A Day in the Life of a Primary Care Technology Lead at MOHT

A Day in the Life at MOHT series

One of MOHT’s strengths stems from having a pool of talents from diverse backgrounds, facilitating the cross-diffusion of learning and insights within the organisation and across the ecosystem.

“A Day in the Life at MOHT” is a new MOHT blog series where featured colleagues relate how their individual talent, experience and practice has enriched MOHT’s tapestry of contributions towards the transformation of Singapore’s healthcare.

In the tenth edition, we look at a day in the life of a primary care technology lead, Eugene Neo, from the Future Primary Care team at MOHT.

Contributed by Eugene Neo

As a primary care technology champion with the Future Primary Care team at the MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT), I oversee digital advancements in primary care, while fostering collaboration among General Practitioners (GPs). My work sits at the intersection of technology, clinical practice, and system implementation within Singapore’s primary care landscape. It’s an area I’m particularly passionate about and have spent a decade working on, including five years at MOHT.   

What drew me here was the opportunity to contribute not just at the individual level, but to help drive and strengthen primary care at scale across Singapore. 

Supporting the rollout of national technology initiatives at a GP clinic.

Where System Design Meets Operational Discipline 

My formal training is a combination that’s not particularly common. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Accountancy. On paper, these look quite distinct but together, they have shaped how I approach healthcare transformation: with an eye on both system design and operational discipline. Computer science taught me to think structurally: whether a solution is clinically sound, workable on the ground, well-governed, and ready to scale. Accountancy, on the other hand, instilled in me a strong appreciation for assurance, controls, governance and risk management. 

This combination has been particularly useful in healthcare, where good intention alone is not enough – solutions need to be grounded in sound clinical reasoning, operationally viable, compliant with governance requirements, and deployable at scale. 

Having worked in the healthcare sector for close to a decade, I have a good grasp of deploying technology on the ground. Not everything that is theoretically sound works in practice. Factors such as clinic workflows, business viability, manpower constraints, and change readiness matter as much as technical design. Navigating these trade-offs is what makes healthcare transformation work exciting and compelling.  

Bridging Clinical Intent and Digital Implementation 

At its core, my role is about translating intent into something usable – digital products such as clinical calculators that support national programmes like Healthier SG. While these tools may appear simple, they are built upon layers of clinical guidelines, care protocols, and real operational constraints faced by GPs. What matters to me is using technology with purpose: turning clinical protocols into tools that are simple, usable, and workable in practice. 

Working with Open Government Products to enhance clinical care through technology.

A significant part of my work is bringing perspectives together. I work with clinicians from Clusters to understand clinical intent, with policy colleagues from MOH to align on programme direction, and with technology stakeholders such as Synapxe to ensure solutions are technically sound and realistically deployable. Often, the real work is not the technology itself, but making sure different parts of the system are solving the same problem in compatible ways. 

One of my most memorable experiences was being part of the pioneer team in the Healthier SG Implementation Office. In the early days, there was considerable uncertainty. Roles were still forming. We were storming and norming. Problem statements were evolving, and many of us were learning in real time what it meant to operationalise a national reform effort of such scale. Being part of those foundational conversations was both challenging and rewarding. It provided a front-row view of how large-scale health reforms take shape, and reinforced the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and patience when working in complex systems.

Engaging GPs at the Healthier SG GP Town Hall in February 2023.

Staying Grounded in Purpose and Centred on People 

Beyond my “day job” as a Senior Assistant Director in Future Primary Care, I am actively involved in mentoring initiatives within MOHT, and have contributed to planning and executing organisation-wide activities such as staff retreats. Mentoring, in particular, is something I value. It provides an opportunity to support colleagues in reframing challenges from different perspectives and in thinking more systemically. My mentees’ perspectives enrich my own learning about their work too.    

Perhaps because my dominant CliftonStrength is “Woo”, I find myself emceeing company events ranging from our new office opening to Townhalls.  

Emceeing at the recent MOHT Townhall cum Chinese New Year celebration.

Outside of work, I enjoy endurance sports and regularly train for runs. I’m also a long-time technology enthusiast who enjoys experimenting with tools, systems, and workflows. At home, however, I am very much a parent first, and much of my non-working time revolves around family routines, school schedules, and figuring out how to balance rest with staying active. This contrast helps keep me grounded and brings perspective to the work I do. 

Healthcare transformation is rarely about dramatic breakthroughs. More often, it is about steady, deliberate improvements that respect the realities of practice while nudging the system forward. In many ways, it resembles endurance training more than a sprint – requiring sustained effort, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose – while keeping people and stakeholders firmly at its centre. This is what continues to make the work both challenging and deeply meaningful.