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We thank the Ministry of Health (MOH) for its letter, “ ” (Feb 18). Rare skin conditions are not just highly visible, with patients having very dry, scaly and red skin, but can also lead to other complications such as infections, loss of proteins and fluids, and temperature instability. Many of these rare skin conditions are chronic and lifelong, and require continuous, long-term, multi-disciplinary care and management. Sub-optimal treatment can lead to systemic medical complications and also a poor quality of life. While the long-term costs for patients with rare skin conditions may not run as high as those suffering from rare metabolic diseases, the costs incurred can also amount to a very significant sum over time. The application of daily moisturisers, wound dressings and medications are integral in the daily care for these patients. Unfortunately, many of these “medical devices” are not on the list subsidised by hospitals, and not all patients find the subsidised moisturisers and dressings suitable for their daily skin care. Many of our patients with rare skin conditions have the condition from birth and are now still children or adolescents, and are unable to tap Flexi-MediSave. Our societies have written in to the Rare Disease Fund twice over the last few years to request funding for our patients. However, we were rejected. Perhaps MOH could review its subsidies for patients with rare skin conditions managed by specialists from the restructured hospitals. It could consider expanding the current list of moisturisers, wound dressings and medications that qualify for subsidies, and including them into its Standard Drugs List. Increased funding, support and subsidies from the Government would greatly improve the quality of life for patients. Such inclusions would effect positive change in the lives of these patients and their caregivers in more ways than one. On behalf of Rare Skin Conditions Society Singapore and Debra Singapore