Singapore has delivered good outcomes given its spending of 4 per cent of GDP on healthcare, says the Health Minister.
SINGAPORE: Singapore needs to make sure healthcare spending as a proportion of GDP does not increase too much, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said.
But the US and UK still face a high incidence of chronic illness, high obesity rates and lower expected lifespans.The minister was responding to points brought up by Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai during a two-day debate on a motion on supporting healthcare, which was tabled by Nominated MPs Dr Tan Yia Swam, Mr Abdul Samad and Dr Shahira Abdullah.In his speech, Mr Leong said the government has not contributed enough to cover healthcare expenditure.
“While a wealthier family can handle a medical catastrophe better, a similar catastrophe can easily wipe out the MediSave and cash savings of a low-income family even after MediShield payout,” he said. He also said the NCMP failed to mention that government expenditure ultimately has to be raised from the people through taxes. “Mr Leong had not made any mention of where PSP will get funding from.”As it stands, the Health Ministry has the second-largest budget after the Defence Ministry, Mr Ong said. Nominal government health expenditure tripled in the decade after 2010 and is expected to triple again in the following decade.
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