Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Asia 2026 Conference – Speech by Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Distinguished guests,

Colleagues and friends from Asia and beyond,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Very good morning.

Associate Professor Ng Yih Yng, Section of EMS Physicians,

Prof Song Kyoung Jun, AAEMS (Asian Association of Emergency Medical Service) President, and of course,

Prof Marcus Ong, Senior Consultant, SGH.

INTRODUCTION

1. Very warm welcome to all of you to the EMS Asia 2026 Conference. Let me begin by thanking the organisers for bringing the emergency medical services community together. Each of you has dedicated yourself to saving lives, whether as emergency medical professional, volunteer or partner. Your work makes a difference to people in some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.

2. Imagine this scene. A father suddenly collapses at home. His daughter calls for help. An emergency dispatcher guides her through chest compressions, while a neighbour rushes over with an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Within minutes, an ambulance crew arrives, takes over resuscitation efforts and conveys him to the hospital, where an emergency medical team is already on standby.

3. Each person plays a different role. But to the patient and their family, they are part of one continuous, coordinated effort to save lives. The effectiveness of our response depends not only on the capabilities of individual responders or medical professionals, but also on how well the entire system works together, from the first person who steps forward to help, to the professionals providing emergency medical care.

4. Today, I would like to share with you three messages.

EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITY TO ACT

5. First, empowering communities to act. In a medical emergency, every second counts. Often, the opportunity to intervene and save a life comes even before an ambulance arrives. A family member, a colleague or a passer-by may be the first person at the scene who can make a difference.

6. This means making lifesaving skills accessible to more people, helping people locate and use AEDs, and connecting willing responders to those who need help. Here in Singapore, Community First Responders, or CFRs, play an important role in complementing the lifesaving efforts of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, or SCDF, and our healthcare partners.

7. Through innovative initiatives such as the SCDF’s myResponder mobile application, members of the public can be alerted to nearby emergencies and render assistance before professional responders arrive. But the true measure of community preparedness is whether people have the confidence and willingness to step forward when someone needs help. The Citizen Life Saving Summit, held as part of this conference, underscores the importance of bringing professional emergency care and community action closer together. Associate Professor Ng Yih Yng shared with me how emotive the experience was and how touching the Summit was. Now, let us foster a culture where lifesaving is a shared responsibility, and build communities where more people can say, “I know what to do. I can help. And I will help.”

STRENGTHENING OUR EMS PROFESSIONALS

8. Second, equipping our EMS professionals by investing in their professional development and operational capabilities. They play a key role in delivering timely and effective emergency medical care: making critical assessments and decisions under pressure, adapting to rapidly evolving situations and delivering quality care when patients need it the most.

9. Now, equipping our EMS professionals requires strong clinical training, sound operational systems, supportive leadership and attention to their well-being. Technology is also transforming how emergency medical care is delivered. Swift and accurate information can better support clinical diagnosis. Digital connections can improve handovers. Artificial intelligence, or AI, can assist learning and reduce administrative work.

10. Yet, we must assess every new technology by asking practical questions. Does it help responders make better decisions? Does it free them to give more time and attention to patient care? And most importantly, does it lead to better patient outcomes?

11. This conference, with its focus on clinical practice and digital transformation, gives the opportunity to answer those questions together. And while patient care is paramount, we must also care for those who provide it. A sustainable EMS depends on professionals who are supported, respected and able to keep learning.

TRANSLATING REGIONAL LEARNING INTO BETTER CARE

12. Third, translating regional learning into better care. Across Asia, our geography, resources and delivery of EMS differ. Yet we share a common mission and responsibility: ensuring our people receive timely and effective medical assistance when they need it most.

13. Every EMS system has valuable experiences to share and learn from. This conference provides an important platform for such exchanges, bringing expertise in emergency, disaster and trauma care into the same conversation. We should use the opportunity to examine how our teams connect and work together, during everyday emergencies and when a major incident places the entire system under strain. We must also translate the insights gained into practical improvements, stronger partnerships and collaborations beyond this conference.

14. Now in Singapore, we commemorate 30 years of EMS this year, since paramedicine began within SCDF in 1996. Over three decades, our EMS capabilities have evolved significantly, supported by enhancements in clinical training, technology and partnerships with the healthcare community. Today, our highly professional and well-trained paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs, are committed to delivering high-quality pre-hospital emergency care to patients.

15. An ageing population and rising public expectations will require us to keep evolving and remain relevant. This makes regional cooperation and knowledge sharing even more essential. We look forward to learning from the experiences of our regional counterparts, and to contributing Singapore’s own experiences and lessons.

16. I encourage every delegation to leave this conference with at least one practical improvement to implement, one new partnership to develop and one valuable lesson to share with colleagues back home as what Prof Ng mentioned just now.

CLOSING REMARKS

17. Ladies and Gentlemen, our shared ambition is straightforward: communities ready to act, professionals equipped to care, and systems that learn together. For a family waiting anxiously for help, this ambition means one thing: another chance to be together with their loved ones.

18. I thank everyone of you for being this part continuum care and ecosystem of support. You may not remember every life you save, but each life you save may remember you. Thank you for the work you do, and for your continued dedication to saving lives. I wish everyone a productive and meaningful conference.

19. Thank you so much.