Parliamentary Questions – Page 154 – Office of the Leader of the Opposition

PROPOSAL FOR FOLDABLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS TO BE INSTALLED AT HDB BLOCKS WITHOUT LIFT ACCESS ON EVERY FLOOR

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development with regard to HDB blocks which have undergone the Main Upgrading Programme but still have lifts which do not stop at every floor, whether HDB has any plans to retrofit the staircases of these blocks with foldable wheelchair lifts to assist residents with mobility issues. MrContinue reading “PROPOSAL FOR FOLDABLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS TO BE INSTALLED AT HDB BLOCKS WITHOUT LIFT ACCESS ON EVERY FLOOR”

NUMBER OF SINGAPOREANS WHO HAVE GIVEN UP SMOKING IN PAST TWO YEARS AND PROPOSAL TO CONSIDER TOTAL BAN ON SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry intends to introduce a generational tobacco purchasing ban similar to that implemented by New Zealand; and (b) whether other measures are being studied to reduce rates of smoking in the general population. The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (forContinue reading “NUMBER OF SINGAPOREANS WHO HAVE GIVEN UP SMOKING IN PAST TWO YEARS AND PROPOSAL TO CONSIDER TOTAL BAN ON SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS”

SPECIALISED MENTAL HEALTH AND WHISTLE-BLOWING SUPPORT FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Health (a) what avenues of specialised mental health support are available to healthcare workers; (b) for each year from 2019 to 2021, how many healthcare workers have sought mental health support through these channels; and (c) what avenues do healthcare workers have for whistle-blowing or to raise their concernsContinue reading “SPECIALISED MENTAL HEALTH AND WHISTLE-BLOWING SUPPORT FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS”

ATTRITION RATES IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND NURSES AND ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS RECRUITED FOR PUBLIC SECTOR IN 2021

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Health (a) how many nurses and allied health professionals were recruited for the public sector in 2021 on a quarterly basis; and (b) how does this compare to 2020 and 2019. Mr Ong Ye Kung: These questions have been addressed by the written reply to Question Nos 33 to 35 forContinue reading “ATTRITION RATES IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND NURSES AND ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS RECRUITED FOR PUBLIC SECTOR IN 2021”

SINGAPORE’S DOCTOR- AND NURSE-TO-POPULATION RATIOS AND PLANNED MANPOWER INCREASES IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN NEXT FIVE YEARS

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Health (a) how Singapore’s doctor-to-population ratio and nurse-to-population ratio compares with other developed countries; and (b) whether the Ministry plans to increase the manpower capacity in the public healthcare system in the next five years. Mr Ong Ye Kung: Singapore’s registered doctor-to-population ratio and nurse-to-population ratio in 2020 wereContinue reading “SINGAPORE’S DOCTOR- AND NURSE-TO-POPULATION RATIOS AND PLANNED MANPOWER INCREASES IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN NEXT FIVE YEARS”

PROPOSAL FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES TO COVER INCREASED COSTS OF BRINGING IN MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS IN EVENT OF UNSUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider having some form of financial support for families to cover the increased costs of bringing in migrant domestic workers in the event of an unsuccessful employment relationship. Dr Tan See Leng: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) recognises that employers bear higher upfront costsContinue reading “PROPOSAL FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES TO COVER INCREASED COSTS OF BRINGING IN MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS IN EVENT OF UNSUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP”

FACTORS FOR PROVISION OF MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education (a) what are the parameters for deciding on offerings for mother tongue languages (MTLs) in Secondary schools; and (b) what are the reasons for not requiring all Secondary schools to offer classes for all three official MTLs (Chinese, Malay and Tamil). Mr Chan Chun Sing: The provision ofContinue reading “FACTORS FOR PROVISION OF MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS”

IMPACT OF NEW PSLE SCORING SYSTEM ON MADRASAHS’ PRIMARY SCHOOL ADMISSION BENCHMARK

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Education in light of the revised PSLE scoring system in 2021 which uses scoring bands (Achievement Levels), what is the required benchmark that madrasahs have to attain for each cohort in order to be allowed to continue taking in primary one pupils. Mr Chan Chun Sing: The basisContinue reading “IMPACT OF NEW PSLE SCORING SYSTEM ON MADRASAHS’ PRIMARY SCHOOL ADMISSION BENCHMARK”

PLANS FOR CONTINUING WITH TRACETOGETHER AS COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING TOOL

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Health in light of living with COVID-19 as an endemic disease (a) to what extent is TraceTogether still utilised as a contact tracing tool; (b) whether there are any plans to transition towards user-oriented contact exposure technology, such as Novid; (c) whether there are any plans or specificContinue reading “PLANS FOR CONTINUING WITH TRACETOGETHER AS COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING TOOL”