Strengthening Medical Physics through Education and Training Country Report SINGAPORE Strengthening Medical Physics through Education and Training 26-28 May 2008 Dhaka, Bangladesh Wong Toh Jui Consultant Physicist

ASIA -SINGAPORE

Some Singapore statistics Total land area: 685.4 sq km Total Population: 4.48m . Resident Population by Race: Chinese (75%); Malays (14%); Indians (9%); Others (2%). Average daily temperature: 25.2ºC - 32ºC Official languages: English (language of administration), Chinese (Mandarin), Malay (National language) & Tamil

HealthCare in Singapore Primary Care Hospital Care

Public Healthcare Services Ministry of Health Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) National Healthcare Group (NHG)

Public Healthcare Delivery Network NHG Polyclinics (Primary Care Clinics) SingHealth Polyclinics (Primary Care Clinics) KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital Changi General Hospital Singapore General Hospital National Cancer Centre National Dental Centre National Heart Centre Singapore National Eye Centre Outram Campus Singapore’s largest concentration of medical facilities & services Tan Tock Seng Hospital National University Hospital Alexandra Hospital National Skin Centre Institute of Mental Health National Neuroscience Institute

Sub-grouping Primary Care Secondary Care Tertiary Care Quaternary Care

Major Radiation Equipment Type Total Public Pte Linacs 17 13 4 Brachytherapy 3 2 1 Gammaknife CT 44 24 20 MRI 30 16 14 Gamma Camera PET X-rays 518

No & Type of Medical Physicists in Singapore Field Total Pub Pte Radiation Oncology 13 11 2 Nuclear Medicine 1 Diagnostic Imaging 4 3 Radiation Safety & Protection 20 17

Sources of Medical Physicists Overseas recruitment with minimum of MSc in Medical Physics local recruitment of physics graduates: provide on job-training overseas attachment and attendance of higher degree course

Higher Education in Singapore No Name Medical School Physics Universities 3 NUS Yes NTU pending SMU Polytechnics 5 One poly offers diploma/degree course in Diagnostic & Radiation Oncology for Radiation Technologists

Minimum Requirement to Practice Medical Staffs: must be licensed and accredited Radiographers & Radiation Therapists: Licensed & has a recognized diploma in Diagnostic Radiography/Radiation Therapy Medical Physicists: a good honours physics degree or equivalent

Legal Requirements No legal requirements for a presence of a radiation physicist unless it is a condition imposed by the Director-General of Environment Protection. It is noted that there is no radiation therapy centre operated without the service of a resident medical physicist

Singapore’s role to-date Provision of Attachment Training in support of IAEA Technical Co-operation program : for physicists, radiation oncologists and radiographers Hosting of Regional Workshop: TRS 398 Workshop Hosting of RCA training course in Conformal Treatment Planning

LOOKING AHEAD…….. Encouraged staff to seek accreditation in Radiation Therapy Tapping on training opportunity available in the regions for upgrading More physicists employed in the diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine arena

Thank you