Three hats, one goal: How Ng Kian Swan runs sustainability at NUHS

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, October 1, 2026

Ng Kian Swan, COO at NUHS and chief sustainability officer for NTFGH and JCH, has led initiatives that reduced energy consumption by 4% and water use by 30% across the health system while pioneering innovations like a waterless ICU pilot. These efforts have helped NUHS achieve early carbon emission milestones and maintain top Green Mark certifications, with plans to extend sustainable practices to new hospital projects.

Ng Kian Swan, chief operating officer for group facilities management, security, and emergency planning at the National University Health System (NUHS), also serves as chair of the energy and water taskforce and chief sustainability officer for Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH). His multifaceted roles position him at the forefront of NUHS’s efforts to integrate sustainability into healthcare operations.

Ng, recognized with the Impact Leader Excellence Award (Individual) at this year’s Sustainability Impact Awards, emphasizes the link between climate change and health outcomes. He highlighted how rising temperatures and respiratory illnesses, along with extreme weather events, threaten hospital infrastructure, framing sustainability as a critical component of healthcare delivery.

Under Ng’s leadership, NUHS has prioritized collaborative approaches, involving clinicians, nurses, and infection-control teams alongside facilities management to develop effective sustainability initiatives. He played a key role in designing energy- and water-efficient features in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, NTFGH, and JCH, focusing on creating “smart, green, and sustainable” hospitals that support patient and staff well-being while minimizing environmental impact.

Significant projects include a comprehensive lighting overhaul that replaced 63,000 bulbs, generating annual savings of 3.61 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy and approximately S$1.08 million. A smarter operating theatre program covering 52 theatres achieved savings of 1.88 million kWh and S$682,000 annually. The system also upgraded aging MRI scanners to reduce electronic waste and implemented dialysis wastewater recovery, conserving about nine million liters of potable water annually. The most recent innovation is a waterless intensive care unit (ICU) model at NTFGH.

In 2024, a collaborative effort among infection prevention, ICU, nursing, and facilities teams led to a pilot project to reduce sinks in ICU rooms, replacing them with an alcohol-based hand rub model to diminish bacterial reservoirs. Out of 74 adult ICU rooms, 44 have transitioned to this hybrid hand hygiene system, saving an estimated 19 million liters of water and 17,600 kWh annually. Plans are underway to extend this model to the remaining rooms.

Across the NUHS network, energy consumption has decreased by 4 percent from baseline levels, saving 6.8 million kWh per year, while water use dropped by 30 percent, saving 716 million liters annually. The health system’s Scope 2 carbon emissions peaked in 2023, reaching a milestone five years ahead of its 2028 target.

Looking ahead, Ng aims to meet NUHS’s 2030 targets for energy and water efficiency and maintain the Green Mark Platinum certification standard across its hospitals. Both NTFGH and JCH currently hold the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark 2021 In-Operation Platinum Super Low Energy rating. He also plans to support sustainability integration for the upcoming Alexandra Hospital and Teegan General Hospital projects.

Ng underscores that achieving sustainability goals extends beyond infrastructure, focusing on cultivating a culture where environmental stewardship becomes embedded in daily decision-making and operations. “Sustainability is truly a collective effort,” he said, acknowledging the essential contributions of the entire NUHS community, from facilities staff to clinical and administrative teams.

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