Healthcare technology: Singapore’s prescription for a world without sickness

The world’s first “rapid smart test kit”, robots assisting in spinal surgery, and “seeing” a doctor without ever meeting face-to-face – these are not sci-fi, but ways that technology is rapidly transforming healthcare to ensure future generations lead longer, healthier lives.

In Singapore, innovative companies seeking to create a healthier world enjoy a vibrant ecosystem that helps turn vision into reality. Access to scientific talent, development support, and a network of partners have enabled businesses across biomedical, medtech and healthcare services to drive more effective treatments, higher standards of patient care, even ways to safeguard the world against diseases that have not yet manifested.

As Diana Tang, Medtronic Singapore’s Vice President for Global Commercial Operations & Customer Experience, puts it: “Imagine a world in the near future where there is equal access to care for all via innovative healthcare technology… this is already happening in Singapore.” It is why the medtech giant established a presence in Singapore to manufacture and offer its products and services, and serve patients from around the world.

Meanwhile, biotechnology company GenScript Biotech and telemedicine startup Doctor Anywhere have also found success bringing their ambitions to life, by working with likeminded partners across Singapore’s broad network of researchers, innovative and leading scientific talent.

Preparing the world against yet-unknown diseases
 

For life sciences research tools and services provider GenScript, developing the cPass™ in 2020 – the world’s first FDA approved COVID-19 neutralising antibody test kit — was a global achievement. Being based in Singapore, the company had assembled a world-class research team, who was able to conceptualise, design, test and manufacture the cPass™ test kits in partnership with DUKE-NUS and the Diagnostics Development Hub of A*STAR.

Today, GenScript continues to play a significant role in Singapore’s research and healthcare sector with the opening of a new manufacturing facility here to innovate and manufacture protein and genes which are the building blocks for new therapeutics, drugs and vaccines development.

Johnson Wang, GenScript’s president of Asia-Pacific pointed out: “Singapore has an excellent eco-system, not only for technology, but also in terms of government support, economy, environment, legal system, and other macroeconomic factors.”

Working with strong supporting partners such as EDB and A*STAR, Singapore’s lead agency for research, accelerated its growth. Another key factor for its success? The talent pool.

“Singapore is home to many renowned scientists,” said Johnson, “talent is essential, and that’s one of the reasons why we chose to set up our regional headquarter in Singapore. Singapore is also the home to two of the best universities in the world — the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University — and many other great institutions to nurture future talent.”

Calling the doctor anytime, anywhere
 

Doctor Anywhere became Singapore’s go-to telemedicine solution provider over the pandemic, enabling even the elderly and children to get consultations without going to clinics in person. It also launched the industry’s first online supervised teleART service. The startup now serves 2.5 million users across Southeast Asia, a number that has strengthened its credibility and opened doors in other countries.

As it expands in Southeast Asia, Doctor Anywhere aims to increase access to quality, affordable healthcare, enabling the sick to receive prompt and professional medical attention for ailments or chronic conditions. Lim Wai Mun, the company’s Founder & CEO said: “With technology-enabled healthcare, we believe that healthcare demand and supply in the region can be better matched. Our development goals are aligned to ensure that healthcare resources are utilised more efficiently, and that overall redundancies and costs are reduced.”

Being headquartered in Singapore has given it physical proximity to the regional market and access to an international talent pool with different perspectives. This enables Doctor Anywhere to increase its scalability and value to its users.

He also credits a pro-business culture, and the government’s support for Doctor Anywhere’s success. Said Wai Mun, “Singapore has really walked the talk in growing the startup ecosystem. We received guidance from Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board to scale up, which was critical in helping to connect us to other founders and companies who asked key questions about our strategy. That has propelled us in terms of building our business and our networks”.

Imagining a healthier future for everyone
 

Medtronic is working towards a future of fast and accurate diagnosis and targeted treatments. It dreams of a future in which lung cancer can be detected through the nasal passage and treated in a single, minimally invasive event; and diabetics can receive personalised, predictive care without being subject to strips or pricks. By integrating healthcare, data, and technology in its solutions, the company aims to enable doctors to deliver better treatment.

“Medtronic plans to use hyper-personalisation and advanced computing to develop a patient-centric focus that delivers the right solutions at the right place, and at the right time. This will allow patients to spend less time worrying about their medical conditions,” said Diana.

To make these a reality, the medical technology and device company needs support from governments to push for innovations which put patients first – and it is finding that in Singapore.

Being based here has enabled Medtronic to collaborate with the National Heart Centre and other hospitals to implant the world’s smallest pacemaker for patients who only require pacing in the right ventricle. By 2027, it plans to roll out its pioneering product: a fully integrated spinal surgery that uses robotics, AI, and customisation for spinal implants, in partnership with SingHealth.

What’s more, the company aims to further enhance the healthcare ecosystem. In 2021, it launched Medtronic’s Open Innovation Platform (OIP) with the Singapore Economic Development Board, to identify and invest in promising medical technology and digital health solutions. It will support developments that help it leverage data, AI, and automation to address patient needs.

It helps too, that the country’s digitally savvy population and supportive infrastructure embraces innovations. “Singapore’s strong, integrated and efficient healthcare ecosystem, and the government’s unwavering commitment to nurturing and growing innovation in healthcare technology, has shown us that Singapore — and the talent pool across Asia — are critical to the future of healthcare.”