Across Singapore and beyond, hospitals are facing the same challenges: ageing populations, overextended staff, and rising expectations for personalised, responsive care.¹

With nurse-to-patient ratios averaging 1 to 4–5 in general wards², care teams are stretched thin. Language barriers still hinder smooth communication³, and legacy systems aren't built to scale with today's demands.

By 2030, Asia’s healthcare market is set to reach $5 trillion, making up 40% of global healthcare growth. But, while the region is home to 60% of the world’s people, it accounts for just 22% of global healthcare spending.⁴ This gap signals both a challenge and an opportunity: how can healthcare systems deliver more with fewer resources while still preserving the quality of care?

To bridge this divide, healthcare providers are reimagining how care is delivered. One of the most promising approaches emerging is the use of robot companions. These systems are designed to handle repetitive, low-complexity tasks, such as answering common patient questions, scheduling appointments, or managing routine follow-ups.

While the term “robot companion” is a broad one, it refers to a wide range of bedside assistants, some use AI, while others don’t. Within this broad category, the rise of AI-enabled tools marks a growing class of responsive, connected digital care tools. The real value of these systems lies in what they make possible: more time for doctors, nurses, and caregivers to focus on higher-priority, human-centred care.⁵

Japan’s nursing sector is facing a severe labour crunch, with just one applicant for every 4.25 jobs. While the number of foreign workers in healthcare has grown, they still make up less than 3% of the workforce. In response, Japan is turning to technology. In Tokyo, a 150kg AI-driven humanoid robot named Airec was recently demonstrated gently repositioning a patient—a task crucial for elderly care. Developed with government support, Airec represents a new wave of robotic caregivers designed to ease the burden on human healthcare workers.⁶

AI-enabled tools are easing the burden on healthcare teams by taking on repetitive and time-consuming tasks. In Taiwan, software robots reduce admin time by 31% under the country’s complex single-payer system.

In the US, autonomous delivery robots transport meals and medication, freeing staff for patient care. While in Belgium, AI imaging tools assist with cardiac procedures by analysing scans and pre-filling reports. Across the board, these technologies lighten the load on overstretched teams and expand access to quality care.⁷

While robot companions offer conversational and cognitive support, robotic assistants are now stepping in to take on physical, task-based roles that are just as vital to daily care delivery. Together, these technologies represent a spectrum of support that could free up human capacity without replacing human connection.

Singapore is integrating autonomous robots into care environments to reduce the burden on clinical teams. A prime example is the Robot Nurse Companion, —a 5G-connected, cloud-based robotic nursing assistant developed by the National University Health System (NUHS) in collaboration with Singtel, with capabilities such as:

• Monitor vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate using laser-based sensors

• Detect fall risks via image-recognition capabilities

• Facilitate teleconsultations through a front-facing screen

• Deliver medication and communicate in multiple languages to improve patient experience

More than just a one-off robot, the AI-powered Robot Nurse Companion is part of a larger vision. Developers are testing its ability to autonomously coordinate tasks—from planning its rounds to organising pharmacy stock—based on central instructions and real-time patient needs. Future iterations may enable the Robot Nurse Companion to dispense medication directly, acting as a mobile extension of the care team.⁸

While the Robot Nurse Companion is tailored for healthcare, Singapore is also testing similar autonomous systems in adjacent sectors. For example, NCS and JTC have trialled outdoor food delivery robots, managed via the NCS robotmanager™ platform.⁹ These robots navigate complex environments and coordinate deliveries autonomously, offering a glimpse into how healthcare organisations leverage robotic logistics for non-clinical hospital operations, such as meal or supply delivery.

Whether virtual or physical, these new-generation assistants share a common goal: to support and enhance the human touch in care, not replace it. robot companions and assistants, signal a shift toward more intelligent and resilient healthcare systems. 

Robot companions and robotic assistants are only as effective as the systems that support them. Without the right infrastructure, even the most advanced tools risk being slow and unreliable. Care technologies need to meet three core expectations to be effective in healthcare:

• Responsive – No lag when a patient asks a question or when a robot receives an instruction

• Connected – Seamless communication between devices, sensors, and systems to enable real-time care coordination

• Secure – End-to-end protection for sensitive personal health data

Reliable care needs an intelligent, resilient network behind them. Singtel provides the foundation that keeps these systems responsive, secure, and always on.

• Singtel 5G+ and network slicing ensures that interactions with robot companions and robotic assistants remain smooth and immediate.

• At the same time, IoT integration creates a connected layer of sensors, vitals monitors, and delivery robots—all communicating seamlessly to support care teams and automate routine tasks. This real-time coordination is essential for scaling smart hospital operations.

Healthcare systems are prime targets for cyber attacks, with threats ranging from ransomware to data breaches.⁸ As AI and IoT become deeply embedded in care environments, safeguarding this expanding attack surface is critical. Singtel delivers holistic cyber security with 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, and expert response—protecting patient data and ensuring continuous, secure operations.

Singtel has supported healthcare partners to bring innovations like NUHS' AI-powered Robot Nurse Companion to life, demonstrating how advanced technologies can be meaningfully integrated into care environments. With the right infrastructure, healthcare systems can alleviate the burden on their teams while enhancing the patient experience.

Build technology that empowers care, not replaces it.

Sources:

1. McKinsey&Company, Investing in tech for tomorrow: health systems, 2024
2. Ministry of Health, Nurse to patient ratio, 2025
3. Globibo, Why Singapore Hospitals are Hiring Interpreters
4. BCG, The Unmissable Asia Healthcare Opportunity, 2025
5. Builtin, What Are AI Companions?, 2024
6. The Straits Times, AI robots may hold key to nursing Japan’s ageing population, 2025 
7. World Economic Forum, How automation gives back one of healthcare’s most valuable resources — time, 2025 
8. The Straits Times, Robot nurses that monitor patients’ condition, issue medicine to be piloted at NUH in 2025, 2025
9. ncs, shaping the future of delivery with next-generation autonomous robots, 2024
10. Check Point, Biggest Cyber Security Challenges in 2023, 2023