Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth pledges to take a slower pace as he recovers from a cardiac procedure.
SINGAPORE: Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong underwent angioplasty and had a stent inserted on Tuesday (Aug 8) after doctors discovered a severely blocked coronary artery during a routine health check.
The 53-year-old minister is currently recovering in the hospital and shared on Facebook that he will “take things a little slower for a bit” before resuming his usual routine. “I’ll be working from home as much as possible and cutting down on events and meetings as advised by my doctors,” Mr. Tong wrote.
The blockage was found in his left anterior descending artery, the main artery supplying blood to the heart, which was assessed to be severely obstructed. Despite maintaining “pretty good” cholesterol levels, being non-diabetic, and staying active, Mr. Tong said he was shocked by the diagnosis.
Following the discovery, he underwent a scan and an angioplasty procedure, during which a stent was inserted to restore blood flow. Expressing gratitude to his medical team, he added that he would spend National Day in the hospital.
Mr. Tong reflected that he had felt “a little more tired” than usual recently but attributed it to his busy schedule. “Fortunately, this was picked up in good time through a routine health check,” he said, urging others to stay vigilant about their health.
The minister, who has been in Parliament since 2011, took office as Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth in July 2020. Before his political career, he practiced law at Allen & Gledhill.
Mr. Tong is the latest in a series of political figures recently facing health challenges. Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa was recently diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer, while Workers’ Party MP Muhamad Faisal Manap was hospitalized for a cardiac condition in late July.
