Sigal Atzmon, CEO of global medical case management company Medix, applauded the government's ‘Merdeka Generation Package’, which she said will “provide much needed support to a generation that has borne the brunt of sharp increases in healthcare costs.”

“The government deserves credit for implementing measures to tackle the challenges posed by a rapidly ageing population and the increasing cost of healthcare,” Atzmon said.

“But there is also a role that the private sector needs to play. Singapore's public hospitals are among the best in the world, but private hospitals are very expensive, the average length of stays are much longer and there's no transparency.

“We urge the government to improve oversight of the private system to reduce unwarranted healthcare variations, better manage length of stays and demand greater transparency over pricing and affordability.”

Atzmon also welcomed the announcement of new measures aimed at encouraging businesses to employ older workers.

“Research has proven that retiring too early is unhealthy, so providing incentives that keep older Singaporeans in the workforce is a smart investment in the health of the nation,” Atzmon concluded.