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Speech by Minister at St Andrew's Mission Hospital and Singapore Anglican Community Services Charity Gala Dinner at St Andrew's Mission Hospital and Singapore Anglican Community Services Charity Gala Dinner

Minister for Manpower, Dr Tan See Leng, Shangri-La Singapore

The Right Reverend Low Jee King, Assistant Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore,

Dr Arthur Chern, Group Chief Executive Officer of St. Andrew’s Mission Hospital and Singapore Anglican Community Services

Board Members of St. Andrew’s Mission Hospital and Singapore Anglican Community Services

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening! Thank you for having me at this meaningful event. Let me begin by congratulating St. Andrew’s Mission Hospital (SAMH) and Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS) for your long history in serving and caring for the community.

Tribute to SAMH’s and SACS’ Achievements in Healthcare and Social Care 

1SAMH and SACS are important and trusted providers of healthcare and community services in Singapore.

2.Through your core pillars of services in Medical, Senior, Psychiatric, Autism, Family and Children – you are serving virtually every segment of our population.

  • For the seniors, SAMH’s Active Ageing Centres and outreach programmes are vital in fostering well-being and connection.
  • I am happy to learn that the Active Ageing Centres in Bedok North and South began operations in 2023. And to support our ageing population, SAMH started operating St. Andrew’s Nursing Home in Aljunied and Tampines North in 2024.
  •  In 2025, St. Andrew’s Community Hospital (SACH) will be operating SACH (Bedok), another inpatient facility which will be located at Bedok South.
  • For our youths, SACS CREST-Youth has been promoting mental health awareness, providing individuals aged 12 to 25 with community and peer support.
  • CREST-Youth, which stands for Community Resource, Engagement and Support Team for youths, enables young persons living with mental health conditions to seek early treatment and ensure that they are well supported in the community.
  • Many youths today grapple with mental health issues because of social media and peer pressure. SACS empowers them to build resilience and self-confidence needed to manage their life stressors.

3. As Minister for Manpower, I am especially thankful for SAMH’s support in meeting the healthcare and social needs of our migrant workers.

  • When COVID-19 hit us, you stepped forward quickly to fill service gaps, going above and beyond to meet urgent needs of our migrant workers.
  • Whether it was setting up medical centres for frontline care or psychosocial support, your actions were swift and impactful.
  • The dedication of your staff, volunteers, and partners has been deeply inspiring.
  • It was also during the pandemic, that MOM implemented a new Primary Care System for migrant workers.
  • As an Anchor Operator in the system, SAMH offers not just primary care, but also affordable dental, physiotherapy, and counselling services at St. Andrew’s Migrant Worker Medical Centre (SAMWMC).
  • Last year alone, the service covered about 210,000 attendances, providing care to the migrant workers. g. SAMWMC now oversees the primary care of about 100,000 migrant workers.

4. SAMWMC also partners MOM in engaging our migrant workers in mental health education sessions and events, thereby safeguarding their mental resilience.

  • Last Sunday, we celebrated World Mental Health Day with a nature walk at West Coast and a mental health roadshow at Penjuru Recreation Centre tailored for migrant workers in collaboration with many of our partners, including SAMWMC.
  • Through these initiatives, we hope to build a community of support for our migrant workers, who are working far away from their homes and families.
  • The services provided by SAMWMC, supported through donations from Migrantwell Singapore, have gone a long way in improving workers’ quality of life.
  • By supporting them in their recovery, the dedicated SAMWMC staff and volunteers are alleviating not just the workers’ physical discomfort but also worries about how their injuries could affect their livelihoods.
  • MOM will continue to work with partners to close access gaps, while keeping healthcare affordable for our migrant workers.

5.In a recently published study in the Journal of Migration and Health by the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group and NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, 96% of migrant worker participants reported ease in accessing primary care, with the medical centres under primary care system being the most visited outpatient facilities.

  • Three out of four workers reported satisfaction with the primary healthcare costs and the low co-payments.
  • They further shared that services offered by centres were affordable, convenient and of good care quality.
  • I am very happy and encouraged to hear such positive feedback from the migrant workers on the Primary Care System.
  • Thank you to SAMH, Migrantwell and all partners for bringing the system to life!

Partnership with MOM to fulfil vision and legacy of care  

6. Looking ahead, I would like to encourage both SAMH and SACS to continue partnering MOM to do more for the disadvantaged and vulnerable among us.

  • We have many shared aspirations – for instance, to uplift and care for the vulnerable amongst us, so that all Singaporeans with different abilities can fulfil their individual potential.
  • In 2022, the St. Andrew's Mission School (SAMS), the second autism spectrum disorder – National Curriculum School in Singapore, officially welcomed its first cohort of Primary One students.
  • It is an extremely meaningful cause, and it is very close to my heart, because it supports students in pursuing pathways tailored to their abilities and aptitudes.
  • Over at SACS, its Integrated Employment Services is also helping our fellow Singaporeans fulfil their aspirations.
  • In July 2023, a Job Coaching Programme was launched to equip persons with mental health conditions with the skills and confidence to re-enter and thrive in the workforce.
  • Tzyy Qin 子勤, who works as a laundry assistant at St. Andrew’s Nursing Home (Taman Jurong) is one beneficiary.
  • Any of us who have done laundry would know how difficult it is to fold bedsheets, but Tzyy Qin shared that with the guidance of his job coaches, he can fold them efficiently along with other laundry chores! Well done and keep up the good work, Tzyy Qin!    

Doing Good and Giving Back

7.The Government will always support and have resources for those who want to step up and do more for themselves. But we are also counting on having many helping hands across society. 

8. I recall how the estates of Khoo Teck Puat and Ng Teng Fong, alongside the Singapore Business Federation Foundation and SAMH, came together to start Project Migrantwell in late 2021. It exemplified how a philanthropy-led collaboration involving the public, private, and people sectors can create powerful synergies for positive change.

9. This is what Forward SG is about - building a more inclusive, resilient, and united Singapore together. By fostering collaboration and shared responsibility, the community, including our migrant workers, can be empowered and feel valued at every stage of their life. 

10.In closing, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the board and staff members of SAMH and SACS, as well as to the donors and volunteers for your unwavering dedication over the years.

11. Thank you for shining a light on those who need it most. There is still much more we can do. Let us give generously to build a brighter and more equitable future for all. 

12. Have a wonderful evening! Thank you.