Featured Doctor

LOH, Dr Alfred: WONCA CEO 2001-2012

Singapore

Dr Alfred Loh graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the National University of Singapore, in 1973. He qualified as a Diplomat Member of the College of General Practitioners, Singapore (MCGPS), in 1978, and was awarded the Fellowship of the College of General Practitioners, Singapore (FCGPS), in 1987.

He was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of General Practitioners (UK), in 1998; and obtained an MBA degree (University of Hull, UK), in June 1999. Dr Loh was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners of Australia (FRACGP), in 2008.

Dr Loh’s involvement in the College of Family Physicians, Singapore stretched continuously for over a period of twenty-two years starting with his appointment as College Council Member, in 1978, and ending with his appointment as College President for two terms of office. Dr Loh resigned from the College Council on his assuming his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), in 2001.

Dr Loh is a founding partner of the Raffles Medical Group, a primary care medical practice that now employs over 110 primary care physicians and 40 medical and dental specialists, with a hospital and a network of primary care centers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

On 1 May 2001, Dr Loh took on the appointment as Chief Executive Officer of WONCA, from Prof Wes Fabb at the WONCA World Council Meeting, in Alpine Heath, South Africa. He has had a long association with WONCA, spanning over thirty years and has held numerous appointments within the organization prior to his appointment as the WONCA CEO. These include:

• Honorary Treasurer of WONCA (1995-1998)
• Member of the WONCA Ad-hoc Committee on Restructuring (1993-1995)
• Member of Executive at Large of WONCA (1992-1995)
• Regional Vice-President for the Asia-Pacific Region of WONCA (1989-1991)
• Advisor and Resource Person, Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in Bali, Indonesia (1990)
• Chairman, Host Organizing Committee, 10th WONCA World Conference in Singapore (1983)

In his role as the Chief Executive Officer of Wonca, from May 2001 to the present date, Dr Loh was responsible for the following developments:

• The establishment of WONCA and later the WONCA Trust as a legal entity soon after assuming his appointment.
• The growth of WONCA from a 62 member organization to the current 122 member organizations, in 102 countries.
• The establishment of three new WONCA Regions (WONCA East Mediterranean, WONCA South Asia and WONCA Ibero-americana CIMF) to the current total of seven WONCA Regions.
• The establishment and ongoing management of the WONCA Website (www.GlobalFamilyDoctor.com) and the re-design of the current site to meet the expanding role of the site.
• The ongoing collaboration between WONCA and industry in the form of the WONCA Global Sponsorship
• The institution of educational satellite symposia at WONCA World and Regional Conferences
• The re-acquisition of the IP rights to the International Classification of Primary Care Version 2 (ICPC-2) from Oxford University Press back to WONCA and the subsequent commercialization of ICPC as national licences to nine governments and other commercial software establishments.
• Standardizing the calculation of the conference levy for WONCA World and Regional Conferences to benefit both WONCA World and the WONCA Region hosting the conference.
• Introducing a standardized discount policy in the per capita WONCA membership dues payable by member organizations in developing countries based on the GDP per capita ppp of the country
• Promoting closer working relationship and collaboration between WONCA and The World Health Organization (WHO) and its health initiatives like the Global Alliance against Respiratory Diseases (GARD), GOLD, GINA and TUFH.

Dr Loh and his wife, Yiau Leng, have three grown-up children and five grandchildren.

Dr Loh retired from his appointment as WONCA CEO, on 2 October 2012, to spend more time with his family and to return to his first love – the practice of Family Medicine.