Mr Stanley Sia, Chairman of SATA CommHealth

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

A very good evening to you.

It is my pleasure to be here with you today in celebration of a significant milestone. Let me start off by congratulating SATA CommHealth on 75 remarkable years of providing quality and affordable healthcare for the community in Singapore.

Many of you would know that SATA started from humble beginnings. Doctors, laymen and philanthropists pooled donations together with the common purpose of bringing care to those afflicted by Tuberculosis in post-war 1947. Fast forward to 2022, SATA is now SATA CommHealth – having extended your fight beyond Tuberculosis to include heart, bone, chronic illnesses, and recently, COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged our ability as a nation to stay ahead and remain resilient in the face of an invisible threat. I am glad that SATA CommHealth rose to the challenge. I visited SATA CommHealth earlier this year, where I met some of your frontline workers and toured the medical facility. I was heartened to know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, SATA CommHealth was able to quickly respond to the needs of the community to provide COVID-19 services to both Singaporeans and foreign workers. With your strong support – through the mobilising of frontline staff and leveraging innovations like the mobile medical electric vehicle to provide influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations to at-risk seniors within the community; and conducting Home Care visits and teleconsultations for those unable to commute physically – we managed to help our community through this difficult period. You have shown agility, adaptability and determination in rising above the challenge to bring medical care to the community.

Healthcare is and will continue to be of paramount importance for our nation, and especially so in the years to come. By 2030, about one in four citizens will be aged 65 and above. As a country, and with the Ministry of Health (MOH) as the lead, we will embark on transforming our healthcare system through the Healthier SG strategy, with the aim of keeping our people fit and healthy.

SATA CommHealth is a key partner in MOH’s efforts to key the nation healthy. Through collaborations with the Health Promotion Board, SATA CommHealth has provided functional screening and coaching for over 20,000 beneficiaries. Through SATA CommHealth’s school health education programme, the team has also reached out to almost 40,000 students.

SATA CommHealth also runs the Strong Bones - Osteoporosis and Fall Prevention programme, which is funded by President’s Challenge, to raise awareness of the importance of fall prevention among the seniors through health education workshops, and provide bone-health self-assessment tools and screening and treatment services. Health education and advocacy among the community remains key to empowering citizens young and old with the right knowledge to take charge of their health and wellbeing. SATA CommHealth’s mission of promoting lifelong health is also aligned with MOH’s pursuits of quality healthcare for the nation.

MOH continues to ensure that healthcare is accessible to all such that no one will be denied medial healthcare because they cannot afford it. In the community, subsidy schemes such as the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) are available for all eligible Singaporeans to receive subsidies at CHAS General Practitioner clinics for selected chronic conditions regardless of their income. The Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors are able to receive additional subsidies for their medical care.

It is heartening to note that SATA was built on the foundation of this very same premise – that healthcare be accessible and affordable to all. This is exemplified through the initiatives that SATA CommHealth has started, including the SATA Cares scheme which provides additional financial support to your patients.

As a charity medical organisation, your mission runs deeper; you also look to fund beneficiaries who are in dire need of medical services. The Doctors-on-Wheels programme is another initiative through which SATA CommHealth provides free and subsidised treatment to needy elderly beneficiaries at their doorstep.

Today, as we celebrate the rich 75-year history of SATA CommHealth caring for the community, it is my hope that you will continue to innovate and impact generations in our nation for the next 75 years and beyond, and to continue being here to care for all.

Thank you and have a great evening ahead.