To address the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in Singapore, the government has continued to impose safety management measures. The effects have been varied and effective, as seen by the eventual relaxation of restrictions.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has addressed these measures recently. In a speech on 24 Apr, PM Lee urged Singaporeans to continue placing their trust in such decisions.
He also highlighted the need to learn lessons from Covid-19, such as placing more emphasis on developing public health.
On Sunday (24 Apr), PM Lee gave a speech at the Singapore General Hospital’s (SGH) Lecture and Formal Dinner 2022 held at Shangri-La Singapore.
Source: YouTube
In his address to the guests at the dinner, PM Lee stated that handling the Covid-19 crisis has been a long and arduous journey. However, he said public trust is vital in helping to deal with the pandemic.
Bringing up a study by Lancet, PM Lee said that countries with more faith in governments typically have higher vaccination rates and more compliance with restrictions.
As such, public belief matters even more than the quality and access to healthcare.
“I do not believe this means a good healthcare system makes no difference,” he clarified during his speech.
But it does show how crucial trust levels in the society are to public health and healthcare outcomes.
PM Lee further added that the strong public faith between Singaporeans and the government had set us apart from other states.
“Wearing a mask became a heated point of contention between citizens,” PM Lee noted. “Fortunately, in Singapore, the opposite happened.”
Singaporeans have trusted authorities to make the right decisions with their best interests at heart. The government, in turn, relied on citizens to practise social responsibility.
This trust is a most precious resource. It is the fundamental reason why Singaporeans were able to come together during the pandemic.
According to him, locals showed this public trust in four ways. First, by enduring safe management measures, and repeated rounds of easing and tightening. Lastly, citizens dutifully went for vaccinations — further cementing this faith.
Singaporeans also thankfully placed their faith in the public healthcare system, which further helped the situation. PM Lee elaborated on the three-pronged definition of this trust.
Firstly, he said, citizens believed in the professionalism and knowledge of healthcare workers. Secondly, Singaporeans believe in the dedication of healthcare workers to their patients. Thirdly, Singaporeans also trusted in the transparency of the healthcare system, even when measures did not pan out.
“We should always be upfront when we encounter problems and setbacks,” he added.
If we make a mistake… own up, take responsibility, and strive to put things right.
PM Lee noted that Singaporeans should take heed of the lessons learned from this crisis.
We cannot thoughtlessly revert to the status quo ante after this crisis. Or let valuable lessons, for which we have paid dearly, go to waste.
Singapore must continue to uphold high medical standards. As such, we should continue investing in healthcare workers, providing them with good facilities and infrastructure.
For instance, Singapore can continue developing scientific and biomedical capabilities by working with foreign researchers.
In addition, PM Lee cited the need to develop an emphasis on public health. This will allow more citizens to reap the benefits of the healthcare system, not just specific individuals.
An example of this is how Singapore replaced polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests with antigen rapid tests (ART) for most Covid cases.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily
Even though PCR tests are more sensitive, results from ART test kits helped to isolate infectious cases more efficiently.
Public health expertise is also important, as it ensures that new diseases are addressed more rapidly. This facilitates the evaluation of public health measures and the imposition of non-medical interventions.
“Singapore must continue to grow in maturity and resilience, learning from our experiences and those of others,” PM Lee stressed.
Therefore, Singapore must strengthen public health expertise to aid policymaking in these areas.
Covid-19 has affected many of us and our loved ones, and caused much upheaval and stress.
Our frontline workers – individuals who worked tirelessly to address the situation and ensure the maintenance of public health – were crucial to ease this crisis.
We should thus continue to comply with the pandemic restrictions and keep faith in our local institutions.
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Featured image adapted from The Prime Minister’s Office on YouTube.
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