SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION, AND MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE KHOO TECK PUAT HOSPITAL & YISHUN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL SAFETY AND SECURITY WEEK 2026, 30 SEPTEMBER 2026

CEO Prof Chua Hong Choon
COO Dr Wong Kirk Chuan
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

1.             It is my pleasure to join you at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Yishun Community Hospital Safety and Security Week 2026. It is a timely opportunity for us to pause, celebrate, and reaffirm a simple but important principle: safety and security are fundamental to every hospital’s mission as a place of care and healing.

2.             When we speak about safety and security in healthcare, we must take a broad and inclusive view. It matters to everyone who enters our hospitals: patients, next-of-kin, members of the public, healthcare workers and staff. It encompasses different domains, such as physical, psychological, and online safety and security. These domains may be distinct, but they are closely connected in the day-to-day experience of care. Physical safeguards, psychological wellbeing, secure systems, clear processes and respectful interactions all contribute to an environment in which we can feel safe.

3.             Everyone has a part to play in enabling safety and security. Patients, caregivers, and visitors can help by speaking up when they witness abuse and harassment, and by treating healthcare workers with respect and understanding, even in moments of anxiety or frustration. Staff can look out for one another, report incidents to supervisors and management, and encourage colleagues to seek support when needed. Importantly, leaders and healthcare institutions must put in place clear systems for reporting and follow-up support, facilitate effective training for staff, and cultivate a culture where staff feel safe to speak up. Clear systems are most effective when people know how to use them. A supportive culture becomes stronger when concerns are heard and followed up. Together, these efforts can help strengthen our hospitals as safe and secure places of healing, for patients and healthcare workers alike.

4.             This shared responsibility is especially important to prevent abuse and harassment against healthcare workers. Such incidents can affect the individuals involved, the colleagues who witness them and the teams that support them. Healthcare work will sometimes involve difficult conversations, particularly when patients or caregivers are anxious or frustrated. However, abuse and harassment must never be accepted as an inevitable part of the job. A firm and coordinated response is therefore important to protect staff, support them after an incident, and maintain a respectful care environment.

Staff Protection and Empowerment Collective (SPEC)

5.             I am heartened that KTPH and YCH have taken concrete actions through the Staff Protection and Empowerment Collective, or SPEC. SPEC has made strides to strengthen staff protection since its formation in February 2024. Critically, the hospital translated the national Tripartite Framework for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare and the 3R approach into practical measures. Staff adopt these measures to Recognise early signs of aggressive or abusive behaviour, Respond by de-escalating the situation, and Report all cases of abuse and harassment via PRISM. With strong support from senior leadership, SPEC brings together colleagues from Human Resources, Psychiatry, Patient Experience, Workplace Safety and Health, Staff Clinic, Security, Corporate Communications, and operational teams. Each of these functions contributes a different perspective to develop holistic staff protection and support system.

A National Movement Against Abuse and Harassment of Healthcare Workers

6.             The efforts of KTPH and YCH are part of a broader national movement. In 2022, the Ministry of Health convened the Tripartite Workgroup for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment of Healthcare Workers, or TWG for short. As Advisor to the Workgroup, I have seen the collective efforts of the Ministry, public and private healthcare employers and the Union make a difference in supporting our healthcare workers against abuse and harassment. I would like to thank Prof Chua and Mr Wu for their leadership as the Co-chairs of the TWG. Preventing abuse and harassment is not the responsibility of any one institution. It requires shared standards, practical solutions and a willingness to learn from different healthcare settings.

7.             Among the Workgroup’s notable contributions is the launch of the Tripartite Framework in 2023, which provides all healthcare institutions with a common definition of abuse and harassment, and a consistent set of standards to safeguard their workers. A shared definition and standardised protocols provide an important basis for institutions to strengthen their own policies and processes. Today, all public healthcare institutions have implemented dedicated staff protection functions, including the appointment of Chief Wellness Officers. More than 6,000 healthcare workers have been trained in advanced de-escalation and self-defence techniques, and basic training continues to be provided to all frontline staff. Since the Implementation Guide for the community care sector was launched in May 2025, employers of more than 60% of the community care workforce have also come on board and incorporated the recommendations into their processes. Other healthcare providers such as private GPs and clinics are encouraged to consider the Workgroup’s recommendations to support their staff against abuse and harassment.

8.             Reports in PHIs doubled from around 2,200 cases in 2023 to 4,200 in 2025, reflecting growing awareness of unacceptable behaviour and greater confidence among healthcare workers to speak up and take action. The number of cases reported to the Police have also increased during this period, from around 350 to 550 cases.

9.             While the Workgroup completed its term recently on 30 June 2026, the work does not end there. The foundation has been laid for continued collaboration and learning to build a lasting culture of respect and safety across all healthcare settings. The TWG’s work will continue through a Community of Practice (COP), which brings together healthcare providers and partners to exchange ideas, share best practices, and co-create solutions. Through the COP, organisations can learn from approaches used in different settings, consider where practices can be strengthened, and build on the relationships and shared commitment developed through the TWG.

10.          It is my pleasure to share with you that we have captured the four-year Tripartite journey in its Final Report that will be launched today. The report will be made available on MOH’s website. You may see familiar faces in this report too! I am truly inspired by the personal accounts of our healthcare colleagues have stepped forward to share their experiences in this report.  

11.          I would like to share one of the stories by Eileen who is the co-chair of SPEC. When an incident occurs, Eileen leads with empathy, working closely with the affected staff and their supervisors to provide support through the reporting process and ensure follow-up actions are taken in alignment with the Tripartite Framework and the cluster’s workplace protection policies. Through SPEC, she also partners with Security and Workplace Safety and Health colleagues to review incident trends, identify higher-risk areas, and translate lessons learnt into preventive and protective measures.

12.          A coordinated organisational response is crucial in supporting staff who experience workplace harassment, and in creating preventive and protective measures. The Tripartite Framework provides a common language and structure for responding to incidents, while the Staff Protection Function Leads network enables institutions to learn from one another and work towards more consistent and effective approaches to staff protection across the healthcare sector.

Closing

13.          I commend the teams at KTPH and YCH for making safety and security a collective commitment, and for turning that commitment into practical actions. Through this Safety and Security Week, everyone has an opportunity to learn, reflect and strengthen what keeps our hospitals safe. I encourage you to take part in the activities, have open conversations with your colleagues, and bring what you learn back to your teams and daily work.

14.          Let us remember that safety is sustained not just by policies, but by the choices we make each day. Speak up, support a colleague, and treat one another with respect. Together, we can continue to make our hospitals safe and secure where every patient is cared for, and every healthcare worker feels protected, respected and empowered.

15.          Thank you.