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He was responding to a question by NMP and medical professional Haresh Singaraju.
April 08, 2026, 03:29 PM
Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said that the government will look into ways to better integrate the mental health needs of full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) with the civilian public health system.
Linking with external partners
Zaqy, who is also Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment and Deputy Leader of the House, was responding to a question by Nominated Member of Parliament Haresh Singaraju.
Singaraju, who is the head of the Queenstown Polyclinic and a family medicine specialist, asked whether full-time NSFs “identified with mental health conditions associated with psychosocial stressors are systemically linked with external health and social sector partners”.
This would be to “address underlying triggers and support their continued well-being during and after service”.
Relevant services
Zaqy responded by referring to a previous answer delivered in 2024, describing how NSmen with mental health needs were supported, in addition to the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) own mental health support systems.
NSFs are currently identified through various touch points during their service, such as during basic military training, through surveys and regular commander interviews.
When needed, an NSF’s commander will provide them with support, or refer them to relevant services, such as the SAF’s financial assistance schemes, as well as counselling or rehabilitation services.
Zaqy also noted that the SAF collaborated with partners on additional avenues of support, such as with the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), thus ensuring “continuity of support” for NSFs beyond national service.
He also encouraged NSFs who needed assistance to reach out to available sources, such as their commanders, the SAF mental health office, or the SAF counselling hotline.
Feedback
Singaraju clarified through a supplementary question that his question was more directed towards NSmen who consult with public healthcare services.
During these consultations, NSmen have previously raised concerns about social strains experienced during national service, and are subsequently made aware of social partners who may offer assistance.
Singaraju asked if the communication between such social partners, public healthcare providers, and the SAF could be strengthened.
This would allow for public healthcare practitioners, such as Singaraju, to inform commanders about the kind of care gaps that the NSmen are facing, and thus inform them of the avenues that these NSmen can be referred to.
Zaqy thanked Singaraju for the clarification, and noted Case Connect, a pilot programme under the Ministry of Defence where there is a direct link between SAF officers, healthcare professionals, and the Social Services Office, allowing them to manage cases jointly.
Zaqy said that he would encourage Mindef to study how to better integrate with Singapore’s public healthcare system, in addition to the services already mentioned, in order for medical professionals to provide their own feedback.
Curriculum
Singaraju also shared his perspective as an SAF Medical Officer, recognising that there were avenues to support mental health assessment.
But in his experience, there was a “gap in the curriculum” for commanders and even medical officers, for where they should refer NSmen to, once certain psychological stressors were acknowledged.
For this, Zaqy said that generally unit commanders in the SAF were trained on the various schemes and mechanisms present to support NSFs.
But he said that if the systems could be integrated better, they should be, so as to work through NSmen mental health treatment in a “more efficient way.”
Top image via MDDI/YouTube
