Chitchat Record jumps in hospital, clinic attendance last year

[dr.wailing]

The Straits Times front page
October 16, 2017

Record jumps in hospital, clinic attendance last year

Hospitals and clinics in Singapore have reported big increases in attendance, with an ageing population and people seeking medical help more readily - thanks to new government subsidies - seen as major factors.

Hospital admissions increased by a record 9 per cent last year compared with 2015. This is more than double the annual increases of up to 4 per cent in the past decade.

Similarly, polyclinic attendance rose by 8 per cent over 2015 - eclipsing the annual increases of 0.2 per cent to 4.9 per cent since 2007. Attendance at specialist outpatient clinics at public hospitals also spiked 5 per cent - the highest annual increase in a decade.

While hospital admissions rose in both the public and private sectors, the make-up of their patients is very different. Two in three patients admitted to private hospitals were aged 15 to 64, while only half of those in public hospitals were in this working age group.

Of the 555,284 hospital admissions last year, 425,691 were in public hospitals, with more than a third being patients above the age of 65 years.

The 8 per cent spike in patient visits at polyclinics saw the number of such visits hitting 5.3 million - almost 400,000 more than in 2015.

This is despite the Community Health Assist Scheme (Chas) subsidy that about half the population is entitled to when treated at a general practice (GP) clinic.

More than 2.5 million patient visits last year - compared with 1.3 million in 2014 - were made to GP clinics with subsidy from Chas or with the Pioneer Generation (PG) subsidy that 450,000 seniors enjoy.

Increasing numbers of patients with chronic conditions who qualify for the Chas subsidy are also turning to GP clinics. They made 675,000 visits to GP clinics last year, compared with 377,000 in 2015. Between Chas and the polyclinics, the Government subsidised 7.8 million primary care consultations last year.

Professor Philip Choo, who heads the National Healthcare Group, said new subsidies - including for those in the pioneer generation - for drugs and consultation provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH) at polyclinics and specialist outpatient clinics have fuelled the jump in demand at these facilities.

Pioneers are given the subsidy based on their age and not their economic status. This means that a pioneer who used to pay fully for a GP visit would be getting a subsidy for such visits since 2014.

An MOH spokesman said much of the increase is due to an ageing population, adding: "The elderly are more likely to have more frequent and severe acute conditions, as well as an increased prevalence of chronic conditions."

Also, she said there were spikes last year caused by an increased number of dengue cases in the early part of the year, and of hand, foot and mouth disease in the middle of the year. Roughly one in five people infected by dengue are hospitalised. More than 13,000 people had dengue last year.

The spokesman added: "MOH has redoubled efforts to keep healthcare sustainable and to meet the needs of our population."

 

[dr.wailing]

Are the so-called record jumps really due to ageing population and new gabrament subsidies? Or to other factors that the gabrament don't wish Sinkies to know?

 

[borom]

How many % of the increase are due to foreigners?
Have you seen the huge families that the Pinoys and Indian FT bring with them-including grandparents and kids can easily number up to 10!

 

[bic_cherry]

The lack of regular physical exercise is the cause of a multitude of problems and significantly, compromised productivity or even negligence due to being forgetful or careless at work:

Breakdowns and Disruptions are due to physically UNFIT Singaporeans SLEEPING at work

Obesity is a major risk factor causing droopy respiratory tract musculature as well as fat accumulation around neck that makes breathing generally difficult (snoring), progressive relative suffocation (snoring/ suffocation during sleep) disturbing sleep (poor sleep) etc such that:

OSA sufferers often report issues with memory, decision-making, depression and poor concentration while they are awake...

Thus at least 1/3 of the Singapore workforce with mod-severe OSA is proven lazy (to exercise) and now plagued by forgetfulness, sleepiness, poor concentration ('eyes opened, brain switch off'/ presenteeism problem).

And because our politicians never are the right health and fitness examples to follow (see bottom) ... perhaps one important reason why on 7October 2017, just 13% volume of rain could cause a supposedly empty (but negligently not dry/ maintained) rain water drainage tank to overflow and cause almost 20hrs stoppage of MRT service due to avoidable flooding. https://mothership.sg/2017/10/heres...res-failed-during-the-north-south-line-flood/


Singapore
1 in 3 Singaporeans suffer from sleep apnea: Study
Chinese and Malays have higher rates of obstructive sleep apnea compared to Indians, according to a study funded by the Jurong Health Services Research and Quality Improvement Grant.

17 Mar 2016 12:54PM.
SINGAPORE: One in three Singaporeans suffer from moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with one in 10 suffering from the severe form of the disorder, according to a study released on Thursday (Mar 17).

The study, funded by the Jurong Health Services Research and Quality Improvement Grant, also found that the disorder is often under-diagnosed. Up to 90 per cent of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea subjects in the study were previously undiagnosed, it added.

OSA is characterised by repeated collapse of the airway during sleep leading to low oxygen levels and arousals, and is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness, poor job and academic performance, increased risk of road traffic accidents and heart problems such as hypertension and heart failure.

OSA sufferers often report issues with memory, decision-making, depression and poor concentration while they are awake, the study said.

CHINESE, MALAYS MORE PRONE TO OSA

Additionally, the study found that the prevalence of OSA is higher among Chinese and Malays compared to Indians. The estimated prevalence of moderate-to-severe OSA for Chinese and Malays was 32.1 per cent and 33.8 per cent, respectively, while Indians accounted for 16.5 per cent, the study showed.

The study's principal investigator Dr Adeline Tan, who is a consultant for respiratory medicine at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, said obesity is one of the risk factors for OSA.

"Interestingly, the study showed that the Chinese have high OSA rates among the three major ethnic groups even though they have the lowest obesity rates. This study, done in the local context, collaborates with previous studies performed in the West, which also found that Chinese appear to be more at risk,” Dr Tan noted.

She added that craniofacial structure is one of the key determinants of predisposition to OSA, and the Chinese have been shown to have more severe craniofacial restriction as compared to Caucasians in previous studies.

Dr Tan said: "The high prevalence rate of OSA among Singaporeans is worrying and there is a sizeable proportion of the population who are suffering from severe sleep apnea and unaware of their diagnosis.

“This could be due to low awareness of OSA. The public needs to know the signs of OSA so that they or their loved ones know when to seek medical help.”
Source: CNA/kk
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...poreans-suffer-from-sleep-apnea-study-8137824

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[bic_cherry]

Singapore parliamentarians need to be better paragons of fitness & health for the rest of society to follow.
After all, all PAP MPs/ MP wannabes are bestowed by PA titles and gahmen funds for their campaign (brainwashing) activities in their post as "advisers to grassroots organisations" (in all INCLUDING opposition MP held constituencies), thus, for Singaporean population/ human resorces to be productive to begin with, such advisers also have to be fine examples of fitness and good health, no?

"As of 2010, more than half of Singapore's adult population between 18 and 69 years old have high cholesterol, four in 10 are overweight or obese, a quarter have prediabetes or diabetes and about one in five has hypertension."

(alt pict view)

(alt img view)http://danielfooddiary.com/2014/06/14/yan/
KBW showing off his $8 urgent heart bypass to bypass life threatening levels of fat and cholesterol had been found built up over the years in his heart arteries.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/theo...n-wan-pays-s8-for-bypass-surgery/446633433963
HSK sleeps much less than 4.5hrs/night, like his brain needs no rest:
"Fellow Tampines MP Desmond Choo was also shocked at the news.
"We've never heard anything like this. To me, he's like Superman," said Mr Choo.
"The number of hours he works and the kind of attention span he has, it's amazing."
The 2012 Hougang by-election candidate recalled the days when he worked closely with Mr Heng, whom he sees as a fatherly figure and source of inspiration.
"During the by-election period, we would discuss issues until 2am and he would ask me to go home," said Mr Choo.
"'As a candidate, you need rest,' he would tell me while he continued working with activists. When I returned in the morning, at about 6.30am, he'd already be there." http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/shanmugam-heng-was-carrying-incredible-load

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...t-apologises-for-not-being-able-to-attend-ndp
PM LHL, too much fried wings/chendol (fatty food) or skipped sleep before presenting NDR2016/ a mild stroke?:

https://edmwimg.wordpress.com/tag/lee-hsien-loong/page/5/

1 in 10 stroke patients here aged under 50
PUBLISHED NOV 19, 2016, 5:00 AM SGT
Linette Lai
While older people are far more likely to suffer a stroke, one in 10 stroke patients in Singapore is under 50 years old.
Medical conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol can make a person more likely to get a stroke, say doctors.
Smoking, too, puts you at risk.
Last Saturday, Singaporean businesswoman Linda Koh was found unconscious in her Hong Kong hotel room. The 36-year-old was rushed to hospital, where she died soon after.
Doctors subsequently found that she had suffered a stroke.
Her father, Mr Alan Koh, told Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News that his daughter had a history of high blood pressure and was taking medication for it.
Strokes occur when part of the blood supply to the brain is cut off.
The latest figures from the National Registry of Disease Office show that there were 6,943 cases of strokes in 2014, up from 6,642 the previous year.
They are the fourth most common cause of death in Singapore, and tend to occur among men.
The incidence rate for men aged between 35 and 44 who were admitted to public hospitals for stroke in 2014 was 58 per 100,000 people, compared with 24 per 100,000 for women in the same age group.
Doctors who spoke to The Straits Times said there are rarely any warning signs before a stroke happens.
"Some strokes may be preceded by severe headaches or neck pain," said Dr Carol Tham, a consultant from the National Neuroscience Institute's neurology department. "Unfortunately, most patients do not have any warning symptoms before the stroke occurs."
During a stroke, people often experience difficulty speaking and walking, weakness on one side of their bodies, and even temporary blindness.
Dr Ho King Hee, a neurologist at Gleneagles Hospital Singapore, said strokes that result in sudden death are likely to be due to bleeding in the brain from a ruptured blood vessel, rather than a blockage.
"If you are older, it means that there is more time for damage (to the blood vessels) to accumulate," he said. "But a stroke can happen at any age."
He advises people who have conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes to keep them in check.
Dr Tham added that doctors may also prescribe blood-thinning medication for people whose blood tends to clot.
"If a person has any symptoms of stroke... he should seek treatment at the emergency department immediately as early treatment can help to reduce the disability caused by strokes," she said.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 19, 2016, with the headline '1 in 10 stroke patients here aged under 50'.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/1-in-10-stroke-patients-here-aged-under-50