Dr Koh Poh Koon to return as surgeon after stepping down from ministerial roles
Dr Koh Poh Koon has announced plans to return to healthcare as a surgeon after stepping down from his government appointments. Citing family commitments as the reason for his resignation, he will continue serving as a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC.
- Dr Koh Poh Koon has returned to healthcare after resigning from government appointments.
- He cited family responsibilities as the primary reason for leaving political office.
- He will remain Tampines GRC MP while considering a return to clinical practice.
SINGAPORE: Dr Koh Poh Koon has announced plans to return to healthcare as a surgeon following his departure from government office, marking a return to the profession in which he built his career before entering politics.
In a social media post on 2 June 2026, Dr Koh thanked former colleagues at the Ministry of Health (MOH) following a farewell lunch with Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How and Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam.
“As I leave MOH and go back to healthcare as a surgeon, I hope our paths will cross again as we work to support the healthcare needs of Singaporeans,” he wrote.
Dr Koh recently relinquished his appointments as Senior Minister of State for Health and Senior Minister of State for Manpower.
His resignation officially took effect on 1 June 2026.
Family reasons behind resignation
The Prime Minister’s Office announced on 22 May that Dr Koh would be stepping down from office for family reasons.
Following the announcement, Dr Koh reflected on the personal sacrifices made during more than a decade in politics.
He wrote that he had been “an absent husband, father and son” since entering politics in 2015 and said his family required his attention in a manner “that is not compatible with the demands of political office”.
Dr Koh added that it was time to “better support” his wife and “do what is right” for his family.
He is married to a doctor and has two daughters.
Despite stepping down from his government appointments, Dr Koh will continue serving as a Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC.
Plans for clinical practice
Speaking to The Straits Times, Dr Koh said he intends to return to clinical work, although details have yet to be finalised.
“I’ll want to return to doing some clinical work at some point. But I have not decided on when, where or how much at this moment,” he said.
He added that he wanted to spend time with his family before making decisions about the next stage of his professional career.
Healthcare career before politics
Prior to joining politics, Dr Koh established a distinguished career in medicine.
He was the founding director of the Colorectal Cancer Genomic Health Service at Singapore General Hospital and later founded the Capstone Colorectal Surgery Centre at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre in 2011.
In 2012, he partnered with Fortis Healthcare Singapore to establish a dedicated colorectal diseases hospital.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he has also served as a visiting consultant surgeon with Changi General Hospital since October 2025.
Political journey
Dr Koh first entered the political arena as a People’s Action Party candidate in the 2013 Punggol East by-election.
He was defeated by Workers’ Party candidate Lee Li Lian in that contest.
Two years later, he entered Parliament after being elected as part of the PAP team in Ang Mo Kio GRC during the 2015 General Election.
Dr Koh subsequently assumed political office in 2016 and went on to hold several government appointments.
In 2020, he joined the PAP team contesting Tampines GRC and successfully retained the constituency.
He contested the same constituency again during the 2025 General Election.
