MOH "misplanned" in mid 2010s; refused to increase intake in NUS and NTU for many years after Lee Kong Chian Medical School opened. Despite population projection and two new upcoming hospitals, MOH said it was enough and refused to groom more nurses and Doctors locally (increase intake).
The backup plan was to let those disqualified from local medical schools to fund their own studies overseas, and then offer to subsidize them partially so that they will be bonded to work in our local hospital. It was an irresponsible policy, there were few takers. Few in the right mind will want to return to serve Singapore, after NUS and NTU rejects them to recruit Malaysian, China and ASEAN students
Concurrently, focus was shifted to groom a large number of therapists in SIT and NYP for physio, occupational, radiology, so that can replace those trained overseas. Eg, up to late 2010s, all physios, podiatrists, radiologists with degrees were from overseas.
Then as our population increased by a million every decade and fallout from COVID and aging population, there was a huge shortage of nurses and doctors. MOH went on to take the shortcut and setup MOH Holdings to hire doctors and nurses from various countries.