Proposed law for protecting genetic data to be beefed up

It will provide greater clarity on what such information can be used for: Ong Ye Kung

- Judith Tan

A proposed new law to protect genetic data collected from Singaporeans will be strengthened to provide greater clarity on what this hereditary information can or cannot be used for.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will be conducting broad public consultations on the topic, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said.

"For healthcare to be delivered seamlessly across all settings, and especially in the community, a patient's data needs to be captured and shared among healthcare providers whom the patient sought care from," he said.

Doing so immediately raises concerns about cyber security, which MOH is addressing by strengthening the IT infrastructure, he added.

The Health Minister was speaking at the ninth CHI Innovate 2025, NHG Health's flagship innovation conference, on July 10, held at the Ng Teng Fong Centre for Healthcare Innovation.

Genetic screening for medical conditions of the public is already being carried out as part of a nationwide programme to enhance preventive care in Singapore.