Kwa Soon Bee

Dr Kwa Soon Bee was a pioneer generation civil servant. He died on Sunday 30 October 2016 at the age of 86 years.

Kwa, who was born in 1930, had a long and distinguished career in the medical services. He joined the civil service as a medical officer in 1956 after graduating from the King Edward Vll College of Medicine at the University of Malaya in Singapore, and retired from public service in 1996 as permanent secretary for health and director of medical services.

He was the first Singapore doctor to specialise in haematology, the study and treatment of blood and blood-related disorders, and also served as medical director of Singapore General Hospital. Kwa was a younger brother of Kwa Geok Choo, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's mother, who died in 2010.

Shortly after starting his medical career, Kwa got a Singapore Government scholarship to study in the United Kingdom, where he specialised in haematology. On his return in 1963, he was appointed medical officer in charge of the Singapore Blood Transfusion Services (SBTS), where he later held the post of director.

In 1968, he was appointed medical superintendent of Kandang Kerbau Hospital and put in charge of reorganising it as well as implementing national family planning policies and programmes. In 1972, he was appointed medical superintendent of SGH, in addition to his duties at the SBTS. He was made chairman of the SGH planning committee, which oversaw the planning and building of the new hospital.

As permanent secretary, he supervised the redevelopment of public hospitals as well as institutions such as the National Cancer Centre and Institute of Mental Health, as well as the development of various specialist centres and polyclinics. He also started the restructuring of government hospitals and launched the national healthy lifestyle programme.

Shortly after his retirement in 1996, Kwa was conferred honorary fellowship of the Singapore Medical Association a year later.

Kwa played a major role in the development of medical specialisation in Singapore, resulting in the establishment of specialty centres for skin, heart, eye, mental health, dental and cancer treatment. Kwa had been largely responsible for the development of hospital and health management expertise. He systematically and meticulously identified, talent-scouted and trained staff for this important aspect of the health service.

Not well known was also his role in pushing for developments in the nursing and ancillary health professionals like nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers. Kwa also had an eye for detail. He was a man of diverse interests. With his excellent colour sense and taste, he was the natural interior decorator and uniform designer for all the hospitals.

He laid a strong foundation for Singapore's modern healthcare system. Many of Singapore's current hospital buildings and polyclinic facilities were built or redeveloped during Kwa's tenure as permanent secretary and director of medical services. Kwa also implemented the ‘3M’ framework - Medisave, MediShield and Medifund - which had kept healthcare affordable for all Singaporeans.

Many of the leaders he nurtured were now playing leading roles in Singapore’s healthcare system. The Ministry of Health, healthcare professionals, and indeed, all Singaporeans, are indebted to Kwa for his lifetime of dedication and commitment to developing Singapore’s healthcare system.

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