IN THE coming decade, Singapore's healthcare system will come under pressure from an ageing population, coupled with an increase in mental ailments.

To cope, the Health Ministry will add more than 2,000 nursing home beds over the next five years - with about half devoted to the care of the mentally ill.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, in his ministry's addendum to the President's address, spoke of the need to prepare for a 'silver tsunami' on Wednesday.

He said the Singapore population is rapidly ageing. The number of people who are over 65 years is expected to triple to 900,000 by 2030 - from 300,000 today.

This is the driving force behind the development of a second heart and cancer centre, a new general hospital in Yishun and another in Jurong, and the expansion of the National University Health System's dental centre.

'We will increase our subventions to intermediate and long term care facilities to help them meet growing patient needs,' said Mr Khaw.

These include community hospitals, nursing homes and hospices. New rates for community hospitals will take effect on July 1, that will raise total subsidy by 15 per cent.

Work on five new nursing homes will start within two years, including a 300-bed home for patients with psychiatric problems to be ready by 2012. There are now three nursing homes that cater to such patients. They are Tai Pei Social Service, Sunlove Home and Surya Home.

Another two new homes, each with 250 beds, will be designed for people suffering from dementia. They will also take in other elderly patients.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said there are now about 20,000 elderly people in Singapore with dementia. 'This is estimated to increase to about 45,000 by 2020,' she said.

The ministry will also be releasing two plots of land for the building of private nursing homes. And it will help two existing homes run by voluntary welfare organisations (VWO) to relocate to new and larger facilities.

To help patients pay for all these services, the ministry will develop the 3Es - Eldersave, ElderShield and Elderfund.

With so much in the pipeline, the ministry said it will need to recruit 4,500 people over the next two years, with 2,000 job openings in the next 12 months.