessary steps so as to deliver
the outcomes patients want.”
Right siting medical services, or ensuring patients get
care at the most convenient place, is a prime example.
NHG and SingHealth have been working with polyclinics
and private general practitioners (GPs) to facilitate
effective follow-up for patients with diabetes and heart
disease.
Said Dr Lim: “We share medical records. We even
make sure that the subsidised patients are charged the
same affordable rates for their medicines by their GP.
At the same time, we make sure the GPs give regular feedback
to our consultants. And if the patients have issues, they
can be referred back to our hospitals.”
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SARS caught us by surprise. We learnt
our lessons very painfully. This time
round, we will not be caught by surprise
by bird flu or others. We are prepared.
For most diseases, we have an idea of
how they are caused and have developed
strategies to counter them.
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Prof
Tan Ser Kiat
CEO of SingHealth
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As for accommodating the healthcare needs of the future
6.5-million population, Dr Lim said NHG’s newest
facility — the upcoming Alexandra Hospital at Yishun
— will help to boost the physical resources available.
Tapping technology, and recruiting and retaining talents
from Singapore and overseas are also critical. Of the
latter, Prof Tan spoke at length.
“We need to build a core of committed professionals
to serve and make a difference in the lives of our patients,”
he said.
“On top of giving them adequate remuneration, I
must create an environment for them to flourish. A very
vibrant, intellectual and scientific milieu for them to
come here and work. That’s why, on top of excellence
in service, we’ve been pushing our research and
education arm.”
He added that since the setting up of Singapore’s
only public cord blood bank by a consortium led by SingHealth
in 2005, doctors have found a cure for Thalassemia Major,
a blood-related condition commonly found in Asians. SingHealth
will continue to push the frontiers of medicine through
research
and innovation.
Adding his thoughts on Singapore as a world-class medical
hub, Dr Lim said: “The key concern must always be
to make sure Singaporeans get good and affordable care
— that’s the key outcome. But the challenge
would be —
can we do so yet become a medical centre? I think the
two are not counter-opposed. If we are good at providing
care for patients in Singapore, it’s almost natural
that other people should come.” |
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by Challenge
Editorial Team
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