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Singapore Law Watch
11-07-2025
- Health
- Singapore Law Watch
Proposed new law protecting Singaporeans' genetic data to be strengthened: Ong Ye Kung
Proposed new law protecting Singaporeans' genetic data to be strengthened: Ong Ye Kung Source: Straits Times Article Date: 11 Jul 2025 Author: Judith Tan It will provide greater clarity on what such information can be used for: Health Minister Ong Ye Kung A proposed new law to protect genetic data collected from Singaporeans will be strengthened to provide greater clarity on what this hereditary information can or cannot be used for. The Ministry of Health (MOH) will be conducting broad public consultations on the topic, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said. 'For healthcare to be delivered seamlessly across all settings, and especially in the community, a patient's data needs to be captured and shared among healthcare providers whom the patient sought care from,' he said. Doing so immediately raises concerns about cyber security, which MOH is addressing by strengthening the IT infrastructure, he added. The Health Minister was speaking at the ninth CHI Innovate 2025, NHG Health's flagship innovation conference, on July 10, held at the Ng Teng Fong Centre for Healthcare Innovation. Genetic screening for medical conditions of the public is already being carried out as part of a nationwide programme to enhance preventive care in Singapore. Starting June 30, eligible Singapore residents, for instance, have been able to be screened for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol levels, at a subsidised rate. The initiative aims to identify individuals with FH early and reduce the risk of premature heart disease with timely interventions. To address the worries about data privacy, Mr Ong, who is also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, said his ministry is coming up with a new law – the proposed Health Information Act. 'Under the Act, beyond various data protection measures, a patient can choose to restrict the sharing of his medical data among the healthcare providers that he sought care from,' he said. While this may not be an ideal arrangement and may undermine quality of care for the patient, making such a choice available addresses fears and instils confidence, he added. Mr Ong said that when genetic data is easily available, there will be public concerns on how the data is used and whether technology 'will inadvertently push us across societal and ethical lines'. 'MOH is therefore working on enhancing legislative protections on the use of genetic test information and will be conducting broad public consultation. 'The legislation will provide greater clarity on what genetic information can be used for, such as for medical treatment, and what it cannot be used for, such as in deciding employment and insurance (coverage),' he said. Mr Ong said that beyond addressing the fears and concerns arising from technology, everyone can be empowered to participate in innovation and leverage technology to do a better job. But as digital technology revolutionises human communications, it might have also rewired the minds of a generation, he warned. 'The evidence is still being debated, but ask any psychologist or counsellor and they will tell you stories of how smart devices, video games or social media addiction have inflicted pain on young minds,' he said. Mr Ong said while there is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a profound impact on society, healthcare institutions need to 'use it judiciously and deploy it thoughtfully'. In employing AI, NHG Health has signed a five-year master collaboration agreement with ST Engineering to co-develop and implement engineering and smart systems to further enhance patient care and optimise health service delivery. The group also signed a memorandum of understanding with Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Hong Kong-based Cornerstone Robotics to focus on advanced research and innovation in surgical robotics systems. This alliance will identify future robotic-assisted surgery for a wider range of conditions treated at NHG Health hospitals and offer safer, less invasive and more affordable procedures to patients. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. Print
The Star
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Proposed new law protecting Singaporeans' genetic data to be strengthened
SINGAPORE: The proposed new law to protect genetic data collected on Singaporeans will be strengthened to provide greater clarity on what the hereditary information can or cannot be used for. And the Ministry of Health (MOH) will be conducting broad public consultations on the topic, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said. 'For healthcare to be delivered seamlessly across all settings, and especially in the community, a patient's data needs to be captured and shared among healthcare providers whom he sought care from,' he said. Doing so immediately raises concerns about cybersecurity, which MOH is addressing by strengthening the legislative structure, he added. The Health Minister was speaking at the 9th CHI Innovate 2025, NHG Health's flagship innovation conference, on July 10, where at the Ng Teng Fong Centre for Healthcare Innovation. Genetic screening for medical conditions of the general public is already being carried out as part of a nationwide programme to enhance preventive care in Singapore. Starting June 30, eligible Singapore residents, for instance, can be screened for familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol levels, at a subsidised rate. The initiative aims to identify individuals with FH early and reduce the risk of premature heart disease with timely interventions. To address the worries about data privacy, Ong, who is also the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, said his ministry is coming up with a new law – the proposed Health Information Act. 'Under the Act, beyond various data protection measures, a patient can choose to restrict the sharing of his medical data among the healthcare providers that he sought care from,' he said. While this may not be an ideal arrangement and may undermine quality of care for the patient, making such a choice available addresses fears and instils confidence, he added. Ong said that when genetic data is easily available, there will be public concerns on how the data is used and whether technology 'will inadvertently push us across societal and ethical lines'. 'MOH is therefore working on enhancing legislative protections on the use of genetic test information and will be conducting broad public consultation. 'The legislation will provide greater clarity on what genetic information can be used for, such as for medical treatment, and what it cannot be used for, such as in deciding employment and insurance (coverage),' he said. Ong said beyond addressing the fears and concerns arising from technology, everyone can be empowered to participate in innovation and leverage technology to do a better job. But he warned that as digital technology revolutionises human communications, it might have also rewired the minds of a generation. 'The evidence is still being debated, but ask any psychologist or counsellor, and they will tell you stories of how smart devices, video games or social media addiction have inflicted pain on young minds,' he said. Ong said while there is no doubt artificial intelligence (AI) will have a profound impact on society, healthcare institutions need to 'use it judiciously and deploy it thoughtfully'. In employing AI, NHG Health has signed a five-year master collaboration agreement with ST Engineering to co-develop and implement engineering and smart systems to further enhance patient care and optimise health service delivery. The group also signed a memorandum of understanding with Nanyang Technological University's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and Hong Kong-based Cornerstone Robotics to focus on advanced research and innovation in surgical robotics systems. This alliance will identify future robotic-assisted surgery for a wider range of conditions treated at the hospitals under NHG Health and offer safer, less invasive and more affordable procedures to the patients. - The Straits Times/ANN
Hamilton Spectator
02-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Province introduces final-stages bill for health care remodel
The province of Alberta has introduced Bill 55, which would advance some of the final pieces of work to be done in refocusing the health-care system. The Bill, also known as the Health Statutes Amendment Act, addresses outstanding policy items, transfers services from Alberta Health Services to Primary Care Alberta and 'brings clarity to public health's role in the refocused system,' said the province. Amendments are proposed to the Provincial Health Agencies Act, Hospitals Act, Protection of Persons in Care Act, Health Information Act and the Public Health Act. Primary Care Alberta will oversee front-line public health services, such as communicable disease control, immunizations, newborn screening and health promotion. Other services, such as policy development, public health inspections and surveillance will be moved to Alberta Health. Alberta's government assured residents there will be no disruption to health delivery in the province during the transition, and no front-line job losses. 'Promoting and protecting the health of individuals, families and communities is foundational to Primary Care Alberta's commitment to bringing the right care to patients where they are,' said Kim Simmonds, president and CEO, Primary Care Alberta. 'I look forward to welcoming our front-line public health providers to the Primary Care Alberta team and working with these dedicated professionals to build a strong, unified health care system that improves health outcomes for all those who call Alberta home.' Among the amendments are also language changes, such as consolidating all hospital types into the term 'approved hospital' and other changes intended to better reflect the reality of Alberta's health-care systems. 'The new health shared services entity, which supports all four health services sectors, will provide oversight for health foundations in the refocused system. This is a natural fit for health foundations, as they work across all sectors. Legislation will also establish a clearer connection between health foundations and the communities they serve,' says the province. The bill would also amend the Health Information Act to give more power to the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services to fulfil its role as the sector ministry for continuing care by enabling it to collect, use and disclose health information as necessary for the work of overseeing all continuing care, including Assisted Living Alberta. Sections of the Hospitals Act would also be repealed. These sections, says the province, are outdated and do not reflect 'current acute-care system governance or the introduction of new governance structures and ministerial roles.' 'A year and a half in, and we are in the final stages of refocusing Alberta's health-care system. The proposed changes will help us continue to improve the health-care system for all Albertans,' said Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health.
