SPEECH BY MR TAN KIAT HOW, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT IWALK 2026

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Grassroots Adviser for Punggol GRC

Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Member of Parliament and Grassroots Adviser for Punggol GRC

Dr Ernest Kan, Chairman, SingHealth Community Hospitals’ Health Fund Committee

Associate Professor Gan Wee Hoe, CEO, SingHealth Community Hospitals

Associate Professor Lionel Cheng, CEO (Designate), SingHealth Community Hospitals

Ladies and gentlemen

             A very good afternoon. I am very happy to join all of you here at iWalk 2026 at Punggol Digital District. Give yourselves a round of applause! There are more than a thousand of you.

iWalk – A Community United by Compassion

2.             Since its inception in 2020, iWalk has been bringing the community together in support of SingHealth Community Hospitals’ (SCH’s) needy patients, their families and caregivers, as Professor Gan said earlier.

3.             As you heard just now, iWalk had set a fundraising goal of $170,000. We have surpassed that and raised more than $250,000. Well done! This is possible only with all your strong support.

Championing Preventive Health and Care Continuity

4.             The funds raised through iWalk help patients transition from hospital to home, where recovery continues in a familiar environment. Not just looking at health issues, the activities supported by these funds also tackle social and emotional factors affecting the patient’s recovery.

5.             For example, in SCH’s Social Prescribing Programme, wellbeing coordinators connect patients to community resources and meaningful activities. For some, this may mean joining an art session to improve mental wellbeing; while for others, perhaps our seniors, it may mean learning about smartphones and how to use Whatsapp to stay connected with loved ones. These are very meaningful programmes supported by all the funds that are raised by you.

Building a Resilient and Integrated Health Ecosystem

6.             In today’s fast-paced life, where we are bombarded by worrying news all the time – from technological disruptions, armed conflicts around the world and uncertain economic conditions, it is easy to become focused only on our own needs and our own goals.

7.             Initiatives like iWalk remind us that there are those around us who are more vulnerable, and those around us who need more help. And while no one can do everything, everyone can do something – and together, we create real and impactful values to these individuals and their family members. By bringing together the community to support these families, we are also fostering the kind of society we want here in Singapore. I want to thank all of you again for your presence, your support, your commitment. I know many of you have also volunteered in many of the programmes. Thank you very much.

Closing

8.             And let us not forget, exercise is also a form of medicine. It promotes an active lifestyle where we support overall wellbeing,  encouraging regular physical activity and healthier daily habits. Today, as we take these steps together, let us all be reminded that even the smallest steps, taken collectively together and with purpose and heart, can carry someone towards hope, and carry all of us towards greater health.

9.             Thank you very much. Enjoy the walk!