Healthier SG: Singapore’s multi-year strategy to transform primary healthcare
Chuan De Foo, Hui Xiang Chia, Ken Wah Teo, Aysha Farwin, Jumana Hashim, Gerald Choon‐Huat Koh, David B. Matchar, Helena Legido‐Quigley, Jason C.H. Yap
Abstract
Primary healthcare has become the nexus of the Singapore government’s response to an ageing population, growing chronic disease burden, and accelerating healthcare expenditure. Singapore’s primary healthcare landscape is dominated by general practitioners (GPs), who see 80% of the country’s primary healthcare clinic attendances. In the public sector, polyclinics (multi-doctor practices) offer heavy subsidies for primary healthcare services and medicines. As such, a significant number of patients with chronic diseases requiring long-term medication prefer to visit polyclinics since out-of-pocket payments are much lower.