For those who missed it, this is the full statement from the Ministry of Health on Mr Khaw Boon Wan’s remarks about nursing homes in Johor Baru:
From feedback received and online discussion, it is apparent that there is much misunderstanding on Minister Khaw’s comments on nursing homes in JB. Some expressed objection to using the nursing homes in JB for their elderly. They felt that this would tantamount to abandoning the elderly overseas. We commend their spirit. Indeed, we would like to state categorically that nobody is advocating that the elderly be abandoned, here or overseas. Minister’s comments arose from the requests by many Singaporeans to use their Medisave for overseas hospital care where competent care is available at lower cost. Unfortunately, his comments have been twisted out of context. (MOH clarifies:It is a matter of options and affordability (The New Paper, 18 Feb)
Minister Khaw was only sharing an observation about the different cost structures in JB and Singapore, and in fact this option is something that those who want to stretch their budget are already doing. On why nursing homes cost more in Singapore than JB, it is a case of market realities arising from different stages of economic development. This is not a failure of Singapore’s healthcare system, but a reality that our cost of living here is higher. Our doctors and nurses are paid more their counterparts there; likewise the cost of land and construction.(MOH clarifies:Why nursing homes cost more to build and run in Singapore (The Straits Times, 20 Feb)However, we are certainly continuing with our efforts in building more nursing homes that are in the heartlands and close to the community. (MOH clarifies: More nursing homes in housing estates (My Paper, 3 Mar)
We certainly encourage families to strive to help their elderly age-in-place, i.e. at home. The vast majority of Singaporeans do, and we commend and applaud their strong family bonds. The fact is that not all patients can be cared for adequately at home, while this may be the top wish of the patients and their families. Sometimes, they do need to be admitted to a hospital, if conditions are severe, or to a nursing home, if the conditions are less serious. They are not “homes for the aged” where the elderly has been abandoned by their children, with no family to return to. Many commentators may have mixed up nursing homes with homes for the aged. Ultimately, whether the patients should be cared for at home, at nursing home in Singapore, or at nursing home overseas, are decisions for the family to decide. (MOH clarfies:Strong families ties and values in care for the elderly. (ZB’s english translation, 23 Feb )
For the low income group, they do not have to worry as Government subsidy ensures that nursing homes here will be affordable. Each year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) provides about $110 million in operating subsidies for the Intermediate and Long-term Care (ILTC) services, which include nursing homes. Needy families will get the subsidies they need, and even from Medifund.For those who can afford unsubsidised nursing home care, keeping the borders open provide them with options. This is the context in which Minister Khaw made his comment.
In fact, some readers shared the view that the availability of lower nursing homes in JB gives many Singaporeans more options. One such reader is Mr. Dennis Teo who wrote a letter to The New Paper “For some, JB homes could mean better care” (20 Feb).
You can also view the context of Minister’s comments in Parliament in a video clip.
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its good that things are straighten out
wow, this writer tries to help clarify wor. so nice guy hor ?
I do not trust Minister Khaw. E.g. He “clarified” during the last election that “Means Testing” will not be implemented. What happened next?
just got 1 thing to say to khaw & all the million-dollar ministers:
when u take the million dollar pay, u lose all rights to excuses. simple as that.
don’t say no land, doctor ex, etc etc.
that is why u are paid so much.
u were expecting to kiao kah ?
can’t perform then get out!
Noted. Thanks. So the one that first took the Minister’s words out of context is the STRAITS TIMES (see http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/02/nursing-homes-in-johor-bahru-revisited/).
Maybe Khaw Boon Wan actually wrote this himself. He can’t trust the civil service or any state-affiliated organisation (e.g. Straits TImes) to actually present him in the right context.
It is interesting that the clarifications came only after a months.
It seems lately government offices/GLC have been making many clarifications after official announcements are made. Recall from my memory without searching, I can list the below: GIC clarified MM on CEO succession. NOL clarified statement made on SGX action. Now this. It reflects how poor is our government PR. One more example is MM’s press secretary used “Stupid” in his statement on used on dialect.
Our medical cost is high because doctors are paid high.
Why? Perhaps because of a strict quota system for admission into med school, thereby ensuring the scarcity of medical doctors.
So maybe some decides to “by pass” this through a back door via SAF medical doctor route, and later some of those people regret, but find it hard to get out.
Wow! Amazing how Khaw can twist his words so fast. He meant what he said in his original speech, how else would you explain his clandestine visit to a JB nursing home during CNY period as reported by the Chinese press. It was clandestine becos he knew it would be a very sensitive issue so he had to go in camouflage but unfortunately our Malaysian counterparts were quick to point out Khaw’s eagerness in getting our Sporean old folks shipped there asap once the technical details have been ironed out by MOH.
The uproar has put paid to his wonderful plans! Well done Khaw for showing us your sincerity and your true state of the mind at that time. Its really wonderful to know PAP inner thoughts on its Spore citizens once in a while to see where we stand in the cunning scheme of PAP Original Grand Ideas Unadulterated!
“likewise the cost of land and construction. That’s exactly the issue. Why are we charging for this when this should be provided free from the STATE for our old folks (erh.. us in the future)? Yes I agree salaries of the healthcare workers will cost more then in JB but if the basic infrastructure is being taken out of the economic model, it can be cheaper. It is only right for a caring government to provide these 2 high cost elements to its people !
Don’t just take their money-making benchmark as truth people.
Quote:
SINGAPOREANS could consider living in nursing homes in neighbouring Johor Baru, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan suggested yesterday.
It would be cheaper, yet be near enough to Singapore for family members to visit and for residents to return for medical care if necessary, he said.
Just stating? OR COULD CONSIDER?
Spare me the bullshit please.
The poor, the sick and the aged are expected to look after themselves. The gahmens can risk to lose billions with our reserves but they are not willing to invest some billions to look after our poor, sick and aged parents because they do not give any ROI. What a laugh!
Don’t be fooled. The govt can indirectly force S’poreans to seek old folks homes in JB by allowing costs at local homes to continue to escalate!!
when the man speaks.
And ask yourself;
can You trust the words spokened ?
What are the track records liked ?
well, took them long enough to write up that draft of excuses
“Minister’s comments arose from the requests by many Singaporeans to use their Medisave for overseas hospital care where competent care is available at lower cost.”
If we are to believe that statement, then Khaw Boon Wan obviously has very poor communication skills. In his speech to parliament, he stressed the point about how cheap it was to set up aged care facilities in JB. He did not make much mention about “requests by many Singaporeans to use their Medisave for overseas hospital care” as suggested by MOH’s statement above.
So is MOH lying or was Khaw Boon Wan just so muddle headed in parliament when he gave the speech about low cost aged care facilities in JB that he forgot the real topic that he was trying to address.
Even if it was an ‘option’, the Minister should not have highlighted it as an option in parliament. Because it gives the negative connotation that the elderly are being neglected. More true options should have been highlighted and debated in parliament.
What do you expect.. a typical response from our million dollar salaried ministers. Excuses, excuses…that he is being taken out of context? then they take weeks before coming up with a response.
What I am more than surprised is that, TOC print of this statement without any foreward or comments? I am sure Singaporeans have more avenues to access this statement which would be splashed all over the MSM, and is expecting (perhaps giving too much credibility to TOC) to at the least write a commentary on this increduluos statement.
soojenn,
Would you like to help us write a commentary on the statement? We would very much appreciate it.
stupid cow, get out of Sembawang!
Maybe elections are coming up, just like how Minister Khaw ‘clarified’ just before the 2006 elections that there would be No Means Testing….
As a senior citizen and having worked overseas in many countries from first to 3rd world types, I must say that the health services provided here are one of the best in the world taking into general account the cost to the patients.
Nursing homes outside Singapore are conceptual matters at this juncture and they are bound to be many opinions.
My experience in the USA is that the senior housing schemes are very successful because:
1) It is culturally acceptable
2) It is viable – because you do not buy the homes, instead you buy a short term lease, say , 10 years
3) It is an attractive proposition for children to buy a lease as a golden age present for their aging parents
4) The programs of the senior housing scheme is akin to a senior club med.
The only drawback is that one has to leave when one hits 70 !
So it goes to show that nobody wants to take care of the dying or turn the senior homes into places where people are waiting to die. They rather that you go to the hospices ( any in JB ?)
There is a lot more to share like the Japanese, Finnish & Chinese models, but that will be another day to e-mail as Singapore is not really ready to really address the senior housing issues yet.
The good minister failed to mention that in general the cost of living is lower for all in Malaysia. In that case, all the young and able should just move to Malaysia, buy a house there and work here. The legislation should then be changed to encourage young Singaporeans to do so…
NEH said something to the effect that the 4th gen leadership will have politcians engaging the young and taking care of the needs of the old as well.I am curios – may the said minister care to reveal more especially to seniors as their issues are current and it will be quite a long wait for the 4th gen leaders.
sorry i came late.
but here is my question to the Minister:
—> are your children sending you there too?
The primary issue respondents are fretting about is about cost, about S$50 per day at a min. to be exact (this from a religious center offering comparable services — mind you, that’s an non-profit organization with some subsidies from the government).
If you think about it, $50 is easily a meal out for a family. For some of these 80% of flat-owning folks, $50 may be money they can use for some other things in life. Then again, aren’t the prices of most things and services are going up (and up) these days. Relatively speaking, if you stay and work in JB, the cost of the nursing home there may be costlier than if you earn S$ and use their facilities. So you should be glad you are earning in Singapore, you just need to be more nimble in financial matters. If you don’t complain about your HDB flats rising in value, you should expect other stuff to rise as well. Thank goodness there is JB for us Singaporeans to go shopping to, holidays, pump cheap petrol, etc (why don’t we complain about those as well? Strange, right).
Granted that the government has work cut out, to improve in this area and I think this is a worthy cause to champion for. May be there is a better model than subsidies and insurance. And we definitely need transparency on nursing care costs – I am not surprise such costs can be high but a breakdown would be helpful to help foks understand exactly what it takes to offer 24×7 care for a person in a nursing home setting, which is different compared to an elderly person with normal functions.
Until then, some solutions include:
- insurance through CPF, perhaps consider the higher yield ones with some cash top-up
- earn a higher income
- rent out a room
- take on a part-time, 2nd job
- foregoing that overseas holiday or that new car or the 40+ inch LCD TV, the list goes on……
- and of course, go to JB in the meantime (and get cheaper grocery, petrol, etc., at the same time)
At the end, what is sad is that it seems there are still many folks waiting for the government to provide them with convenient, perfect solutions, all the time. It’s never too late to start thinking out-of-the-box for solutions and be contented that we are earning more, our flats go up in valuation, our children get good education, the government is clean and has good intentions.