Marcus Ong Becomes First Singaporean Emergency Physician Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine

On October 20, 2026, a quiet but momentous milestone was announced in Singapore’s medical circles: Professor Marcus Ong Eng Hock, senior consultant in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Singapore General Hospital, has been elected to the United States National Academy of Medicine (NAM). He is not only the first emergency‑medicine physician from Singapore to earn this honour, he is also only the fourth Singaporean ever to join the Academy.

Election to NAM is widely regarded as one of the highest recognitions a health professional can receive. Members are chosen by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine, research, and health policy. In Professor Ong’s case, the accolade mirrors decades of work that have pushed Singapore’s emergency‑care landscape forward and resonated across the Asia‑Pacific region.

Over a career that now stretches beyond twenty years, Ong has worn many hats – bedside clinician, researcher, educator, and policy advocate. He is perhaps best known for his relentless focus on out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA). Partnering with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, he helped launch the myResponder app, which pings trained volunteers when a suspected cardiac arrest occurs nearby. Coupled with aggressive public CPR and AED training programmes and dispatcher‑assisted instructions, these initiatives have lifted by‑stander CPR rates by almost eight‑fold and tripled survival rates for OHCA patients in Singapore.

Beyond national impact, Ong’s work has rippled globally. He authored the “Global Resuscitation Alliance Modified Framework for Survival,” a set of recommendations endorsed by the World Health Organization’s Emergency and Trauma Care programme. He also chairs the Pan‑Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS), a collaborative network that has already produced more than 40 papers comparing pre‑hospital emergency systems across Asia and suggesting ways to improve cardiac‑arrest outcomes.

His leadership extends into academic and governmental spheres as well. He directs the Health Services Research Centre at SingHealth, holds the Provost Chair and directs the Health Services Research & Population Health and Prehospital & Emergency Research Centres at Duke‑NUS Medical School, and serves as Director of Data and Analytics for Singapore’s Ministry of Health Unit of Prehospital Emergency Care.

“It is an honour to be elected to the United States National Academy of Medicine,” Ong said, his voice tinged with humility. “Beyond a personal achievement, this accolade reflects the collective efforts of mentors, colleagues, collaborators, trainees and students who have walked this path with me. There is still much to do – we must keep pushing science, innovation and international collaboration to make emergency care even better for patients everywhere.”

Senior leaders echoed his pride. Assoc. Prof. Loo Chian Min, Chairman of SGH’s Medical Board, noted that Ong’s election “affirms Singapore’s standing as a trusted contributor to global healthcare advancement.” SingHealth Group CEO Prof. Ng Wai Hoe added, “Marcus embodies our vision of defining tomorrow’s medicine; his impact is felt both at home and on the world stage.” Duke‑NUS Dean Prof. Patrick Tan highlighted that the honour also showcases “the strength of Singapore’s academic‑medicine ecosystem when research, clinical care and health systems work hand‑in‑hand.”

With this historic election, Professor Marcus Ong not only joins an elite international community but also carries a torch for future generations of Singaporean clinicians and scientists. His story reminds us that breakthroughs often begin with a single, determined effort – and that those efforts, when shared, can ripple across borders to save lives.