Robot nurses that can monitor a patient's condition to be piloted at NUH in 2025

Patients at the National University Hospital (NUH) will soon be greeted by robot nurses that can guide them around the ward, deliver medicine and give instructions on how much to take.

- Osmond Chia

The robot nurses will also monitor a patient's condition from time to time, easing the load on human nurses and allowing them to focus on more complex matters.

Developed by the National University Health System (NUHS), 30 robot helpers, named Missi, will be rolled out as part of a pilot at NUH from April 2025.

The 1.5m-tall robot, with a friendly smile on its front screen, was unveiled on Dec 5 at health-tech conference Imagine AI 2024, organised by Singapore's medical clusters and academic institutions at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

The conference, comprising a show floor and a series of panel discussions between Dec 5 and 8, drew about 600 experts, healthcare practitioners and innovations from around the world.

Powered by an artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by NUHS, Missi is able to speak to nurses and patients, provide information on advised dosage of medication, how to store it and the medication's intended effects, said Adjunct Professor Ngiam Kee Yuan, who is head of the academic informatics office at NUHS.