Singapore has always done a great job at making sure their citizens are as involved with governmental decisions as possible, and recently the Ministry of Health has asked the Singapore citizenry for feedback over the next month and a half regarding changes that have been proposed to the laws that govern healthcare in nationstate.
Amongst the new changes are a proposal that significantly alters the Healthcare Services Act and its oversight from the Ministry of Health. New treatments and services that could be carried out via the internet or mobile applications are a big part of this new proposal, but questions regarding patient privacy, proper diagnosis, and potential abuse of this system still persist.
The new Healthcare Services Act proposal has already undergone a significant number of changes, including rules apply to the National Electronic Health Record that would require healthcare providers to include patient information in this database as a mandatory part of the service.
Reaction throughout Singapore has been a little bit mixed, which is to be expected when you’re talking about a complete and total overhaul of some of the core tenets of the healthcare world in this country. Some of the proposed changes include the ability to refuse employers and insurance companies to access individual medical history through the medical staff or the online application components, providing for improved security and privacy rules that protect citizens in a world that is becoming even more hyper connected and online.
Obviously, the Singapore government wants to make sure that they are doing right by their citizens. This open discussion, which has a six week block of time already established before comments will be closed, gives any Singapore citizen the opportunity to voice their concerns, ask questions and receive answers from Ministry of Health representatives, and generally shape and mold the proposal as it goes through numerous revisions and iterations.
A copy of the proposed bill has already been posted online (and is accessible through the Ministry of Health website), and with each individual revision details are provided as to what that revision was, why the revision was made, and the kind of potential impact it could have moving forward.
Transparency is of the utmost importance when we are talking about a new health care bill that will shape and mold the future of Singapore healthcare in the way that it is governed for decades to come. We live in a world where technology is making it easier and easier to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle, but we also live in a hyper connected world where cybercrime, digital fraud, and unauthorized access to personal and private data is more prevalent than ever before.
The insurance industry in specific is very unhappy with the fact that they will be locked out of critical details regarding their customers medical information. At the same time, citizens do not want anyone and everyone to have access to their medical history or details regarding their health – and for good reason.
Arguments from both sides are likely to continue throughout the six week block of time, and the bill as it sits today is a living and breathing compromise between both sides and likely will be when it is signed into law.
About the Author
Morris Edwards is a content writer at CompanyRegistrationinSingapore.com.sg, he writes different topics like Two major healthy living initiatives are expanded to improve life in Singapore, Build a safe and healthy workplace and all topics related to Business, if you are interested about Setting up a business in Singapore visit our website for more information.
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