Our Year in Review - the Healthcare & Life Sciences Committee

Chair: Thalia Georgiou

The Health and Life Sciences Committee is the newest chamber committee. Its diverse membership brings together payors, providers, life sciences and
MedTech companies and a range of professional service firms focused on supporting the sector.

In 2020, the healthcare and life sciences sector has played a pivotal role in managing the COVID-19 outbreak and preventing its further spread. There has been a whole system effort to protect patients - closing protection gaps with health insurance products, developing new ways to manage patients in need of care and developing new vaccines and therapies. Of course, these activities have coexisted with delivering “business as usual” against a backdrop of considerable uncertainty and change. In undertaking these vital roles, the sector has understandably seen major changes to the distribution and nature of customer and patient demand. And - like all sectors - the impact of a recession has affected business activity.

Given this extraordinary situation, the work of the Committee has focused on a number of key themes, including:

1. The effects of a changing economic outlook on healthcare
2. The expedited development and deployment of digital health solutions
3. The impact of the working environment on mental health and wellbeing

We have undertaken several events related to these themes and developed a white paper for the Singaporean Government setting out some of the Committees thinking on how to ensure a sustainable system. We have also devoted a large chunk of each committee meeting to knowledge sharing; helping ensure sub-sectors hear from one another in order to foster better coordination and collaboration within the healthcare industry. Lastly, recognising that the strength of the Committee comes from a diverse membership, we have launched a campaign to attract further senior stakeholders in the health community to be part of our growing Committee
in 2021.

Find out more at britcham.org.sg/committees/healthcare-life-sciences.