As the country continues to navigate out of the pandemic, longer-term healthcare issues, such as providing more accessible, affordable and better care, as well as stretching the health dollar, will remain key.
For instance, primary care will be strengthened, with 12 new polyclinics built, bringing the total number of polyclinics to 32 by 2030.
To make healthcare more accessible to seniors, community nursing teams have been expanded to cover 29 regions across the island since September 2020, with a total of 185 community nursing posts.
The Government has also been spending more on healthcare given the country s ageing population, Mr Gan said.
Its share of national health expenditure increased from 40 per cent in 2013 to 46 per cent in 2018.
Singapore 21 Feb 2021
About 215,000 have got their second doses. - The Straits Times/ANN SINGAPORE, March 5 (The Straits Times/ANN): Steady progress has been made in Singapore s vaccination programme, with more than 350,000 Singapore residents, including around 80 per cent of healthcare workers, already receiving their first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine.
About 215,000 have received their second dose, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in Parliament on Friday (March 5) during the debate on his ministry s budget.
More than 40,000 seniors aged 70 and above have also received their first dose and the Health Ministry will be rolling out these jabs to seniors aged 60 and above from the end of this month.