The cost of healthcare has been raised as a major issue by opposition parties at political rallies held across Singapore on Sunday. 

As the country's 10th General Election draws nearer, the opposition says Singaporeans have a basic right to cheap healthcare. 

Meanwhile, the ruling People's Action Party has been reassuring Singaporeans the government is doing its best to keep healthcare affordable and to help the lower income group. 

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is facing his first contest in an election, defended his work in keeping healthcare cost affordable. 

Said Mr Khaw, who is running in Sembawang GRC, "I spend a lot of energy as health minister thinking about this, trying to solve our health problem. We don't have a perfect system, I'll be the first one to admit. The point is, all over the world there is no perfect system, but our system honestly is not bad. Why do I say so? The fact that over the years my counterparts, health ministers in various countries, have told me so. And they would send their health experts to come here all the way from China to Russia, Vietnam, developed countries, Japan -- they come and study our system." 

But opposition candidates disagreed with him, saying that Singaporeans were increasingly pressured by rising healthcare costs. 

The Singapore Democratic Party candidate for Bukit Panjang, Ling How Doong, claimed that it was now difficult to look after elderly parents because of high medical costs. 

Mr Ling said, "My heart goes out to the kinsmen, our old parents living solitarily in HDB units. They have difficulty moving about and they need to pay hefty medical bills. We used to say that old folks at home are treasures to us. Why? Because medical fees are hefty. Recently the Minister claimed that looking after our parents is our duty. I fully agree with him. Chinese values have it that filial piety is paramount. But we are retrenched and jobless. Are we able to provide for our parents?" 

Workers' Party candidate Perry Tong came up with proposals on how to keep healthcare costs down. 

These include negotiating discounts with drug companies doing research funded by the Singapore government, and boosting Singapore's status as a hub for the manufacturing and distribution of medicine. 

Said Mr Tong, a candidate in East Coast GRC, "For medicines, especially medication for chronic illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression, the government should use its substantive powers to negotiate a cost-based pricing strategy that is beneficial for Singaporeans. Please don't engage in price transfer strategy. My last point: remove GST for medicine and medical-related charges. Healthcare is a basic right for all Singaporeans. It should not be taxed on a broad based consumption model." 

Answering criticism from the opposition, PAP candidate for Sembawang GRC, Mohd Maliki Osman, made it clear that the party had many policies to take care of the less fortunate. 

He said, "We have established ComCare to make it easier for our poor to get help. Now they have many different channels to get help. They can go to the RC, they can go to the CDC, they can go to voluntary welfare organisations, all inside the community. We have utility rebates, SMC rebates, transport vouchers, just to name a few of the schemes to help the poor. Now we have introduced the Workfare Bonus to encourage people to be self-reliant. It is also not true that we did not take care of the elderly. They are our pioneer generation and they have toiled hard with our first generation leaders to bring us here. We must take care of them and we will." 

Campaigning is in full swing, with more rallies expected to be held over the next few days ahead of voting on May 6.