The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will have a new chairman, Professor Satkunanantham Kandiah, from Jan 1.

Prof Satkunanantham succeeds Professor John Wong Eu Li, who will be appointed chief executive of the National University Health System (NUHS) from the same date.

Prof Satkunanantham brings to the HSA almost a decade of experience as director of medical services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), said MOH and HSA in a joint statement on Thursday night. He has been responsible for advising the government on the development of Singapore's healthcare services, professional education and standards, and regulation of the sector.

He is stepping down from this role at the end of the year to lead the HSA, as well as to return to clinical practice and teaching at the NUHS. Meanwhile, the MOH has also set up an Office of Medical Assessment within the Ministry, as a way to guide the implementation of a new system to advance the quality of postgraduate medical training and certify individuals accordingly.