Singaporeans need to be prepared to stay healthy in old age: DPM
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said he has been a "big beneficiary" of Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), and he also noted the importance of the hospital in Singapore's history.
Following a stroke in 2016, Mr Heng, also the Minister for Finance, received surgery at TTSH and was hospitalised there for six weeks.
Yesterday, Mr Heng took part in a 12km charity heritage walk, held to mark the hospital's 175th anniversary. Named Tan Tock Seng's Journey, the walk took 1,750 participants from Pearl's Hill - the hospital's original site - to its current location in Novena.
The walk raised $1 million for the TTSH Community Fund, which supports patients with unsubsidised medical needs, as well as medical research and community health initiatives.
Set up in 1995, the fund has more than 100 patient-centred programmes. It supports more than 2,500 needy families and disburses more than $2 million each year.
Yesterday, Mr Heng met and thanked some of the doctors and nurses who took care of him during his 2016 hospital stay.
He said: "So I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for taking such good care of me, my wife and my family during this period."
Citing a recent report that found Singaporeans had the longest life expectancy in the world at 84.8 years, Mr Heng said people here need to be better prepared to stay healthy in their old age.
He noted that Health Minister Gan Kim Yong and his team, together with healthcare professionals here, are working on helping senior citizens stay active and healthy.
"We are shifting from just healthcare to health. Let's do all of that together," said Mr Heng.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
