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The allied health profession got a boost yesterday with an $8 million scholarship fund by health-care group SingHealth. The scholarship will encourage more to pursue clinical research or education, and widen career options for those in the industry such as clinical dietitians, pharmacists and radiation therapists. SingHealth Group’s chief executive, Professor Tan Ser Kiat, said that as the health-care group builds its capabilities in academic medicine, one of its priorities is talent development, which includes building a bigger and stronger talent pool in allied health.
He was speaking at the inaugural Allied Health Professionals Community Day, which showcases the research and contributions made by the industry. SingHealth Group runs Singapore General Hospital, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Changi General Hospital, as well as five national speciality centres and nine polyclinics. There are about 2,000 allied health professionals in SingHealth, although there are no overall statistics for the industry.
On Monday, Parliament passed the Allied Health Professionals Bill, which requires these health professionals to register with a new regulatory body, the Allied Health Professions Council. It is part of the Government’s plan to reform the health-care system so it can provide cheaper but competent treatment, and foster a closer working relationship between doctors and allied health professionals. The scholarship money for this financial year will come from the group and the Ministry of Health. SingHealth is finalising details on the scholarship and will release more information soon.
At yesterday’s event, guest of honour, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, also helped launch a book, Many Talents, One Passion – In Praise of Healthcare Heroes, featuring the stories of more than 100 allied health professionals from public hospitals and national centres. Three health-care projects were also awarded the SingHealth Allied Health Innovative Practice Award, for making patient care better. One of the award winners was a multi-disciplinary team at Singapore General Hospital whose research
was featured in New Scientist, a renowned international science magazine. It designed a computer program to turn the Nintendo Wii Balance Board, a gaming instrument, into an affordable alternative to the expensive laboratory force plate, which measures balance in older patients and calculates their risk of falls.
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