Speaking in parliament on Thursday, where he laid out his ministry’s spending plans for the year, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the government’s use of AI in healthcare was guided by two principles.
“One, care should be AI-enhanced, not AI-decided. Clinicians remain in the loop and healthcare remains a profoundly human endeavour,” he said.
“Two, we take a practical, use case approach. AI should not be a hammer looking for a nail, a solution looking for a problem. We deploy AI where we know it will improve patient outcomes or the delivery of care, and it can do so cost-effectively.”
When used responsibly, such tools can help clinicians intervene earlier, delay or even prevent the onset of severe disease, he added.
The ministry said the move marks a shift towards preventive care that is personalised to individual risk profiles, rather than applied uniformly.
By identifying at-risk patients earlier, it hopes to prevent or delay more serious cardiovascular events and potentially reduce long-term healthcare costs.
