Towards the end of his parents' lives, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung said, a palliative nurse was "the most important pillar of support for the family".

"She could explain what we were to expect. She could explain how my mother or my father was feeling, and generally put us in a much better place. My regret was that I could not bring my parents home on both occasions, and they died in hospitals," he said.

Mr Ong was highlighting the growing importance of palliative care in Singapore as the population ages.

He was speaking as the guest of honour at a virtual fund-raising dinner organised by Dover Park Hospice yesterday.

In illustrating the role of palliative care, Mr Ong cited the experience of a late patient of Dover Park Hospice, Mr Lim Ah Tee, who requested a terminal discharge from Tan Tock Seng Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Mr Lim fulfilled his wish to spend his final days at home, with his family members beside him," he said.

Dover Park Hospice held its annual dinner virtually for the second consecutive year yesterday, raising more than $900,000.

About 320 guests attended the event, which raises funds to provide palliative care to patients and caregivers, especially those from low-income families. The event included a four-course Peranakan dinner that was delivered to guests participating from home, as well as performances by local artistes, including Gurmit Singh and Hossan Leong.

During his address, Mr Ong also noted the stigma surrounding the topic of palliative care in Singapore.

He also commended efforts by the hospice to expand its services, such as offering home-care services targeting key chronic diseases such as dementia and end-stage organ failure.

The chairman of the hospice, Associate Professor Jeremy Lim, appealed to donors to support the hospice's plans for the upcoming year.

He said: "Next year, we will double our bed capacity from 50 to 100 beds, with the attendant increases in expenditure.

"We are also augmenting our home-care services to enable more patients to live their last days in the comfort of home, in the presence of their loved ones.

"The needs are great and we can do more with your support."