HEALTH CARE (Measures to reduce demand)

Mr Chew Heng Ching asked the Acting Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the measures taken by his Ministry to reduce the demand for health care through health education and preventive health services.

The Acting Minister for Health (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Sir, promotion of health and prevention of disease is the main emphasis of my Ministry's policy for achieving better health for all Singaporeans. The policy recognizes that prevention is better than cure. It includes a comprehensive programme of health education, screening and preventive health care.

My Ministry's health education programme is structured to reach all sectors of society. It encourages Singaporeans to lead a healthy lifestyle through the inculcation of healthy habits, good nutrition, adequate exercise and relaxation.

As heart disease and cancers cause the largest number of premature deaths, mass media and individual programmes to reduce the risk of these diseases have been introduced in recent years. For example, in 1986 my Ministry launched the national Smoking Control Programme to reinforce the ongoing message that smoking is very harmful to health.

Over the years my Ministry has provided an increasing range of preventive health services for Singaporeans. The national immunization programme which includes vaccination against tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, measles, German measles and Hepatitis B will be maintained at a high level. Screening programmes for the detection of developmental abnormalities, problems of growth, hearing and vision in children are being provided to all primary school children and to infants attending our Maternal and Child Health Clinics. A programme for screening of cancers of the breast and womb and high blood pressure will be introduced in our polyclinics.

Although much has been done in health education and preventive health care, my Ministry will continue to give high priority to these activities and to further expand them in the future.

12.00 noon

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. End of Question Time.