SINGAPORE - A grant to speed up the adoption of new health technologies in hospitals and clinics was launched on Monday.

One example of a health tech innovation viable for the grant is software that employs artificial intelligence to diagnose serious diseases in general settings, among other things.

With only 30 per cent of health tech innovations clinically adopted in a widespread manner, Professor Tina Wong, executive director of the National Health Innovation Centre Singapore (NHIC), said the initiative will improve the problem of low uptake of healthcare technologies.

Prof Wong said: “It is but the start of an exciting journey and together with you, we shall continue to forge ahead and break new ground to power the next generation of healthcare innovations.”

Supported by the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Clinical Innovation and Adoption Initiative launched by the NHIC will disburse up to $1 million to successful applicants to develop and distribute their technologies islandwide. 

Prof Wong added that successful applicants to the programme can also expect to receive mentorship to transform their innovations into commercially successful biotech companies.

More details would be released at a later date, she said.

The first grant call for this initiative will begin accepting applicants from November and will focus on funding screening technologies.

Proposals should include technologies that aim to detect early onset of disease and/or enhance proactive screening in homes, and primary or community care settings.

Subsequent rounds of the grant will focus on funding technologies related to diagnosing existent medical conditions alongside the management of such conditions, and cures for these diseases.

Dr Cheong Wei Yang, MOH deputy secretary of technology, said that such programmes are an investment in Singapore’s defence against future healthcare challenges.

“Singapore is blessed with what many consider to be a world-class healthcare system... But as is our nature, our divine discontent keeps us from resting on our laurels, and instead drives us to look into the future, to identify possible wild cards and the future challenges to come, and to prompt us to invest today so that tomorrow will still be better,” he said.

“We must become more agile in adopting new, cost-effective healthcare technologies in Singapore, so as to care better for our people, while optimising our limited manpower resources and enhancing productivity.”