Tears fall during Khaw Boon Wan’s wet rally
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan was overcome with emotion during a rain-soaked PAP rally held at Woodlands on Tuesday.
Speaking to an estimated 1,000-strong crowd, he struggled to hold back tears as he recalled how residents in his Sembawang GRC had asked him about his health after the heart bypass he underwent a year ago.
He said many residents on his walkabouts and Meet-the-People sessions had become like "personal friends" to him and for that he is "truly grateful" as he bowed in appreciation.
He added that, "So long as we stay united as one people, we can face rain, hurricane, tsunami... we will be all right.
During the rally which had to be delayed due to a heavy downpour, the Minister also said that Singapore's healthcare system is not perfect, but it is not bad either.
He admitted there are gaps and deficiencies in the system after many opposition parties criticised the lack of hospital beds and medical personnel in their rally speeches.
To address this, the Minister said there are already plans to build two more hospitals in Jurong and Sengkang, three new community hospitals and two more polyclinics.
While he feels that the opposition has good intentions for the residents by suggesting policies like void deck polyclinics to provide subsidized patient care, Mr Khaw questioned the viability of the plan and asked, "Where are they going to get all the doctors and nurses?"
Instead, if elected, Mr Khaw wants to build on the current Primary Care Partnership Scheme (PCPS), under which if residents are means-tested and they need to see a doctor, they can go to one of the 700 approved General Practitioners near their house, instead of waiting in line at a polyclinic.
Patients will pay a subsidized rate at the GP clinic, a price that is similar to the rate at polyclinics. According to him, the Health Ministry is looking into expanding the PCPS, which currently focuses on the elderly, to meet the needs of the lower-income group in Singapore.
He also wants to look into subsidizing those born with congenital diseases because they cannot get insurance, and also who require nursing home care.
With opposition parties campaigning to do away with the 3M policy of Medifund, Medishield and Medisave and opt instead for a national health insurance plan, Mr Khaw contended that under such schemes, there is the "Buffet Lunch Syndrome" where people pay a fixed sum of money and because they want to get their money's worth, they opt for the most expensive treatment available.
He said that Singapore's own unique brand of insurance under the 3M policy are specifically designed to avoid many pitfalls, such as the one mentioned above.
But the government will continue to make adjustments to these insurance policies to ensure that Singaporeans can have good quality healthcare without worrying about financial burdens.
While the main hospitals have been providing relatively good services for Singaporeans, Mr Khaw feels that more can be done for care outside the hospitals.
He explained this was why S$1 billion was set aside during the Budget for the Community Silver Trust Fund, where the government works together with voluntary welfare organisations to help seniors age with dignity.
Mr Khaw is currently leading the Sembawang GRC team comprising seasoned campaigners Ellen Lim and Hawazi Daipi and first-timers Vikram Nair and Ong Teng Koon, against the Singapore Democratic Party led by James Gomez.
Voters in the 2006 General Election gave Mr Khaw a 76% mandate, which is the highest winning margin in all of the contested seats.
You can watch a video of Mr Khaw's speech here.
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