SINGAPORE: Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon on Saturday (May 23) said he was not “running away”, following his decision to step down from political office.
Speaking at the inaugural National Exemplary Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners Awards 2026, Dr Koh thanked his friends and the general public for their encouragement and support after the announcement of his resignation on Friday.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced on Friday that Dr Koh, who is Senior Minister of State for Health and Senior Minister of State for Manpower, will step down from his roles with effect from Jun 1 due to “family reasons”.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your encouragement, your support, and your partnership, especially those who I worked with all these years,” Dr Koh said on Saturday.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
“Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.”
Dr Koh, who is also a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, added that as an elected MP, his constituents would always be a priority for him and he will continue to do his “very best” for the residents.
But he also noted that the needs of his family have increased in recent years.
“Unfortunately for family, I'm the only one they have,” Dr Koh said.
“I cannot outsource my family to others, so it is time that I have to take stock and reprioritise. But I was telling some of you that I'm not running away, I'm still going to be around, right?”
He added that he would still be at “different events” in his role as an MP.
“I want to just once again say a big thanks to everyone for sending me your text messages and your emails, and for your support,” Dr Koh said.
At the awards ceremony, Dr Koh also announced the initiation of the TCM practitioner and services accreditation framework later this year.
“As the TCM profession continues to grow in numbers and calibre, we can uplift the sector by recognising practitioners with higher professional competency, as well as service providers who deliver higher quality care,” Dr Koh said.
“We will be engaging the TCM community in July to provide more details on the framework,” he added.
Dr Koh strongly encouraged all TCM practitioners and service providers to embrace this opportunity for accreditation.
“Your participation will be crucial in elevating TCM's standing in Singapore's healthcare landscape and creating more opportunities for TCM to contribute to our national healthcare system,” he added.
Dr Koh also said that a call for proposals for the Healthier SG-TCM Joint Enrolment Initiative will be launched next week, for "patients who straddle both western medicine and TCM".
To participate, TCM practitioners and Healthier SG general practitioners will need to form partnerships and submit a joint proposal on how they will holistically co-manage the health of residents.
Dr Koh said the effort aims to develop innovative care models that reach TCM-inclined residents and improve their overall health outcomes.
"As we are in new territory, we will begin with a small-scale proof-of-concept and set strict requirements to ensure safe and quality care," he said.
“Participating TCM clinics and practitioners must be accredited, and Healthier SG clinics must have been onboarded for at least one year."
Dr Koh added that the government envisions TCM providers contributing to preventive care, for instance, through TCM-based dietary and lifestyle advice, and referring patients to Healthier SG GPs for fully subsidised vaccinations and screenings.
"We hope that the proposals submitted will harness the strengths of both TCM and Western medicine, supporting Singaporeans in improving their health."
Continue reading...
Speaking at the inaugural National Exemplary Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners Awards 2026, Dr Koh thanked his friends and the general public for their encouragement and support after the announcement of his resignation on Friday.
The Prime Minister’s Office announced on Friday that Dr Koh, who is Senior Minister of State for Health and Senior Minister of State for Manpower, will step down from his roles with effect from Jun 1 due to “family reasons”.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your encouragement, your support, and your partnership, especially those who I worked with all these years,” Dr Koh said on Saturday.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
“Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.”
Dr Koh, who is also a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, added that as an elected MP, his constituents would always be a priority for him and he will continue to do his “very best” for the residents.
But he also noted that the needs of his family have increased in recent years.
“Unfortunately for family, I'm the only one they have,” Dr Koh said.
“I cannot outsource my family to others, so it is time that I have to take stock and reprioritise. But I was telling some of you that I'm not running away, I'm still going to be around, right?”
He added that he would still be at “different events” in his role as an MP.
“I want to just once again say a big thanks to everyone for sending me your text messages and your emails, and for your support,” Dr Koh said.
Related:
ACCREDITATION FOR TCM PRACTITIONERS
At the awards ceremony, Dr Koh also announced the initiation of the TCM practitioner and services accreditation framework later this year.
“As the TCM profession continues to grow in numbers and calibre, we can uplift the sector by recognising practitioners with higher professional competency, as well as service providers who deliver higher quality care,” Dr Koh said.
“We will be engaging the TCM community in July to provide more details on the framework,” he added.
Dr Koh strongly encouraged all TCM practitioners and service providers to embrace this opportunity for accreditation.
“Your participation will be crucial in elevating TCM's standing in Singapore's healthcare landscape and creating more opportunities for TCM to contribute to our national healthcare system,” he added.
Dr Koh also said that a call for proposals for the Healthier SG-TCM Joint Enrolment Initiative will be launched next week, for "patients who straddle both western medicine and TCM".
To participate, TCM practitioners and Healthier SG general practitioners will need to form partnerships and submit a joint proposal on how they will holistically co-manage the health of residents.
Dr Koh said the effort aims to develop innovative care models that reach TCM-inclined residents and improve their overall health outcomes.
"As we are in new territory, we will begin with a small-scale proof-of-concept and set strict requirements to ensure safe and quality care," he said.
“Participating TCM clinics and practitioners must be accredited, and Healthier SG clinics must have been onboarded for at least one year."
Dr Koh added that the government envisions TCM providers contributing to preventive care, for instance, through TCM-based dietary and lifestyle advice, and referring patients to Healthier SG GPs for fully subsidised vaccinations and screenings.
"We hope that the proposals submitted will harness the strengths of both TCM and Western medicine, supporting Singaporeans in improving their health."
Continue reading...