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SINGAPORE – The proportion of allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) who left the public healthcare sector rose from 2018 to 2022, while the proportion who left their jobs in the community care sector in the same period fell. The attrition rate of AHPs in the public healthcare sector increased slightly from 8.9 per cent in 2018 to 11.6 per cent in 2022. In the community care sector, the attrition rate fell from 17.7 per cent in 2018 to 11.3 per cent in 2022. Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam shared these figures in Parliament on Feb 27 in response to a parliamentary question filed by Workers’ Party MP Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC). Healthcare professionals in the public sector work in hospitals and polyclinics, while those in the community care sector work in community hospitals, nursing homes, eldercare centres and hospices, and also visit patients in their homes. AHPs include dieticians, occupational therapists and medical social workers. Responding to a supplementary question by Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) on why there was a decline in the attrition rate in the community care sector compared with the slight increase in the public sector, Ms Rahayu said AHPs in both sectors support roles in public healthcare institutions. But there are many factors resulting in the decline in the attrition rate in the community care sector. “Part of it is really salaries and the standing of some of these professions within the community,” said Ms Rahayu. She said that over time, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has been engaging these professions to understand what challenges and workplace issues AHPs are facing. “These are things that will inform us as we have these discussions moving forward with the AHPs in enhancing the profession, in making them also part of the larger ecosystem as we transform our healthcare sector.” The attrition rates for AHPs are higher than those for doctors and nurses, said Ms Rahayu. In March 2022, then Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon told Parliament that the average attrition from 2020 to 2021 was about 7 to 9 per cent for nurses and about 3 to 5 per cent for doctors. MOH has been engaging AHPs, said Ms Rahayu. “We have been working with them to actually future-proof the allied health workforce to handle future challenges of the ageing population and improve population health and outcomes. So these are things that are already ongoing and they are definitely not left behind. They are also part of the ecosystem and we are working together to help us walk that journey to transforming the healthcare system,” she said. Ms Rahayu said that due to Singapore’s growing healthcare needs, the demand for AHPs has been growing. The total number of registered diagnostic radiographers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiation therapists and speech therapists increased by 25 per cent, from about 6,000 in 2019 to 7,500 in 2023. To train, attract and retrain AHPs, “There needs to be good career prospects and opportunities for professional development, conducive workplace environments, and salaries will have to be competitive,” said Ms Rahayu. Public healthcare institutions raised the starting salaries of AHPs in 2023. Since 2021, MOH has also supported salary enhancements in the community care sector, including for AHPs. Over the last 10 years, the intake for AHP courses has almost doubled from around 270 to 500, Ms Rahayu said. “With respect to foreign allied health professionals, we also value them, and if they demonstrate their commitment to Singapore, we are also prepared to grant them PR (permanent resident) status,” she added. In addition, there are healthcare career conversion programmes for mid-career locals to undergo relevant training for selected allied health professions. “So these are some of the efforts we’ve put in place to enhance and actually uplift the standing of the profession within the community.” Responding to a separate parliamentary question by Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang) on palliative care education for healthcare professionals, Ms Rahayu said a new Master of Science in Holistic Palliative Care programme by Nanyang Technological University is expected to take in 15 students. Graduates of the programme can work in healthcare institutions and community care organisations that provide patients with end-of-life support. Healthcare professionals learn about palliative care in an undergraduate training curriculum for medicine, nursing, pharmacy and various allied health disciplines. They can also enrol in postgraduate training programmes offered by the Agency for Integrated Care.