Singapore’s new healthcare security group to help identify threats, boost preparedness

Healthcare organisations will be equipped with skills to identify and respond to security threats, including crime and scams.

Published Oct 14, 2026, 07:20 PM

Updated Oct 14, 2026, 07:20 PM

A new safety and security watch group on Oct 14 was launched to help healthcare organisations spot terror threats, crime and scams, and improve worker safety.

Sim said healthcare sites face verbal abuse, threats and violence, and warned that public vigilance is vital as youth radicalisation cases and terrorism risks rise.

The launch also recognised security efforts by UOB and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, while past hospital and church attacks showed the need for stronger awareness.

SINGAPORE – On June 20, 2015, a 26-year-old man who was in remand for vehicle theft was escorted by two police officers to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital after complaining of chest pains.

He then got into a scuffle with one of the officers and snatched his revolver, firing three shots as he tried to escape from custody. The policeman was wounded in his left thumb and right foot.

The incident underscored the reality that healthcare facilities are not immune to security threats.

To bolster defences and better protect medical premises, a Healthcare Industry Safety and Security Watch Group (Healthcare iSSWG) was launched on Oct 14 under a public-private security initiative led by the Singapore Police Force.

As with other sectors under the iSSWG initiative – such as hospitality, finance and transport – healthcare organisations will be equipped with skills to identify and respond to security threats, including crime and scams targeting the sector.

The new watch group – the 11th formed since the programme began in 2008 – is currently developing tailored exercises to educate healthcare staff.

The Singapore Medical Association will serve as a liaison between the police and healthcare industry to promote regular sharing of crime and security advisories with healthcare workers and stakeholders.

Because the authorities cannot prevent every plot or attack on their own, Singapore’s strongest defence is a vigilant and resilient community, said Sim Ann, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs.

“Healthcare institutions are integral to our medical response during a crisis, but they are not immune to safety and security threats.

“High footfall, frontline operations and the presence of vulnerable patients make sustained preparedness imperative in an increasingly complex operating environment,” she said when announcing the launch at Orchard Hotel Singapore.

Healthcare workers may also encounter verbal abuse, threats and, at times, physical violence, she added.

“Such conduct is unacceptable. It jeopardises staff well-being, disrupts operations and compromises the safe environment required for the delivery of quality care,” she said.

On Sept 30, the Tripartite Workgroup for the Prevention of Abuse and Harassment of Healthcare Workers said that abuse and harassment cases reported in the public healthcare sector have nearly doubled over two years , with 13% of them being serious enough to report to the police.

In her speech, Sim also highlighted the Internal Security Department’s assessment on Sept 10 that Singapore’s terrorism threat remains high, driven by global conflicts and online extremist content that have accelerated youth radicalisation.

Such radicalisation cases have almost quadrupled over the past five years. There were four cases between 2017 and 2021, spiking to 15 since 2022.

Sim also noted that during social experiments conducted by SGSecure in 2025, only about 17% of passers-by noticed a suspicious suitcase or vehicle. Of these, only about 5% intended to alert, or alerted, the authorities.

At the event on Oct 14, she also presented the National Safety and Security Watch Group and Threat-Oriented Person Screening Integrated System awards to 185 members and 24 organisations respectively.

They have adopted good workplace security practices against terrorist threats, engaged in emergency planning, conducted security exercises and adopted technologies such as CCTV and access-control systems.

One of the recipients was UOB. Marcus Lai, managing director for the bank’s group corporate and real estate services, said that a man had allegedly started a fire at the entrance of a mosque in the basement of UOB Plaza on Sept 25.

Marcus Lai, UOB’s managing director for group corporate and real estate services (left) and Andre Achak, RCAS’ communications director, received awards on behalf of their organisations on Oct 14. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Marcus Lai, UOB’s managing director for group corporate and real estate services (left) and Andre Achak, RCAS’ communications director, received awards on behalf of their organisations on Oct 14.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

“With CCTV cameras all around our premises, we notified the police and handed over the footage. The police nabbed the accused within hours,” he said.

Another recipient was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, which is rolling out threat screening to 32 churches by Dec 25.

Andre Achak, the Archdiocese communications director, said that so far, 4,000 staff and volunteers have been trained in identifying threats, but there is still work to be done.

He shared that during one training exercise, security personnel were so distracted helping churchgoers navigate the building that they overlooked a simulated suspicious bag.

After reviews, they realised the mistake can be avoided in the future if staff and volunteers are more situationally aware.

The push for vigilance follows two security scares at St Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah.

During a mass on Nov 9, 2024, a 38-year-old man stabbed a priest in the mouth with a foldable knife. He was later sentenced to four years, three months’ jail and nine strokes of the cane .

On Dec 21, 2025, a 26-year-old man was arrested after he claimed to have discovered a suspicious item at the church. Police officers evacuated the premises, and the Singapore Armed Forces’ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive Defence Group was activated.

The item was assessed to be three cardboard rolls and wires stuck together with black tape, with no explosive elements present, police said. The man was arrested under anti-terrorism laws for his suspected involvement.

Fatimah Mujibah is a journalist at The Straits Times covering crime-related stories.

医疗机构将具备识别和应对安全威胁（包括犯罪和诈骗）的技能。

发布于2026年10月14日晚上7:20

更新于2026年10月14日晚上7:20

10 月 14 日，一个新的安全监督小组成立，旨在帮助医疗机构发现恐怖威胁、犯罪和诈骗，并提高员工安全。

Sim表示，医疗机构面临言语辱骂、威胁和暴力，并警告说，随着青少年激进化案件和恐怖主义风险的增加，公众保持警惕至关重要。

此次发布会也对大华银行和罗马天主教总教区的安全工作表示认可，同时指出过去发生的医院和教堂袭击事件表明，需要提高安全意识。

新加坡——2015年6月20日，一名26岁男子因盗窃车辆被拘留，在抱怨胸痛后，被两名警官押送至邱德拔医院。

随后，他与一名警官发生扭打，抢夺了警官的左轮手枪，并在试图逃跑时开了三枪。这名警官左手拇指和右脚中弹受伤。

该事件凸显了医疗机构并非不会受到安全威胁的现实。

为了加强防御并更好地保护医疗场所，新加坡警察部队牵头的公私合作安保计划于 10 月 14 日成立了医疗保健行业安全监督小组（Healthcare iSSWG）。

与 iSSWG 倡议下的其他行业（如酒店业、金融业和交通运输业）一样，医疗保健机构也将具备识别和应对安全威胁（包括针对该行业的犯罪和诈骗）的技能。

这个新的监督小组——自 2008 年该计划启动以来成立的第 11 个小组——目前正在制定专门的培训方案，以教育医护人员。

新加坡医学协会将作为警方和医疗保健行业之间的联络人，促进与医疗保健工作者和利益相关者定期分享犯罪和安全方面的建议。

新加坡内政部兼外交部第二部长沈颖表示，由于当局无法独自阻止每一起阴谋或袭击，新加坡最强大的防御力量是警惕且有韧性的社区。

“医疗机构是我们应对危机时医疗措施的重要组成部分，但它们并非不会受到安全威胁。

“高人流量、一线运营以及弱势患者的存在，使得在日益复杂的运营环境中保持持续的准备工作至关重要，”她在新加坡乌节酒店宣布启动时表示。

她还补充说，医护人员也可能遭遇言语辱骂、威胁，有时甚至会遭遇肢体暴力。

“这种行为是不可接受的。它会危害员工的身心健康，扰乱日常运作，并破坏提供优质护理所需的安全环境，”她说。

9 月 30 日，防止虐待和骚扰医护人员的三方工作组表示，公共医疗部门报告的虐待和骚扰案件在两年内几乎翻了一番，其中 13% 的案件严重到需要向警方报案。

沈颖在演讲中还强调了内部安全局9月10日的评估，即新加坡的恐怖主义威胁仍然很高，这是由于全球冲突和网络极端主义内容加速了青年激进化所致。

过去五年里，此类极端化案例几乎翻了两番。2017年至2021年间有4起，而自2022年以来激增至15起。

Sim还指出，SGSecure在2025年进行的社会实验显示，只有约17%的路人注意到可疑的行李箱或车辆。而这些人中，只有约5%的人打算报警或已经报警。

在 10 月 14 日的活动中，她还分别向 185 名成员和 24 个组织颁发了国家安全监督小组奖和以威胁为导向的人员筛查综合系统奖。

他们采取了良好的工作场所安全措施来应对恐怖主义威胁，进行了应急计划，开展了安全演习，并采用了闭路电视监控系统和门禁系统等技术。

受助机构之一是大华银行。该行集团企业及房地产服务董事总经理赖马库斯表示，9月25日，一名男子涉嫌在大华银行广场地下室清真寺入口处纵火。

10月14日，大华银行集团企业及房地产服务董事总经理赖先生（左）和皇家亚洲学会通讯总监安德烈·阿查克代表各自机构领取了奖项。图片来源：联合早报

10 月 14 日，大华银行集团企业及房地产服务董事总经理 Marcus Lai（左）和 RCAS 通讯总监 Andre Achak 代表各自的机构领取了奖项。

图片来源：联合早报

他说：“我们厂区周围都装有监控摄像头，我们通知了警方并提供了录像。警方几个小时内就抓住了嫌疑人。”

另一个受益者是新加坡罗马天主教总教区，该教区计划在 12 月 25 日前对 32 座教堂进行威胁筛查。

教区通讯主管安德烈·阿查克表示，到目前为止，已有 4000 名工作人员和志愿者接受了识别威胁的培训，但仍有许多工作要做。

他透露，在一次训练演习中，安保人员忙于帮助信徒在教堂内通行，以至于忽略了一个模拟的可疑包裹。

经过审查，他们意识到，如果工作人员和志愿者能够提高情境意识，将来就可以避免犯同样的错误。

此前，武吉知马圣若瑟教堂发生两起安全事件，因此当局呼吁提高警惕。

2024年11月9日，在一次弥撒中，一名38岁男子用折叠刀刺伤了一名神父的嘴部。他后来被判处四年零三个月监禁和九下鞭刑。

2025年12月21日，一名26岁男子声称在教堂内发现可疑物品后被捕。警方疏散了教堂内的人员，新加坡武装部队化学、生物、放射性及爆炸物防御小组随即启动行动。

警方称，经鉴定，该物品由三个纸筒和用黑色胶带粘在一起的电线组成，不含爆炸物。该男子因涉嫌参与此案，已根据反恐法被捕。

Fatimah Mujibah 是《海峡时报》的一名记者，主要报道犯罪相关新闻。