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Health Ministry to proceed with eldercare centre in Woodlands

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will proceed with building an elderly daycare centre at the void decks of two blocks in Woodlands despite concerns raised by residents, reported The Straits Times.
 
However, the ministry added that it will take into consideration the concerns raised by the residents who petitioned against the plans before building the 570 sq m elder-care centre.
 
Earlier this week, residents living in the two estates raised issues such as spacial constraints, devaluing of property, and the right to enjoy what little space left at the areas may by building the centre near their houses.
 
Another concern is that the area may be considered inauspicious with more deaths or accidents occurring.
 
Ellen Lee, a Member of Parliament for the affected residents, told the broadsheet that she was informed of the decision to proceed with the plans by MOH. She has since visited all 120 households to explain the decision and added that not all residents were happy.
 
MOH also said in its letter to the MP that the location was chosen because it is near public transport and has ramp access, the paper reported.
 
The daycare centre will be run by charity organisation Sree Narayana Mission, which will provide health screenings and home care for the elderly.
 
The Health Ministry said it will work with the charity to mitigate problems raised by residents by setting aside space at the void decks for residents or building extra space, restricting its operating hours to 8am to 8pm to minimise noise levels and providing a transport service for the elderly using the centre to minimise traffic congestion and demand for parking spaces.
 
The move to proceed with the daycare centre comes even as a separate online petition has been started to raise awareness on the need for elder-care services.
 
Led by Samuel Ng, chief executive of non-government welfare organisation Marine Parade Family Service Centre, the petition "Say yes to eldercare services", was launched after residents in Woodlands and Toh Yi Drive expressed unhappiness over plans to build eldercare centres near their homes. It has gathered 2,300 signatures since its launch on Thursday.
 
On its Facebook page, the welfare organisation said that it’s "obligated to challenge the prejudices imposed on our elderly residents" and wants to "rally individuals who are civic-minded to make a stand for public resources to be accessible to our seniors."
 
In another similar incident, residents at Toh Yi Drive said on Friday that they welcome the building of elderly studio apartments in their neighbourhood but are concerned that the location is not ideal. 
 
Residents living in the area said that the site is inappropriate as Toh Yi is situated on steep terrain and that may make it tough for the elderly to walk to the market or coffee shop.
 
A resident also added that basic amenities are far away from the proposed site. A petition was also started and was signed by 230 residents and submitted to Holland-Bukit Timah MP Sim Ann on Wednesday.