1. Strengthening Medical Physics through Education and Training
Country Report
SINGAPORE
Strengthening Medical Physics through Education and Training
26-28 May 2008 Dhaka, Bangladesh
Wong Toh Jui
Consultant Physicist

2. ASIA -SINGAPORE

3. Some Singapore statistics
Total land area: sq km
Total Population: 4.48m . Resident Population by Race: Chinese (75%); Malays (14%); Indians (9%);
Others (2%).
Average daily temperature: 25.2ºC - 32ºC
Official languages: English (language of administration), Chinese (Mandarin), Malay (National language) & Tamil

4. HealthCare in Singapore
Primary Care
Hospital Care

5. Public Healthcare Services
Ministry of Health
Singapore Health Services (SingHealth)
National Healthcare Group (NHG)

6. Public Healthcare Delivery Network
NHG Polyclinics (Primary Care Clinics)
SingHealth Polyclinics (Primary Care Clinics)
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Changi General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
National Cancer Centre
National Dental Centre
National Heart Centre
Singapore National Eye Centre
Outram Campus
Singapore’s largest concentration of
medical facilities &
services
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
National University Hospital
Alexandra Hospital
National Skin Centre
Institute of Mental
Health
National Neuroscience Institute

7. Sub-grouping
Primary Care
Secondary Care
Tertiary Care
Quaternary Care

8. Major Radiation Equipment
Type
Total
Public
Pte
Linacs 17 13 4
Brachytherapy 3 2 1
Gammaknife CT 44 24 20
MRI 30 16 14
Gamma Camera
PET
X-rays
518

9. No & Type of Medical Physicists in Singapore
Field
Total
Pub
Pte
Radiation Oncology 13 11 2
Nuclear Medicine 1
Diagnostic Imaging 4 3
Radiation Safety & Protection 20 17

10. Sources of Medical Physicists
Overseas recruitment with minimum of MSc in Medical Physics
local recruitment of physics graduates:
provide on job-training
overseas attachment and
attendance of higher degree course

11. Higher Education in SingaporeNo
Name
Medical School
Physics
Universities 3
NUS
Yes
NTU
pending
SMU
Polytechnics 5
One poly offers diploma/degree course in Diagnostic & Radiation Oncology for Radiation Technologists

12. Minimum Requirement to Practice
Medical Staffs: must be licensed and accredited
Radiographers & Radiation Therapists:
Licensed & has a recognized diploma in Diagnostic Radiography/Radiation Therapy
Medical Physicists: a good honours physics degree or equivalent

13. Legal Requirements
No legal requirements for a presence of a radiation physicist unless it is a condition imposed by the Director-General of Environment Protection.
It is noted that there is no radiation therapy centre operated without the service of a resident medical physicist

14. Singapore’s role to-date
Provision of Attachment Training in support of IAEA Technical Co-operation program : for physicists, radiation oncologists and radiographers
Hosting of Regional Workshop: TRS 398 Workshop
Hosting of RCA training course in Conformal Treatment Planning

15. LOOKING AHEAD……..
Encouraged staff to seek accreditation in Radiation Therapy
Tapping on training opportunity available in the regions for upgrading
More physicists employed in the diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine arena

18. Thank you