Singapore Democrats
Yeo Poh Hong (back to camera) and Jagwinder Singh meet and greet a resident. Grace Tan in background
The Singapore Democrats continue to work the ground in our Road to 2016 campaign as we visited the Sembawang and Bukit Panjang constituencies yesterday.
As before, members boarded the bus in the morning and with balloons in one hand and copies of The New Democrat in the other, trooped around the food centres and markets spreading information about our alternative healthcare plan.$CUT$
The next elections are still a few years away but the party is already up and about making sure that we continue our work to keep up our contact with the constitiuents and to tell them of our plans for Singapore.
We have been visiting the constituentcies that we contested in the last elections on a rotational basis – with the addition of Tanjong Pagar GRC.
In this series of visits, we are telling Singaporeans that there is a better alternative than the PAP’s system where the Government makes the people shoulder the burden of healthcare costs in Singapore.
This done through the 3M system – Medisave, Medifund and Medishield. In Medisave, a large portion of our CPF savings is taken out to pay for medical expenses, not just for ourselves but also for our parents and children.
Women Democrats preparing SDP balloons
This has made the cost of healthcare for many Singaporeans unaffordable. It has also depleted our savings for retirement.
As a result, many poorer Singaporeans put off medical treatment because they find it too expensive.
During our walkabout, we explain to the residents that the SDP has a better alternative.
Under our plan, Singaporeans, while still required to pay for their healthcare, shoulder a much lesser burden of the cost. In fact, hospital patients pay only 10 percent of their medical bills, and for only up to $2,000 in a year.
Many of the residents welcome such a measure as they agree that the Government should not continue to impose high fees on everything and then refuse to spend on necessities such as healthcare.
“This Government doesn’t care for us,” said one elderly lady in Cantonese, “it only wants to make money from us.”
Another younger voter said: “I’m glad the SDP has taken up this issue. My son was warded last year for an illness and his treatment has put my family into a black financial hole. The PAP has gone crazy – money-crazy!”
Studying the SDP healthcare plan
The SDP is advocating that the Government increase its share of the Total Health Expenditure to 70 percent from the current 30 percent.
This is more in line with healthcare expenditures in advanced economies such as Germany, Norway, and Japan. For a more comprehensive understanding of The SDP National Healthcare Plan, click here.
This issue of The New Democrat also updates the public with the progress of the SDP especially since the last general elections.
We have seen a healthy increase in the number of Women and Young Democrats.
This has enabled our Ground Operations Unit, headed by Mr Bryan Lim and deputised by Mr Clarence Zeng, to continue to work with efficiency and competence.
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More walkabout photos at SDP’s facebook photo album.