A peek into the future of medicine

BEFORE the discovery of microbes, mutations and other causes of disease, curing illness was medicine's main purpose. Sickness seemed to appear out of nowhere and was blamed on everything from the weather to divine retribution for sins.

Armed with current knowledge of how disease originates and spreads, we laugh now, but future generations may shake their heads at our hubris. While we have come far, medical care continues to advance, and merely restoring the sick to health is becoming passé - medicine's greater potential lies in its ability to prevent disease in the first place.

This is the vision of MWH Holdings, the holding company for medical entities such as the Singapore Heart, Stroke and Cancer Centre and Singapore Medical Specialists Centre. Embracing the philosophy that prevention is the future of medicine, MWH's approach goes big on technology and embraces a more holistic approach to medical care.