Need to keep careers in healthcare sector attractive: Gan Kim Yong

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has spoken of the need to keep careers in the healthcare sector attractive.

He said there's a need to compete with other sectors for manpower especially in a tight labour market in the country.

Speaking to the media at a community event on Sunday morning, Mr Gan said one way is to create multiple career pathways for nurses as this would make their jobs exciting and fulfilling.

On Friday, it was announced that the public sector healthcare support staff would be getting a pay rise this month of between 4 and 10 per cent.

16,000 workers will benefit from the salary review.

Lower wage workers can expect another increase of up to 20 per cent by the end of 2014.

"Even as we improve the employment conditions in the healthcare sector, we also see other sectors improving their salaries and wages and other conditions as well because they too are competing for manpower. For Singapore, manpower has always been a challenge... so therefore it is important for us to focus on how to reach out and engage them and provide more career opportunities for them in the sector," said Mr Gan.

16,000 healthcare staff to get salary increase from September

SINGAPORE: 16,000 public healthcare administrative, ancillary and support staff will see a salary increase of between four and 10 per cent from September.

This comes after a review of healthcare staff salaries by the Health Ministry and the healthcare clusters.

By 2014, 2,000 of these staff can expect a wage increase of between 10 and 20 per cent through a progressive wage model.

The model has been developed to help lower wage workers attain sustainable wage increases through productivity, training and job redesign.

It will focus on three key groups -- health attendants, healthcare assistants and patient service associates.

These announcements were made at the launch of the Healthcare Cluster Tripartite Workgroup.

The tripartite partners comprise the Health Ministry, six public healthcare clusters and NTUC's healthcare clusters of unions.

Mr Wong Koon Khian, who is working as a health attendant under the Central Sterile Supply Department at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, is one of those who will benefit from the salary review.

"I'm very happy my hard work has paid off," said Mr Wong.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said public healthcare support staff, like Mr Wong, plays a crucial role.

Mr Gan said: "From registration, to catering, preparation of the operating theatre, appointment booking and providing corporate services… the rising expectation for public healthcare services means that the work of our administrative, ancillary and support staff has become more demanding and more complex."

A progressive wage model has also been developed by the workgroup to increase the salaries of lower-wage workers in two years' time by 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

The model will focus on three main groups - Health Attendants, Healthcare Assistants and Patient Service Associates.

Healthcare Cluster Tripartite Workgroup's co-chairman Patrick Tay, said: "These three groups of workers are generally earning less than S$1,700. I think there's quite a sizable group of them and we are setting our sights on impacting these groups and not just in one or two hospitals but across the entire healthcare clusters.

Mr Tay said these workers can expect better pay through initiatives that include the greater use of assistive devices and job redesign.

For example, Mr Wong himself broadened his job scope of just manual duties by undergoing training in a sterilisation course in 2008. He was re-designated as a Central Sterile Supply Department Assistant with a salary range of S$1,000 to S$2,000.

The workgroup hopes that these initiatives will encourage more to join the healthcare sector.

A total of 35,000 workers are expected to be hired in the next eight years.

Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Chok Tong accept Chee Soon Juan's S$30,000 offer

SINGAPORE: Former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong have accepted opposition politician Chee Soon Juan's offer to pay S$30,000 to discharge himself from bankruptcy.

Senior Counsel Davinder Singh of Drew & Napier LLC said this in a statement on Friday.

Dr Chee, who is the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), was declared a bankrupt in 2006 after he failed to pay damages totalling S$500,000 to Mr Lee and Mr Goh.

This followed a defamation suit brought on by the two over remarks Dr Chee made during the 2001 General Election.

Earlier, in a statement on September 11, Dr Chee said Mr Lee and Mr Goh had indicated that they would accept his offer of S$30,000 to annul his bankruptcy.

The SDP posted an email dated September 7 from the Official Assignee to Dr Chee on its website, saying that Dr Chee's creditors - Mr Lee, Mr Goh and the Attorney-General's Chambers - had no objection to his offer of composition of S$30,000.

Dr Chee said he will be working to raise the amount, primarily through the sale of his books.

He added that he was looking forward to being formally cleared of his bankruptcy so that he would be eligible to stand in the next General Election, due in 2016.

QE3 effect pushes US dollar lower

NEW YORK: The Federal Reserve's open-ended QE3 stimulus and a rise in eurozone confidence pushed the US dollar lower on Friday, passing the $1.31 per euro line for the first time since early May.

The impact of the stimulus programme announced on Thursday continued to shake through markets, leaving the euro back in its early-2012 range after sinking to close to $1.20 in late July.

At 2100 GMT the euro was at $1.3127, up 1.41 cents from Thursday.

The dollar also fell against the yen, to 78.37 yen from 77.48 yen, and the Swiss franc, which traded at 0.9272 to the dollar.

The British pound continued its climb higher, too, to $1.6220 from $1.6152.

The euro meanwhile pushed higher on the yen, to 102.90 yen from 100.61 Thursday.

"The US Dollar is taking a beating in virtually every asset class due to the Fed's QE Infiniti plan," said Neil Gilbert of GFT.

"The reason for this beat-down is that the Fed will be injecting additional capital into the current money supply, increasing the number of dollars available, and in turn, decreasing the value of each dollar that is currently out there, to the tune of $40 billion per month."

"The question now becomes, how long will this last?"

Some analysts were beginning to doubt that it would go on much longer.

"We have been neutral on the euro for some time, expecting a short-covering rally on the back of removal of tail risk, and positive resolution of key European event risk," said Jens
Nordvig of Nomura Global FX.

"But with euro-US dollar now at $1.31, and with a number of positive event risks behind us, we think it is time to start fading Euro strength again.

"Given yesterday's QE announcement, is possible, however, that the dollar will continue to trade weakly on a global basis for a little while," he added.

S'porean banker becomes half-paralysed after neck massage

SINGAPORE - After a particularly painful neck massage, a 40-year-old banker from Singapore suffered a stroke and became a paraplegic consequentially.

Mr Lin claims that his doctors suspect that the excessive force used in the massage broke a blood vessel and resulted in a stroke.

He is now deaf in one ear and is undergoing therapy to regain movement in the left half of his body, Chinese Daily Lianhe Wanbao reported.

According to the paper, Mr Lin is an assistant director of a department in a bank, and was in China recently to visit some friends.

There, he visited a massage parlour to get a foot massage. Upon the therapist's recommendation, he decided to try a neck massage instead.

After the massage, he felt okay. But three days later, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the left side of his head, and woke up to find that his left ear was deaf.

He also couldn't move the left side of his body, and was unsteady in his gait.

He recalled: "I felt very afraid. It all happened so fast, it was really like a bolt from the blue."

As he was not in condition to be moved, he could not return home immediately for treatment. Mr Lin was sent to a hospital in Hong Kong and hospitalised for about two weeks until doctors deemed him fit for a flight home.

Mr Lin told the Chinese Daily that his doctors suspect that when he underwent the neck massage, the massage therapist tore the vascular wall of an artery accidentally by using too much force.

The damage resulted in the blockage of the artery passage, causing the blood flow to be disrupted.

Recovery

According to his doctors, Mr Lin suffered vertebral artery dissection, which is a flap-like tear of the inner lining of the vertebral artery - a blood vessel that is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain.

After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow. This can result in intermittent or permanent stroke symptoms such as difficulty speaking, impaired coordination and even vision loss.

According to medical resources, it can be caused by physical trauma to the neck, such as a car accident.

Currently, Mr Lin is undergoing treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's rehabilitation ward.

Last month, he began a "walking" rehabilitation treatment, where he is assisted in walking back and forth along a set path. Doctors said this will help speed up the recovery process.

On August 24, Mr Lin was discharged from hospital. Although he is still easily fatigued, he is now able to walk without the need for crutches.

Other than Mr Lin's case, there have been reports in the media about people who have become paralysed after massages.

In 2006, a woman from Australia suffered a stroke after a company masseur gave her a massage at her workplace.

It is believed that similar to Mr Lin's case, the massage caused a blood vessel in her neck to tear, slowly blocking the blood supply to her brain.

Very real danger

Adjunct Associate Professor Hee Hwan Tak, Medical Director of the Centre for Spine & Scoliosis Surgery - a subsidiary of Singapore Medical Group - told YourHealth that such a scenario is not only possible, it has happened in Singapore before.

"It it is possible to suffer a stroke if the massage is overzealous and the patient has pre-existing issues," said Prof Hee.

According to Prof Hee, this is because there are vertebral arteries in the neck that travel within a relatively confined space intimately related to the vertebrae.

As such, these vertebral arteries may be injured by excess manipulation of the area.

Possible injuries range from blood clots, the clot moving from the neck to the brain, and the dissection of the artery like Mr Lin's case.

"The end result maybe a stroke of the hind brain, leading to giddiness, blurring of vision and even death," he said.

Prof Hee warned that people with pre-existing spinal cord compression from herniated discs or bone spurs are also at risk.

He shared that he once came across a similar case where a patient with a pre-existing herniated disc had his condition aggravated by a massage, leading to near paralysis.

In addition to strokes, Prof Hee said overly forceful massages can also result in fractures or dislocations of the spine, especially in osteoporotic patients.

So are neck massages recommended?

Neurologist Dr Siow Hua Chiang told the paper that as the blood vessels at the back of the neck are very small and fragile, it's not recommended to subject the area to excessive force. This includes massages.

However, gentle neck massages done by a trained therapist are fine, Prof Hee said.

But note that if the patient has any pre-existing issues, he or she should highlight it before the massage, he said.

In addition, it is best to not take any pain medications before the massage as this may mask the symptoms of pain that could indicate a problem.

Lastly, if the patient feels unwell during the session, this must be brought to the attention to the therapist immediately and the massage stopped at once.
 

Home >A1Business >General News > $3k dishwasher job is very 'physically demanding': Sakae

Intrigued by news of a $3,000 dish washing job at Sakae Sushi, some 300 people contacted the company to find out about the job opening which seemed too good to be true.

Netizens were abuzz earlier this week when the restaurant chain had said via its Facebook page that it was hiring people to wash dishes for $3,000 a month.

It was confirming a statement chief executive Douglas Foo made in an earlier radio interview that he had trouble finding people to fill cleaning positions even with the high salary offered.

When Chinese paper Lianhe Wanbao contacted him for comment, Mr Foo confirmed that his company was looking to fill 10 cleaner positions at $3,000 a month each.

On Thursday, the company said on Facebook that it had received an overwhelming number of responses and further clarified that it would only consider serious applicants.

One of the updates on Facebook emphasised that the job involved would be very physically demanding and included other cleaning responsibilities apart from dish washing.

The latest update posted on Thursday night also said that arrangements would soon be made "to illustrate just how physically demanding the role can be".

Although Mr Foo previously stated that the job was nine hours a day, brand and communications manager Gregg Lewis said yesterday that the job involved a 12-hour workday and six-day workweek.

Working hours were from 10.30am to 10.30pm, with breaks included.

He said Mr Foo's earlier description of the job had been amended after the management found that a nine-hour workday was not feasible due to crowd volumes the restaurant faced.

In response to this, netizens pointed out that the Employment Act only allows for workers to work 44 hours a week, excluding overtime and breaks.

Mr Lewis told The Straits Times that the $3,000 salary was inclusive of overtime pay, and the 72-hour workweek requirement was therefore not against the rules set by the Act.

While many netizens have voiced out on the job scope, online columnist and food writer Johnson Ong has offered to take up the job for one month and write about his experience.

According to him, Lianhe Wanbao has helped him secure a meeting with Mr Foo to discuss the offer.

Sakae Sushi hires more than 40 dishwashers through contractors and is trying to hire more directly on the $3,000 salary.

Blind girl, 11, produces own CD to raise $80k for treatment

SINGAPORE - Despite her tender age and being almost totally blind, 11-year-old Adelyn Koh has composed four songs and produced her own album - all in hope that the CD sales will raise the $80,000 she needs for her medical expenses.

Adelyn was born with a rare congenital eye disease called Peter's Anomaly, which means that she had "opaque" corneas. According to The Straits Times, there are only one to two such cases in Singapore a year.

To save her eyes, she underwent four operations even before the age of one - four operations on her right eye, and one on her left.

Unfortunately, all four operations were failures, and she can now only make out colours, light and shadows, Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao reported.

Her trials didn't end there, as her father left home two years ago, never to return.

Her mother Mary Koh, 39, a housewife of 10 years, was forced to find work as a tuition teacher to take care of her three young daughters.

Hope to see again

Adelyn has never given up hope that she'll one day be able to see again.

"She has this very high desire - she wants to see what's going on," her mother said. At times, Adelyn's frustration at not being able to see has caused her to lash out, asking: "Why am I the only one in the family who can't see?"

In a short documentary on her life, she shared how she would like to see, even if it's just for a year, a week, or "just a little while, even if it does go back to normal again".

Last year, Ms Koh learnt of a new type of artificial cornea transplant called "Boston Kpro".

Explaining her wish to send Adelyn for another cornea transplant despite the previous four failures, Ms Koh said: "There is no best gift to be given to her, other than sending her to do the transplant again."

"According to eye specialist, her vision is now equivalent to zero per cent. No one able to guarantee it will be successful, but there will be totally no hope if we do not try at all," she added.

Hoping to let her daughter see again, Ms Koh decided to accept the transplant surgery. However, the surgery, scheduled for early November, would set the family back $80,000 - $40,000 for each eye.

With a pay cheque of just $1,500 for a family of four, it was money they could not afford.

Special talent

Unwilling to add to her mother's burden, Adelyn spent two years composing four original songs.

Ever since she was young, Adelyn loved to play the piano. At first, she fumbled at the keys, but slowly, using her hearing as a guide, she learnt to sing and even compose songs.

Ms Koh told the Chinese daily that when she sent her daughter to learn the piano, her only hope was to cultivate joy in Adelyn's life.

Unexpectedly, the lessons helped Adelyn realise her unusual talent - she can play music from memory.

Adelyn only needs to listen to a song a few times to memorise the tune and play it out on the piano.

"Little dream"

She has since passed the Grade 4 piano examinations and was even invited to the President Star Charity show to play the piano while singing "The Moon Represents My Heart".

Her efforts managed to raise $10 million in donations.

For the accomplished young girl who is a capable horse rider, inline skater, ballet dancer and even a violinist, her disability has never stopped her from achieving her dreams.

Now she is hoping that the same talent and determination can help pave her way to regaining her sight. Her music has been published in a CD, with the aim of using the proceeds to cover her medical expenses.

Her CD, titled "Little Dream", is priced at $20 a copy and has sold 1,000 copies so far through the help of enthusiastic friends and family spreading the word through blogs, Facebook and emails.

To raise another $60,000 for medical expenses, she must sell another 4,000 CDs.

Those who wish to purchase the CD can email mary1668@yahoo.com, or go to adelynxinhui.blogspot.com to make an enquiry.