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| Global
Declaration on Parkinson's Disease. |
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| Endorsement
of Global Declaration on Parkinson ’s disease |
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Since
1997, the World Health Organisation’s Working
Group on Parkinson’s Disease has been instrumental
in developing and gathering support for the ‘Charter
for People with Parkinson’s Disease’.
This charter was transformed into a Global Declaration
that was being launched at the World Parkinson’s
Disease Day Celebrations in Mumbai, India, on
7 December 2003, the same day that a Public Forum
was held at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s
auditorium in Singapore. About 300 patients, caregivers
and healthcare providers attended the Public Forum.
The highlight of the Public Forum was the witness
of Singapore’s endorsement of the Global
Declaration on Parkinson’s Disease. This
simple yet symbolic event was marked by the signing
of Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, Director of Medical Services
MOH, on the Declaration imprinting Singapore’s
support for the Global Declaration on Parkinson’s
Disease.
Essentially the Global Declaration calls for the
commitment to provide patients with Parkinson’s
Disease access to appropriate and affordable medical
care and treatment; to encourage partnerships
between scientists, doctors and healthcare workers
to improve the care of patients with Parkinson’s
Disease; and to raise public awareness of Parkinson’s
Disease.
7 Dec 2003 was indeed a significant milestone
for healthcare providers and patients with Parkinson’s
disease in Singapore.
By Ms Diana Lim
Medical Social Worker
Dept of Care & Counselling |
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by Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, Director of Medical Services,
Ministry of Health |
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It
is great pleasure for me to join you at
this Public Forum on Parkinson's disease.
The forum is organized by the Parkinson's
Disease Society of Singapore, Tan Tock Seng
Hospital and National Neuroscience Institute,
to endorse the Global Declaration on Parkinson's
disease.
Parkinson's disease is a chronic degenerative
condition affecting the nervous system.
The prevalence of Parkinson's disease in
Singapore has been estimated to be 1 to
2 per thousand population. The prevalence
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of
Parkinson's Disease increases with age. As Singapore
has one of the fastest ageing populations in Asia,
we can therefore expect that our prevalence of
Parkinson's disease is likely to increase significantly
in the years to come.
Since 1997, the World Health Organisation's Working
Group on Parkinson's disease has been instrumental
in developing and gathering support for the "Charter
for People with Parkinson's Disease". This
charter has been transformed into a Global Declaration
that is being launched today at the World Parkinson's
Disease Day Celebrations in Mumbai, India. |
Essentially,
the Global Declaration calls for the commitment
to provide patients with Parkinson's disease
access to appropriate and affordable medical
care and treatment; to encourage partnerships
between scientists, doctors and health care
workers to improve the care of patients
with Parkinson's disease; and to raise public
awareness of Parkinson's disease.
Access to medical care and treatment |
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Ensuring
access to good and affordable health care for
Singaporeans is a key mission of the Ministry
of Health. Patients with Parkinson's disease can
be assured that they will have access to the appropriate
care and treatment across the full spectrum of
their illness. This spectrum will range from primary
care o specialist care, and from hospital-based
to community-based care.
To support our primary physicians, continuing
medical education, such as the primary Care Symposium
for Parkinson's disease that was held yesterday
will be conducted on a regular basis to enable
primary care physicians to keep abreast with the
latest management strategies for Parkinson's disease.
The primary care physicians in Singapore are in
turn supported by the Neurology and Geriatric
Medicine Services that are available in all major
hospitals in Singapore. In addition, specialized
Movement Disorders Clinics have been set up at
the National Neuroscience Institute's main and
Singapore General Hospital campuses, and at the
National University Hospital to manage the more
complicated patients. The National Neuroscience
Institute also has a comprehensive Parkinson's
disease programme that provides patients access
to patient education and counseling by nurse clinicians,
patient support groups, medical social workers
and rehabilitation services, such as physiotherapy,
occupational therapy, speech therapy and dietetics.
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Through
our 3 M's financing framework, ie Medisave,
Medishield and Medifund, and subsidies to
the restructured hospitals and other clinical
programmes, these services will continue
to remain affordable for Singaporeans with
Parkinson's disease.
Partnership
between scientists, doctors and health care
workers
Rapid advances in biomedical
research particularly in areas such as neuroprotection
and stem cells, hold up the promise of a
cure for Parkinson's disease in the coming
decades. For our patients to reap the clinical
benefits of such types of research, however,
strong partnerships and collaborations between
scientists, doctors and health care workers
is critical.
In this regard, I congratulate the National
Neuroscience Institute for successfully
organizing the 2nd Parkinson's Disease and
Movement Disorers Symposium with the theme
"from basic science to clinical practice".
This symposium was held from the 3rd to
5th December 2003. |
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The
meeting enabled international and local researches
and clinicians, to present and discuss the latest
findings and ideas in the basic science, genetics,
epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's
disease. Such interactions are crucial to improve
our fundamental understanding of the disease and
to devise better strategies to treat this disorder.
Raise public awareness of Parkinson's disease
I am pleased to note the partnership
of the Parkinson's Disease Society, Tan Tock Seng
Hospital and the National Neuroscience Institute
in organizing today's public forum. I would also
like to congratulate the Parkinson's Disease Society
for the active role it plays in raising public
awareness of Parkinson's disease. The Society
has been organizing yearly public forums since
its inception in 1996. To reach out to a wider
public audience, the organizers have included
a Mandarin. Forum that is being held simultaneously
in the conference room next door. Through better
communications and sharing of information, patients
and caregivers, doctors and healthcare professionals
can work even more effectively together to enhance
our management of this condition.
In closing, the endorsement of the Global Declaration
on Parkinson's Disease is a significant milestone
for Parkinson's disease in Singapore. It reflects
the commitment of the Ministry of Health , healthcare
providers and the Parkinson's Disease Society
to work together and with the public, to improve
the care and support for patients with Parkinson's
disease. I am pleased to endorse the Global Declaration
in Singapore and wish you all a successful public
forum |
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