The Singaporean Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced a significant investment of SG$200 million (approximately $150 million USD) over the next five years to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across the nation’s healthcare system.
This funding will bolster the MOH Health Innovation Fund, which aims to develop and pilot new technological solutions, including AI, with a focus on scaling successful projects into nationwide initiatives. In a statement, the ministry emphasized its commitment to driving these advancements through a centralized approach.
One notable initiative involves a generative AI system designed to automate the updating of medical records. This system is slated for deployment throughout the public healthcare sector by the end of 2025. The MOH highlighted its intention to leverage generative AI tools to streamline labor-intensive tasks, such as medical documentation and summarization.
Additionally, the ministry plans to validate an AI-driven medical imaging tool for breast cancer detection. Pending successful validation, this technology is expected to be integrated into a national subsidized screening program starting in late 2025.
Broader Trends in AI Integration
Singapore’s healthcare sector has been progressively embracing AI through various government-supported programs. Last year, the national health technology agency, Synapxe, deepened its collaboration with Microsoft to develop the Secure GPT for Healthcare Professionals—a unified platform for creating large language models (LLMs) and generative AI applications. Similarly, the National University Health System (NUHS) introduced its LLM-based chatbot, NUHS RUSSELL-GPT, capable of summarizing patient notes and drafting referral letters efficiently. Singapore General Hospital has also begun exploring generative AI applications to enhance pre-surgical assessments.
The adoption of medical imaging AI is being advanced through AimSG, Singapore’s national radiology AI platform. Launched last year, this vendor-neutral platform enables public hospitals to incorporate validated AI tools into their workflows. For example, two hospitals under the SingHealth cluster have implemented AI for chest X-ray analysis, while the National Healthcare Group is currently piloting the technology.
Expanding Healthcare Innovations
The MOH also announced plans to introduce a national genetic testing program by mid-2025, initially focusing on Familial Hypercholesterolemia. Furthermore, efforts are underway to refine the governance framework for AI in healthcare, ensuring that new solutions are implemented safely and securely while maintaining high standards of patient care.
These investments and initiatives reflect Singapore’s commitment to harnessing AI to enhance healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.
