More resources to be devoted to care for those with dementia: Health Minister

More resources will be devoted to care for those with dementia in the coming days, according to Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday (Jul 30).

In his address at the ASEAN Neurosciene 2015 event, Mr Gan said neuroscience is “one of the frontiers in medicine that is rapidly evolving”. He added the effective management of neurological diseases is important, as Singapore faces the prospect of an ageing population.

With the prevalence of dementia among senior citizens above 60 years at around 10 per cent, and as the projected number of acute stroke patients is expected to increase, MOH has rolled out various initiatives like upgrading Memory Clinics in its hospitals, he added.

“We will be expanding the capacity of our dementia nursing home beds and community-based dementia care services such as dementia day care centre. We will also develop more Eldersit teams, which is a home-based service that engages clients with dementia in cognitive activities while providing respite for their caregivers,” said Mr Gan.

Neurological disorders have also been identified by the Ministry of Health as one of its key areas for research in the next five years, he noted. 

Over the next two days, experts from multidisciplinary fields from around the world will come together to discuss the current issues faced in neuroscience. Some of the topics that are on the agenda include learning about comprehensive patient care, and how best to manage clinical neuroscience conditions.

There are hopes that this exchange of knowledge and international collaborations will strengthen ties among ASEAN partners and develop a cohesive medical community in the region.