SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE DUKE-NUS CLASS OF 2026 GRADUATION CEREMONY, 30 MAY 2026

Professor Patrick Tan, Dean of Duke-NUS Medical School,

Duke-NUS Faculty and staff,

Graduands and family members,

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Opening

1.             Good afternoon. It is a joy to be here with you today. As I look around this auditorium, I see graduands who have poured years of dedication and hard work to reach this moment. I see families filled with pride. I see professors, educators who have walked alongside the graduands, shaping them into who they are today. This is truly a special day.

Different Paths, One Purpose

2.             Today, we are celebrating your achievements. To the graduands, you are about to embark on the next chapter of your careers in healthcare, research, and innovation. What I find remarkable is how different your backgrounds and paths are. Many of you came from fields outside medicine entirely — engineering, the sciences, or other professions. And while your journeys here have taken different forms, you are all united by a common purpose: to make healthcare better, whether at the bedside, in the lab, or through improving the systems that patients depend on.

Keeping Singapore Healthy

3.             You are joining healthcare at a pivotal juncture. Singapore, like many countries worldwide, faces a rapidly ageing population. According to the United Nations, a country with 21% or more of its population aged 65 and above is considered ‘super-aged’. This year, Singapore has crossed the mark and become a super-aged society. By 2030, we expect one in four Singaporeans to be 65 and above. This demographic shift requires a fundamental change in how we deliver healthcare, where a key part of this is the shift from treating illness to preventing it.

4.             To this end, we have rolled out national initiatives focused on keeping our population in good health. Healthier SG is a national movement that encourages preventive care such as health screenings, vaccinations, and proactive management of chronic diseases. This helps residents identify and manage health issues early, preventing or delaying disease progression. Better chronic disease control reduces complications, reduces the need for hospitalisations and improves the quality of life.

5.             Launched in July 2023, Healthier SG now has more than 1.4 million enrolled participants and more than 1,100 primary care partners, including private general practitioners (GPs) and polyclinics. As you meet patients and their families, please encourage them to enrol in Healthier SG.

6.             To further support our seniors, Age Well SG was also launched in 2023 to help seniors age actively, stay socially connected, and be cared for within the community. Through Age Well SG, we have expanded our network of Active Ageing Centres, with over 230 centres islandwide serving as touchpoints for seniors to stay physically and socially active. We are building on these efforts to bring enhanced care and health services, and senior-friendly infrastructure closer to where seniors live under the Age Well Neighbourhoods initiative, in neighbourhoods with a higher concentration of seniors like Toa Payoh.

7.             More recently, we launched Grow Well SG in January 2025. Preventive care must start from young. To this end, Grow Well SG empowers families, with support from preschools and schools, healthcare institutions, and the community, to build healthy habits in children which can carry through to adulthood, bringing long-term health benefits. We have rolled out initiatives to address five key areas important to children’s health and well-being - Eat Well, Sleep Well, Learn Well, Exercise Well and Bond Well.

Research That Makes a Difference

8.             Duke-NUS has been contributing to our preventive care strategy. Research by Duke-NUS found that Singapore's Nutri-Grade labelling requirements, launched in 2022, encourages consumers to choose beverages with lower sugar content, with participants in the study opting for drinks with measurably less sugar per serving. With these promising results, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) is extending Nutri-Grade labelling requirements to key sources of sodium and saturated fat, including prepacked salt, sauces, seasonings, cooking oil, and instant noodles, to help reduce the risk of hypertension and high cholesterol among Singaporeans. This is just one example of how Duke-NUS research has supported national policy, and we look forward to working more closely with the School through their Health Services Research and Population Health Programme, which aims to inform and support national policies, improving patient outcomes and delivering more cost-effective care.

Your Role in Transforming Care

9.             Care delivery is also continuously evolving to address emerging challenges. Healthcare manpower — from doctors and nurses to allied health professionals and community care workers — is expanding, with some also changing roles as we shift healthcare away from hospitals and towards the community. Our public hospitals too are transforming how they are organised to provide more consolidated care. One way is through introducing clinical teams led by a Principal Doctor. These doctors lead unified care teams who will develop a single, clear, and coordinated care plan for each patient. Principal Doctors need not be specialists, but also include Hospital Clinicians, who are equipped with a broader breadth of clinical expertise.

10.          All of this requires doctors who have a good balance between deep and broad-based expertise, who consider systems impact, who can work across boundaries, and adapt to changes when necessary. This is exactly what your Duke-NUS training has prepared you for.

Making Healthcare Better for You

11.          As you begin your careers, you may face challenges and complex situations that will test both skill and character. However, you are not alone in this journey — the Ministry of Health and our healthcare clusters are committed to ensuring that every one of you works in a supportive environment.

12.          Systems and processes have been put in place to support you. Importantly, we advocate for a safe and respectful workplace with zero tolerance for any form of abuse and harassment towards healthcare staff. This commitment is signalled clearly with the launch of the Tripartite Framework for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment in Healthcare in December 2023. 

13.          We now have Chief Wellness Officers in every healthcare cluster to look after the well-being of all healthcare professionals and are progressively strengthening work hour guidelines for junior doctors to foster healthier, more sustainable working conditions.

14.          We are also creating more diverse and fulfilling career paths for doctors in the public healthcare sector. Family Physicians will anchor primary and community-based care. Hospital Clinicians will retain broader-based competencies across multiple domains and Specialists will deepen their expertise in specific disciplines while also maintaining a broader scope of practice. We have also formally recognised Family Medicine as a specialty, acknowledging the depth of knowledge and skill that family physicians bring to caring for increasingly complex patients in the community.

Closing

15.          In closing, I would like to ask you to always keep in mind why you chose this path to be a doctor. Some of you changed careers to be here. Others balanced studies with work and family. The dedication it took to reach this moment is itself a testament to the kind of doctor you will be.

16.          Maybe it was a family member who was ill. Maybe you saw a gap that needed filling. Maybe you simply wanted to help people. Whatever brought you here, hold onto that calling. It will guide you through difficult moments and be your greatest source of strength. Because healthcare is ultimately about people — and the best doctors never lose sight of that.

17.          Congratulations to the Class of 2026! And to all the families here — this success belongs to you too. Thank you.