For the past year, the NHG Institutions have fully resumed normal operations, with the global and local COVID-19 situation under control. This would not have been possible without the hard work and sacrifices of our frontliners and support of the multitude of healthcare workers behind the scenes. I would like to applaud all of you for weathering this long-drawn health crisis with extraordinary fortitude, solidarity, and professionalism.
While we remain vigilant to potential emerging diseases, it is time to build on the valuable lessons the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us. Our healthcare system must be resilient, robust, and adaptable, especially in the face of crises. On a national level, Singapore will set up a new Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) to oversee disease preparedness, prevention and control, surveillance, risk assessment, and outbreak response. The CDA will maintain oversight of the clinical facilities in the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), while working closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) to prepare for future outbreaks.
With the resumption of global travel, NHG has helped put Singapore on the world medical conference map by playing an integral role in two major international events. In July 2023, the National Skin Centre (NSC) supported the 25th edition of the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD). NHG also co-hosted RehabWeek 2023 with the International Consortium of Rehabilitation Technology (ICRT), and Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, in September 2023.
NHG’s care transformation journey through our River of Life framework, which was initiated several years ago, is aligned with Healthier SG. We have sharpened our focus by establishing NHG Cares — a unified platform to serve the 1.5 million residents in Central and North Singapore, connecting them via a website, a mobile app, and a hotline.
To adequately meet the needs of the residents under its care, NHG will look into strengthening its acute care and aged care systems.
A study conducted by Duke-NUS Medical School and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) suggested that people with anxiety and depression symptoms could cost Singapore nearly $16 billion a year, caused mainly by absence from work and loss of productivity. The economic cost is staggering, underscoring the urgent need to fortify mental health performance on all fronts.
In October 2023, the Government introduced the National Mental Health and Well-being Strategy. To support the Strategy, IMH has shored up its community-based programmes, each of which targets different segments of the population with diverse mental health needs. IMH has also been training primary care doctors to better identify and manage milder cases of mental illnesses.
This year also saw the completion of new developments.
TTSH’s new Integrated Care Hub (ICH) began operations in October 2023 and when fully opened, it will have 608 beds, making TTSH-ICH Singapore’s largest inpatient rehab recovery facility.
Marking a milestone in dermatology in Singapore, the NSC inaugurated its new building in October 2023, equipped with enhanced capacity and resources to better address the diverse and evolving skin health needs of our population.
As of October 2023, IMH has refurbished 11 of its acute wards, including the creation of the new Stepping Stones Rehabilitation Centre and Short Stay Unit.
NHG will be further bolstered with the opening of Sembawang Polyclinic and Woodlands Health by December 2023.
Change can be powerful if we are determined to embrace and evolve with it.”
Mr Tan Tee How, Chairman, NHGNHG signed a Collaboration Framework Agreement with NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) in September 2023. We will jointly develop education, research, and innovation over the next 10 years to build a more integrated healthcare education system.
NHG and LKCMedicine also jointly launched the Academy of Clinician Scientists and Innovators (ACSI), a one-stop platform to nurture our pool of clinician scientists and innovators, and catalyse their translational research efforts.
On behalf of the NHG Family, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Professor Philip Choo for his exemplary leadership and contributions as Group CEO for the past nine years. I would also like to congratulate Mr Joe Sim on his new appointment as the next Group CEO of NHG. He will assume the leadership with effect from 1 January 2024.
We thank Mr Ramlee bin Buang, Dr Tan Khai Tong, Ms Lock Yin Mei, and Adjunct Professor Er. Lau Joo Ming, who have stepped down from the NHG Board, for their commitment and counsel during their tenure.
The life expectancy of Singaporeans is one of the highest in the world at 84.9 years, yet we spend our last 10 years in poor health. If NHG could turn these last 10 years into good years, it would be adding 15 million years of healthy life for the 1.5 million residents we serve. To attain this, we will have to undergo transformation — shifting resources to support new priorities, building new capabilities, and restructuring the organisation.
Change can be powerful if we are determined to embrace and evolve with it. I am confident that the NHG Family will remain united, resolute, and adaptable, as we forge ahead in our journey to build Healthier, Happier Communities for our Population, and thus achieve our vision of Adding Years of Healthy Life.