APPOINTMENT OF NEW CHAIRMAN FOR HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY

    The Minister for Health has appointed Associate Professor Benjamin Ong Kian Chung as the Chairman of the Board of the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2024. 

New Chairman, Associate Professor Ong Kian Chung

2.    Associate Professor Benjamin Ong is the Senior Vice President (Health Education and Resources) at the National University of Singapore, and Senior Consultant at the Division of Neurology of the National University Hospital. As Deputy Chairman of the HSA Board since 1 October 2020, he brings with him extensive clinical expertise and experience in public healthcare. Associate Professor Ong held key leadership and professional positions in the healthcare sector, and was Director of Medical Services (DMS) at the Ministry of Health (MOH) from 2014 to 2020, where he played a pivotal role in developing Singapore’s healthcare system. He also serves on various private and public sector Boards, including as Chairman of the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination, Senior Advisor to the current DMS and a member of the Public Service Commission. 

3.    As Chairman of HSA, Associate Professor Ong will lead HSA in its continued mission to regulate health products, serve the administration of justice, secure the nation's blood supply and safeguard public health. Amidst the constantly evolving and increasingly complex health and technology landscapes, Associate Professor Ong’s astuteness and steady leadership will allow HSA to continue to adapt and innovate to support health system transformation efforts, while maintaining the highest scientific, professional and ethical standards.

Outgoing Chairman, Professor Satkunanantham s/o Kandiah

4.    MOH wishes to express our appreciation to Professor Satkunanantham s/o Kandiah, who has steered HSA with distinction since 2014. Professor Satkunanantham played a critical leadership role in strengthening the scientific rigour, expertise and capacity of HSA, and establishing its reputation and recognition as a well-respected scientific and regulatory authority both nationally and internationally. Under his stewardship, HSA has grown significantly in its professional expertise and diverse capabilities of health product regulation, transfusion medicine as well as forensic and analytical sciences.  

5.    During his tenure, Professor Satkunanantham was instrumental in overseeing HSA’s efforts at being more pro-enterprise, making significant improvement in its performance in the Pro-Enterprise Panel and Singapore Business Federation’s Pro-Enterprise Survey. He was also keenly interested in ensuring sustainability of the National Blood Programme and he supported decentralisation efforts in meeting Singapore’s blood demand and building up of testing capabilities to ensure continued safety of the blood supply. 

6.    Professor Satkunanantham constantly encouraged the advancement of scientific expertise and pursuit for excellence as a trusted national authority in forensic science, medicine and analytical services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Satkunanantham fully supported HSA in contributing towards the national efforts to address the global health crisis and its impact on public health and safety.  

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
23 SEPTEMBER 2021