Appointment Of Director Of Medical Services

24 May 2000

Dr Chen Ai Ju, Director of Medical Services (DMS) of the Ministry of Health, will retire on 31 May 2000. Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, currently Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), will be appointed as the Director of Medical Services from 1 June 2000.

Dr Chen has had a distinguished career in the Health Service over a span of almost three decades, since she joined the Ministry of Health in 1971. Prior to her appointment as Director of Medical Services, she served in key areas in the Ministry of Health, spanning both primary health care and hospital services. Dr Chen was appointed DMS on 6 September 1996.

Dr Chen has contributed much in the field of health. She developed the Ministry's capabilities in epidemiological research, to identify key health trends and as a basis for planning resource requirements. In the area of public health, she stepped up disease prevention and health education programmes, such as the National Smoking Control Programme, healthy lifestyle programmes, and other educational programmes against specific diseases. Other contributions include the upgrading of the polyclinic services, the restructuring and development of hospitals, the development of legislation for the Advance Medical Directive, and the formation and work of the National Medical Research Council and the National Medical Ethics Committee.

As Director of Medical Services, Dr Chen played a leadership role in the development of the medical profession. She was instrumental in putting in place a more rigorous accreditation and registration system for medical specialists, and directing the amendments to the Medical Registration Act (MRA). This was accompanied by the development of a more structured framework to oversee specialist training. She had also laid the foundation for the medical audit programme for hospitals in Singapore so as to ensure a high standard of medical care.

Dr Chen has served as the Chairman of the Boards of the National Skin Centre, the National Heart Centre, the National Cancer Centre and the Ang Mo Kio Community Hospital. In addition, she was also a Director on numerous Restructured Hospital Boards. Dr Chen was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 1978 and the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1987.

Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, aged 40 years, joined the National University of Singapore in 1987 as a Lecturer in the Department of Medicine and subsequently became Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in July 1991 and July 1995 respectively. A renal physician by training, he has obtained several postgraduate degrees in Medicine and was conferred the PhD in Medicine in 1993. He won the Youth Award for medical research in 1996.

Professor Tan was appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, NUS in September 1997.