Former Temasek CEO Mdm Ho Ching recently shared a story on Facebook about Gan Kim Yong — and it’s a side of him that many Singaporeans might not know about.
When Gan Kim Yong was Minister for Health, he faced a very tough problem.
He knew there were children and adults in Singapore living with rare diseases, and some of them would need extremely expensive medication for life just to stay healthy.
The right thing to do would have been to help them.
But it wasn’t so simple.
In government, resources are always limited. Healthcare funds had to be prioritised for treatments and programmes that could benefit more people.
Giving a blank cheque to cover rare disease treatments wasn’t realistic.
But Gan Kim Yong didn’t just shake his leg and give up.
Instead, he went the extra mile — lobbying the community to step up and help.
He quietly pushed for a new idea:
If the community could raise funds, the Ministry of Health would match donations three to one.
Meaning for every $1 donated, the government would top up another $3.
Thanks to his efforts, the Rare Disease Fund was set up.
At first, it supported treatment for four rare diseases.
Later, with more generous donors coming on board, a fifth (even more costly) disease was added too.
What’s special about the Rare Disease Fund?
It focuses on rare conditions where treatment allows patients to live normal lives — with the only obstacle being the high cost of lifelong medication.
Because Gan Kim Yong cared enough to push and push, the Rare Disease Fund started with $25 million, and eventually grew to $100 million after government matching.
Throughout this whole process, Gan didn’t go around boasting or seeking attention.
He just quietly, tenaciously found a sustainable solution to help those who needed it most.
As Mdm Ho Ching said, this is an example of a good man — one who truly cares, and who works tirelessly to make lives better.
