Written Answer · 2026-07-07 · Parliament 15
Public Hospital Robotics Deployment, Clinical Outcomes and Long-term Impact on Healthcare Manpower
Dr Choo Pei Ling filed written questions to the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health: (a) how many public hospitals deploy (i) surgical robots and (ii) non-clinical service robots (logistics, cleaning, patient assistance); and (b) the measured impact on clinical outcomes, patient safety, staff workload and productivity — plus the Ministry's assessment of the long-term impact of robotics and automation on healthcare manpower in nursing, allied-health and support roles, and whether it plans to track and publish indicators on job redesign and productivity gains. Minister Ong Ye Kung replied that public hospitals such as NUH, SGH and TTSH have deployed robotic-assisted surgical (RAS) systems for minimally invasive soft-tissue surgeries, backed by clinical expertise and sufficient demand; outcomes and post-operative complications for indicated conditions have so far been comparable to conventional approaches. Robotics and automation can improve efficiency, ease workload and improve care; with rising patient numbers, appropriate use can help mitigate manpower shortages, including in allied-health and supportive roles, and a detailed academic study of the impact could be commissioned at an appropriate juncture.
Key Points
- • Public hospitals (NUH, SGH, TTSH) use robotic-assisted surgery for minimally invasive soft-tissue procedures; outcomes are comparable to conventional surgery
- • Robotics and automation are framed as a way to ease manpower shortages and workload, including allied-health and support roles
- • A detailed academic study of the clinical and manpower impact could be commissioned at an appropriate time
The Ministry of Health advances medical robotics in a cautious, pragmatic way: deploying robotic-assisted surgery in hospitals with the clinical expertise and demand to justify it, with "outcomes comparable to conventional surgery" as the safety warrant; it frames robotics and automation explicitly as a tool to address manpower shortages and lift productivity — not to replace staff — and keeps room to assess long-term impact through academic study.
Dr Choo Pei Ling pushed the question from "do robots help?" to "how do we quantify the impact?": asking for data on clinical outcomes, patient safety and staff workload, and pressing on the long-term effect of robotics on nursing and allied-health manpower, and whether indicators on job redesign and productivity would be tracked.
Singapore places medical robotics inside a "address manpower shortages" strategic frame, not mere tech upgrading: it expands surgical robots steadily on the safety floor of "outcomes comparable to conventional surgery," while defining robotics explicitly as a way to ease manpower pressure in nursing and support roles — answering Parliament's concern about whether AI/automation will hit healthcare jobs with an official framing of "fill the gap, not replace."
"With rising patient numbers and workload, appropriate usage of such technology can help mitigate the manpower shortages in the healthcare sector, including allied health and supportive roles over time."
Participants (2)
Original Text (English)
SPRS Hansard · Fetched: 2026-07-20
18 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how many public hospitals currently deploy (i) surgical robots and (ii) non-clinical service robots such as for logistics, cleaning and patient assistance; and (b) what has been the measured impact of such robots on clinical outcomes, patient safety, staff workload and productivity.
19 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the long-term impact of robotics and automation on healthcare manpower demands in nursing, allied health and support care roles; and (b) whether there are plans to track and publish indicators on job redesign and productivity gains from robotics in the public healthcare sector.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Public hospitals, such as the National University Hospital, the Singapore General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, have deployed robotic-assisted surgical (RAS) systems for minimally invasive soft-tissue surgeries. These hospitals possess relevant clinical expertise and sufficient demand based on accepted clinical indications to justify procurement of these RAS systems. The results, such as clinical outcomes and post-operative complications, for conditions indicated under RAS have so far been comparable to conventional surgical approaches.
Robotics and automation technologies can potentially improve operational efficiency, ease staff workload and improve care to patients. With rising patient numbers and workload, appropriate usage of such technology can help mitigate the manpower shortages in the healthcare sector, including allied health and supportive roles over time. At an appropriate juncture, we can commission a detailed academic study on its impact.