Singapore seizes opportunity to transform healthcare through technology

In response to the convergence of three major developments, namely genomics, artificial intelligence (AI) and the focus on preventive care, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Singapore is seizing the opportunity to transform healthcare through technology.

MoH has partnered with the Health Promotion Board (HPB), Synapxe, the public healthcare clusters (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System, and SingHealth), and national clinical translational programmes, to leverage cutting-edge technology while maintaining public trust in and security of Singapore's healthcare system.

MoH is injecting about $200 million over five years into the Health Innovation Fund, to support ground-up development and test-bedding of innovations in public healthcare institutions, including innovations in AI.

There are plans to scale the use of Gen AI tools to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as documentation and summarisation of medical records. MoH is also developing predictive preventive care, starting with a national programme for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH). The government will launch a national FH genetic testing programme by mid-2025.

MoH is also working on new legislation to govern the use of genetic and genomic data. To support new AI capabilities and transform healthcare delivery, the Ministry will significantly enhance IT infrastructure while prioritising data security and privacy.