Speech by Professor Kenneth Mak, Director-General of Health, Ministry of Health

Dr Wong Tien Hua, President, College of Family Physicians Singapore, distinguished colleagues and esteemed guests, a very good evening to all of you.

It is my privilege to join all of you at the College of Family Physicians Singapore’s Family Medicine Convocation Ceremony and Dinner. This is a momentous occasion for the doctors this evening who are new FCFP, MMed(FM), and GDFM recipients. Tonight, we celebrate not just individual achievements, but a collective milestone that will shape the future of healthcare in Singapore.

To the primary care doctors who are new FCFP, MMed(FM), and GDFM recipients, I extend my warmest congratulations on reaching this significant milestone in your professional journey. Your dedication, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to advancing the noble discipline of Family Medicine have brought you to this remarkable accomplishment and achievement. In our profession, learning never stops. Hence, today is a joyous celebration of your lifelong commitment to professional development. I also want to acknowledge the family members, loving spouses and children, and mentors who have supported your journey — their patience, encouragement, and guidance have been instrumental in your success.

But as Tien Hua shared, tonight marks more than a personal celebration. We are also witnessing a historic moment for Family Medicine in Singapore. Family Medicine has recently been officially recognised as a specialty by the Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB), marking a pivotal transformation in the discipline. This recognition places Singapore alongside other nations such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, and Australia, formally acknowledging Family Medicine as a specialty. The SAB had earlier announced the accreditation criteria for existing and incoming Fellows to become accredited Family Medicine specialists. Therefore, I encourage all eligible practitioners to submit your applications as soon as possible to meet the stipulated timelines. This is your moment to be part of this historic milestone in the progress of medicine in Singapore.

The role of Family Physicians in Singapore’s healthcare transformation continues to evolve. You have built upon your foundational role as trusted healthcare partners to deliver comprehensive, holistic care that strengthens the doctor-patient relationship. Much of what we are doing for Family Medicine — the training, the recognition as a specialty — is fundamentally about addressing the needs of our population and ensuring that our patients receive the appropriate care.

Through Healthier SG, the relationship with your patients will evolve to become more meaningful and personal. As their doctor of choice, you will journey through their life milestones and be entrusted with providing preventive, acute, and chronic care for them and their families. As of 1 November this year, more than 1,100 GP clinics have joined Healthier SG in partnership with MOH to embrace this vision. This is a testament to the profession’s commitment to transformation, and I want to thank you for coming on board with the vision for better primary care. Family Physicians serve as the cornerstone of our healthcare system — the trusted first point of contact who guide Singaporeans towards better health.

The scope and complexity of Family Medicine practice continues to expand. Family Physicians are increasingly managing complex chronic diseases as our population rapidly ages; mental health conditions, end-of-life and palliative care, and advanced care planning all take stage. Family Physicians will also be increasingly involved in shared care models with hospital-based specialists as we aim to keep our patients anchored in the community. Today, shared care models for Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3b, breast, and colorectal cancer survivorship are ongoing.

Our commitment to quality-focused primary care infrastructure development is evident in our pilot of Price Quality Method tenders for GP clinics in HDB estates, prioritising quality care delivery over price alone. Delivering quality care will increasingly require multidisciplinary team-based care, with larger clinic spaces to accommodate comprehensive services including nurse counselling, diabetic foot, and eye screening programmes.

The importance of structured postgraduate Family Medicine training cannot be overstated as we manage the breadth of patients from cradle to grave. CFPS has played a critical role in supporting training and development through its GDFM, MMed(FM), and Fellowship programmes. I want to acknowledge that CFPS has played a key role in pushing through the proposal to recognise Family Medicine as a specialty.

Looking ahead, we must focus on strengthening the Family Medicine workforce and building a foundation of trust. Well-trained family physicians are essential in delivering coordinated and evidence-based care. You will often be the first and most trusted point of healthcare contact for our communities. MOH is committed to strengthening Family Medicine by expanding our comprehensive training programmes, nurturing the next generation of family physicians who will serve as the cornerstone of Singapore’s healthcare system.

Together, we are advancing the Healthier SG vision of one doctor for every family who truly knows and cares for their patient’s complete health journey. In a system with finite resources, we must continue to emphasise appropriate and cost-effective solutions as we tackle the growing healthcare needs of our population. Primary care must deliver the right care, for the right patient, at the right time and the right place.

Tonight’s celebration represents more than individual achievement. It represents our collective commitment to excellence in Family Medicine and our shared vision for a healthier Singapore. I encourage all of you to continue engaging actively with one another, sharing your knowledge, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation in primary care.

Tien Hua shared a bit about what it is to be a specialist, a Family Medicine specialist, and this issue of whether or not prices and salaries will rise. I think that is not necessarily the most important thing that we need to ask ourselves. What we need to ask ourselves is: what is the value proposition that we give to our patients and their families? Through the establishment of a new tier of Family Medicine specialists, it is my hope that each and every one of you will become, or are now, a Family Medicine specialist. That you will set the stage for high quality care, ensuring the best of outcomes for our patients who increasingly will be moving out from hospitals to home, receiving the best of care for their chronic diseases where they are, and you will establish amongst your community what those best practice standards are in raising the quality of care in primary care settings.

Congratulations once again to all our new FCFP, MMed(FM), and GDFM graduands. I wish you continued success as you embark on this next chapter of your professional journey, serving our communities with distinction and compassion. And I look forward to interacting with each and every one of you as a family physician, Family Medicine specialist, and a friend and colleague, wanting the best of care for our patients.

Thank you very much.

Source: The College Mirror