Singapore rolls out new healthcare model to cope with aging population

Recently, Singapore has officially launched the world's first Healthy Longevity Clinic in a public hospital area.

The implementation of this healthcare model is a new approach by Singapore in improving the quality of life of its rapidly aging population.

Recent statistics show that in the past 10 years, the life expectancy of Singaporeans has increased to 84.9 years, among the highest in the world. However, the gap between life expectancy and quality of life has not changed as Singaporeans still lose an average of over 10 years of their lives to age-related diseases.

"The gap has always been 10 to 11 years, which means 10 to 11 years of living with illness. This is something we want to correct and change. It's not just about increasing the number of years we live, but increasing the number of years our people live healthier, reducing the number of years we live with illness," said Professor Kenneth Mak, Director-General of Health, Ministry of Health, Singapore.

Implementing this strategy, the Healthy Longevity Clinic has just officially started operating at Alexandra Hospital. The goal of this medical model is to help people slow down the biological aging process, maintain the function of the mechanism, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and improve overall health. This is done through a 12-month process of testing, diagnosis, treatment combined with lifestyle adjustments. The process involves a team of doctors and experts in many fields with the application of advanced technologies and the latest treatment drugs.

"We test blood, heart function, lung function, muscle function and a whole range of personal indicators digitally with a lot of technology to see what they're doing and what they're not doing. We put those indicators together to build a personal health plan for the participant to help them live longer, healthier, and avoid age-related diseases," said Professor Andrea B. Maier, Director of the Center for Healthy Longevity, National University Hospital, Singapore.

With the implementation of this new healthcare model, Singapore hopes to help its people live three more years of healthy, disease-free life in the next 10 years.

Singapore has been an aging country since 2017 and is expected to become a super-aged country by 2026. The proportion of the elderly is increasing, but the low birth rate brings burdens to Singapore's society and economy. Population aging affects the sustainability of the social welfare system, puts pressure on the health system, and leads to labor shortages.

In order to adapt to the aging population, the Singaporean Government has soon formulated policies on reforming the health care system, gradually increasing the retirement age, urban planning, and economic development. After raising the retirement age from 60 to 63, Singapore continues its roadmap to raise the retirement age to 65 by 2030.

Singapore will also raise the working age of seniors who are eligible and willing to continue working from 68 currently to 70 by 2030. These policies will help to improve the labor shortage, while creating opportunities for seniors to continue contributing to Singapore's socio-economic development.

Singapore is stepping up measures to prepare for a super-aged society, according to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. With the aim of reaching more than half a million people aged 50 and above, the Live Well, Age Well programme is being rolled out to support people to take care of their health, continue to contribute to society and stay connected to their families and communities.

Minh Hoa (t/h according to VTV, Nhan Dan)

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