Hansard Explorer

Ms Cassandra Lee asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Government has assessed the impact of the October 2026 haze episode and the coming flu season on emergency care services; and (b) what management plans the Government has in place to support frontline medical staff in response to such impact.

The Senior Minister of State for Health (Mr Tan Kiat How) (for the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health): Sir, between early September 2026 and mid-October 2026, the average daily attendances for conditions that are potentially related to haze increased approximately from 360 to 440 at emergency departments, representing an increase of about 20%.

Our public hospitals activated measures to manage the surge in demand, including activation of additional surge capacity where required and ensuring adequate manpower coverage to maintain continuity of care. The Ministry of Health (MOH) also activated the Haze Subsidy Scheme on 12 October 2026. Thereafter, daily attendances decreased.

Measures are also in place to protect and support our frontline healthcare workers, where necessary. These include deployment of air purifiers indoors, issuance of appropriate personal protective equipment to staff and ensuring regular breaks for staff who work outdoors for prolonged periods. Frontline healthcare workers are also encouraged to keep up with their influenza vaccinations.

Mr Speaker: Ms Lee.

Ms Cassandra Lee (West Coast-Jurong West): Speaker, I have two supplementary questions. First, given that seniors with respiratory conditions are particularly vulnerable during our haze period, as well as the flu season, will MOH consider proactively doing outreach and community-based treatment to prevent avoidable emergency admissions? And I ask this also because many of the Active Ageing Centres had to put a halt on their activities due to haze, so that reduces our ability to outreach to the seniors.

To my second supplementary question, given that the haze episodes and the flu season can occur concurrently, does MOH have a defined threshold for activating additional emergency department capacity before hospitals become overwhelmed?

Mr Tan Kiat How: Sir, let me address the Member's two supplementary questions in turn. On the first question, about reaching out to seniors, we work very closely with our community partners like People's Association (PA), as well as the Active Ageing Centres in our communities to reach out to our seniors and we take guidance from the advisories that the haze task force puts out on a regular basis.

I would like to just clarify on Ms Lee's point earlier about Active Ageing Centres curtailing or reducing activities. In fact, they may have curtailed outdoor activities, because some of the seniors may be more sensitive to the haze conditions when they are outdoors, but most of our Active Ageing Centres have air-conditioning and actually do continue activities. And certainly, within the community, PA committees do continue activities for seniors during this period. We also recommend our Singaporeans, including seniors, to keep up to date with the influenza vaccination. Regardless of whether it coincides with haze period, keeping up to date with our influenza vaccination is a good practice.

On the second point about supporting our hospitals and our emergency departments, MOH monitors, together with our healthcare clusters, the utilisation rate and attendance at our polyclinics and the emergency departments on a regular basis. Our healthcare institutions, our public healthcare institutions do have contingency plans to manage the surge demand and those will be activated where needed. It is a tiered response, activating and mobilising more staff, but also making sure that the continuity of care is maintained. So, these are plans that are already in place, and the healthcare institutions do practise them and activate them when necessary.