How do I choose the right cardiologist in Singapore?

Match the sub-specialty to your problem — an electrophysiologist for arrhythmias, an interventional cardiologist for blocked arteries, a structural specialist for valve disease, or a heart-failure specialist for a weak heart. A GP referral helps direct you and supports subsidies. Always confirm registration and fees directly.

Do I need a referral to see a cardiologist?

You can see a private cardiologist directly, but a referral from your GP or polyclinic is recommended — it ensures the right initial work-up, may be needed for subsidised public-hospital care, and helps with insurance claims.

Is this a ranking of the best heart doctors?

No. This is a neutral editorial directory grouped by sub-specialty, not a ranking and not a paid listing. We list established specialists to help you find the right type of expertise, and we encourage you to verify details and choose based on your own needs.

Public or private cardiologist — which is better?

Both can provide excellent care. Public hospitals (e.g. NHCS, NUHCS) offer subsidies and multidisciplinary teams; private specialists offer choice of doctor and shorter waits at higher cost. See our public-vs-private specialists guide for the trade-offs.

Best Cardiologists in Singapore: Evidence-Based Guide 2026

“Who is the best cardiologist in Singapore?” is one of the most common questions patients ask — and one of the hardest to answer honestly, because “best” depends on what you need. This guide takes a transparent approach: rather than an unexplained top-ten, it ranks by verifiable academic and research standing and is open about how that was assessed and where the limits lie.

How this list was compiled. Cardiologists are assessed on verifiable signals: professorial and academic appointments, peer-reviewed publication record (via PubMed, reported as approximate ranges), leadership of national heart institutions, guideline and editorial roles, and international recognition. Publication counts are estimates; several doctors whose names are shared by many authors are deliberately not given a number. This reflects research and academic standing — it is not a judgement of any individual’s clinical care, bedside manner, or suitability for your specific condition. For most patients, the right cardiologist is the one whose sub-specialty and care setting match their needs.

The standout

1. Prof Carolyn Lam Su Ping — heart failure

By any objective measure, Prof Carolyn Lam is in a class of her own. A Professor at Duke-NUS and Senior Consultant at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), she is an internationally leading authority on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and among the most highly cited cardiologists in the world, with a citation record and h-index (approximately 140) that few clinicians anywhere match. She has co-authored European Society of Cardiology heart-failure guidelines and the universal definition of heart failure, and has been recognised as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. She is the clearest “number one” on this list.

Tier 1 — National academic leaders

These are the professors who lead Singapore’s national heart institutions and combine large research records with international society and editorial roles. They are listed together rather than falsely separated by a single ranking place.

Prof Tan Huay Cheem — Professor of Medicine (NUS) and a founding-era Director of the National University Heart Centre (NUHCS); a foundational figure in Singapore interventional cardiology (~200 publications) and past president of the Asian-Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology.
Clin Prof Yeo Khung Keong — Chief Executive Officer of NHCS; interventional and structural cardiologist (~230 publications) and founding editor-in-chief of a regional cardiology journal.
Adj Prof Poh Kian Keong — Director of Research at NUHCS and an internationally recognised cardiac imaging specialist; Editor-in-Chief of the Singapore Medical Journal, a board member of the American Society of Echocardiography, and a 2026 American College of Cardiology award recipient.

Tier 2 — Senior specialists

Established academic-clinical leaders — typically Clinical Associate Professors, department or service directors, with solid research records and national roles.

Adj A/Prof William Kong Kok Fai — NUHCS; structural and valvular imaging, with international editorial roles in cardiovascular imaging journals.
Clin Assoc Prof Ching Chi Keong — Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology & Pacing, NHCS; lead author of Singapore’s resuscitation guidelines.
Clin Assoc Prof Chin Chee Tang — Director of Coronary Intervention Service, NHCS; national investigator on several international trials.
Clin Assoc Prof Lim Soo Teik — senior interventional cardiologist and cath-lab advisor, NHCS; former Head of Cardiology.
Clin Assoc Prof Chow Weien — Head of Cardiology, Changi General Hospital; cardiac imaging and digital-health leadership.
Clin Assoc Prof Tan Ju Le — NHCS; a leading specialist in adult congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension.
Adj A/Prof David Foo Chee Guan — Clinical Director, NHG Health Heart Institute; long-serving electrophysiologist and former Head of Cardiology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Tier 3 — Leading private-practice cardiologists

Respected, well-trained specialists in private practice. They are generally not at the academic-leader tier of the institution heads above, but several have genuine research or sub-specialty distinction.

⭐ Standout in private practice — Dr Michael Ross MacDonald (The Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre, Gleneagles Hospital). He is the rare private cardiologist with a genuine research pedigree: he trained in advanced heart failure and transplantation at Glasgow’s Golden Jubilee National Hospital, previously directed cardiac MRI and heart-failure services at Changi General Hospital, and is a published heart-failure researcher who has co-authored with Prof Carolyn Lam and Prof John McMurray. His practice combines heart failure with advanced cardiac imaging. (Disclosed featured specialist on Best Doctors Singapore.)

Other well-regarded private-practice cardiologists include:

Dr Rohit Khurana — interventional cardiology; Oxford-trained with a PhD from the University of London.
Dr Paul Chiam and Dr Edgar Tay — structural intervention, including transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
Dr Peter Ting — preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation; holds a Master of Public Health from Harvard.

How to choose the right cardiologist for you

Academic standing is one useful signal, but it is not the only thing that matters — and for many patients it is not the most important. Consider:

Sub-specialty match. A world expert in heart failure is not necessarily the right person for a heart-rhythm ablation. Match the specialist to your problem — interventional, electrophysiology, heart failure, imaging, structural, or prevention.
Care setting. Public heart centres offer subsidised care and large multidisciplinary teams; private practice offers continuity and convenience. Both deliver high-quality cardiology in Singapore.
Referral and access. Some subsidised services and insurance plans require a referral; check before booking.
Rapport and communication. Heart conditions are often managed over years. A specialist who explains clearly and whom you trust matters enormously.

A note on rankings

Any list of “best” doctors is a simplification. We have tried to be transparent about our basis (academic and research standing) and honest about its limits — including declining to invent precise publication counts where a doctor’s name could not be reliably distinguished from others, and declining to place private-practice specialists above the professors who lead our national institutions. Inclusion here is not an endorsement of one doctor over another for your particular care, and the absence of a name does not imply anything about quality; Singapore has many excellent cardiologists beyond those listed.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the best cardiologist in Singapore?

On research and academic standing, Prof Carolyn Lam is the clear standout internationally. But the “best” cardiologist for you depends on your specific condition and care setting — a leading interventionalist, electrophysiologist or heart-failure specialist may each be the right choice for different patients.

Are public or private cardiologists better?

Neither is inherently better. Singapore’s public heart centres lead most academic research and offer subsidised, team-based care; private practice offers continuity and convenience. Many private cardiologists trained and previously practised in the public centres.

How was this ranking decided?

By verifiable academic and research indicators — appointments, publications (as ranges), institutional leadership, and editorial/guideline roles — as described at the top of this article. It intentionally avoids false precision and does not rank clinical care, which is difficult to measure objectively.

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified doctor about your own symptoms and treatment. Rankings reflect verifiable academic and research standing only and are not an endorsement of any individual for your specific care.

Part of our Heart & vascular guides · Browse all health topics

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