Media OutReach
IHH Healthcare and Prudential Partner to Offer Policyholders More Day Surgery Care Options at Mount Elizabeth Royal Square
Partnering for better care: Mount Elizabeth Royal Square day surgery centre becomes the first IHH Healthcare facility to join Prudential’s PRUPanel Connect network
SINGAPORE– Media OutReach Newswire – 17 August 2026 – Mount Elizabeth Royal Square, a private day surgery centre, has been added to Prudential Singapore’s (“Prudential”) PRUPanel Connect panel network with effect from 1 August 2026. The empanelment was commemorated at a signing ceremony between Parkway Hospitals Singapore Pte. Ltd. and Prudential.
PRUShield Integrated Shield plan policyholders with eligible PRUExtra riders can now seek treatment at Mount Elizabeth Royal Square where they will have access to participating specialists and enjoy panel benefits.
Mount Elizabeth Royal Square is the first facility under IHH Healthcare Singapore to be included in the PRUPanel Connect network.
Dr Peter Chow, Chief Executive Officer, IHH Healthcare Singapore, said: “We are pleased to partner Prudential to bring Mount Elizabeth Royal Square into the PRUPanel Connect network. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to improving access to quality private healthcare, while giving eligible patients greater assurance and convenience when they require day surgery or endoscopy care.”
Chan San San, Chief Executive Officer, Prudential Singapore, said: “At Prudential, we want to make it easier for customers to navigate their healthcare journey with confidence. By adding Mount Elizabeth Royal Square to PRUPanel Connect, we are strengthening our panel ecosystem and giving PRUShield Extra customers more options for specialist day surgery care, supported by the benefits and assurance of our panel network.”
Opened in 2025, Mount Elizabeth Royal Square is a day surgery and endoscopy centre offering hospital-equivalent safety standards, shorter waiting times, dedicated procedure slots, and a seamless patient experience. The centre also provides bedside ultrasound services, a dedicated patient lounge, and is conveniently located right next to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
Through PRUPanel Connect, eligible Prudential customers have access to value-added services when they seek treatment with participating specialists at panel healthcare institutions. These services are available to customers holding eligible PRUExtra policies, including PRUExtra Premier Care, PRUExtra Preferred Care, PRUExtra Premier, PRUExtra Premier CoPay and PRUExtra Preferred CoPay. Customers may enjoy benefits such as cashless admission with an electronic Letter of Guarantee of up to S$15,000, subject to eligibility, as well as keep renewable premiums stable for panel-approved claims.
Notes:
- PRUPanel Connect – PRUPanel Connect | Prudential Singapore
- PRUShield – PRUShield – Health Insurance Plan | Prudential Singapore
Hashtag: #PrudentialSingapore
https://www.prudential.com.sg/
https://www.ihhhealthcare.com/singapore/.
About Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd (Prudential Singapore)
Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd is one of the top life and health insurance companies in Singapore, serving the financial and protection needs of the country’s citizens for 95 years. As at 31 December 2025, it has S$66.3 billion funds under management. The company has an ‘AA’ Financial Strength Rating from leading credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s and delivers a suite of well-rounded product offerings in Protection, Savings and Investment through multiple distribution channels including a network of 5,400 financial representatives.
For more information, visit https://www.prudential.com.sg
Media OutReach
NEXA CORE Showcases Chip-To-Application AI Hub at INTI 2026, Deepens ICDeC Partnership Toward Joint AI Chip Development
Founded in Jakarta in 2025, NEXA CORE aims to provide customers from Indonesia to Southeast Asia with an enterprise-grade platform that integrates its self-developed ASIC chip, AI server infrastructure, foundation models, AI agents, and enterprise AI applications, enabling organizations to accelerate AI deployment while reducing infrastructure fragmentation and operational complexity.
Held from 11–13 August at the Jakarta International Expo, INTI 2026 is Indonesia’s premier technology and innovation gathering, featuring over 4,000 enterprises and 1,400 exhibitors across AI, cloud, cybersecurity, semiconductors, robotics, and digital infrastructure.
“Southeast Asia requires home-grown, cohesive, and scalable AI infrastructure – not just point solutions,” said the spokesman of NEXA CORE. “At NEXA CORE, we aim to enable companies to build, run, and grow their AI capabilities seamlessly by provided vertically integrated approach from proprietary ASIC chips to ready-to-deploy enterprise applications.”
A key highlight of NEXA CORE’s participation is its expanding partnership with the Indonesia Chip Design Collaborative Center (ICDeC) – a national consortium comprising many leading Indonesian universities focused on chip design research, talent development, and ecosystem building.
NEXA CORE and ICDeC are working together on AI deployment initiatives and technical training programmes. Looking ahead, the two parties are actively exploring a joint AI chip development project, marking a significant milestone in Indonesia’s quest to build indigenous semiconductor intellectual property and reduce reliance on imported chip technologies.
As Southeast Asia rapidly expands investment in AI infrastructure and deployment, NEXA CORE aims to build the foundational AI layer from compute infrastructure to real-world enterprise applications throughout the region. Its presence at INTI 2026 reaffirms the company’s role in advancing Indonesia’s technological sovereignty and regional competitiveness.
For more information, visit: nexacoreteknologi.com
Hashtag: #NEXACORE
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
Arm Fat Overtakes All Other Concerns as Top Reason Singapore Women Seek Body Sculpting Consultations, Clinic Data Shows
Amaris B. Clinic’s first-half 2026 enquiry figures show arm-related concerns accounted for 41.4% of all body-sculpting enquiries from women, with nearly half of those enquiries coming from women in their 40s. Medical director, Dr Ivan Puah links the trend to perimenopause, slowing metabolism and lifestyle pressures specific to Singapore.
SINGAPORE– Media OutReach Newswire – 17 August 2026 – Arm fat has become the single most common concern driving women to seek body-sculpting consultations in Singapore this year, according to internal enquiry data from Amaris B. Clinic, whose medical director, Dr Ivan Puah, is an MOH-accredited liposuction doctor.
Between January and June 2026, the clinic logged 406 face- and body-sculpting enquiries from women, of which 168 (41.4%) cited arm concerns, more than any other body area. Thirty-one women enquired about more than one area, so individual counts do not sum to the total.
The pattern is one Dr Puah says he sees consistently in practice: Arm fat that resists diet and exercise and that many patients report noticing as they enter their 40s.
Nearly Half of Arm-Concern Enquiries Come From Women in Their 40s
Among women who wrote in specifically about arm concerns, enquiries were heavily concentrated in mid-adulthood, an age range that overlaps with perimenopause for many women:
Full Breakdown
| Age group | Percentage of arm-concern enquiries |
| 21 –29 year-olds | 4% |
| 30 – 39 year-olds | 32% |
| 40 – 49 year-olds | 42% |
| 50 – 59 year-olds | 11% |
| 60 – 69 year-olds | 3% |
| 70 and above | 1% |
Nearly half of all arm-related enquiries came from women aged 40 to 49, an age range that overlaps with perimenopause for many women.
Why Arm Fat Is Difficult to Shift
Women naturally carry 6 to 11 percentage points more body fat than men, a difference tied to reproductive physiology. Genetics also influence where fat is stored, and some women are predisposed to carrying it in the upper arms, a distribution pattern that responds poorly to exercise alone.
Patients describe the concern in different ways, including upper-arm fat, “bingo wings” or “bat wings” (a combination of loose skin and fat that moves with the arm), and chafing where the arm rubs against the body.
Dr Puah points to two overlapping life stages as the main physiological drivers:
“Perimenopause and menopause are the two life stages we most consistently see linked to arm fat in the clinic. As women approach these stages, metabolism slows, and that shift tends to show up first in areas like the arms and underarms. It’s most noticeable in women with an apple-shaped body distribution,” said Dr Puah.
Hormonal changes associated with ageing, often compounded by stress or poor sleep, can make the body more prone to storing fat and losing lean muscle mass. Skin also loses elasticity with age, which Dr Puah says contributes to the looser, softer contour some patients describe.
Climate, Fashion and Workplace Culture Add Visibility
Singapore’s climate means sleeveless and short-sleeved clothing is worn year-round, keeping arms visible for most of the year. Dr Puah says this, combined with grooming expectations in client-facing and corporate roles, contributes to why arm concerns generate more enquiries in Singapore than they might in cooler markets.
“In Singapore’s climate, women are more conscious of how their arms look in everyday clothing, and arm sculpting is consistently among the most common requests we receive for this concern,” said Dr Puah, who chairs Singapore’s Lipo Peer Review Committee.
Not All Arm Fullness Is the Same, Clinic Says
Dr Puah cautions that upper-arm fullness is not uniform from patient to patient. For some women it is predominantly fat. For others, it is a combination of fat and skin laxity, with genetics, hormonal changes and age all shaping the tissue involved.
“Many women are surprised to learn that arm fat is often genetically predetermined and resistant to exercise. A proper evaluation helps clarify what’s driving the concern and sets realistic expectations for what can be achieved. The rise in enquiries reflects growing awareness that stubborn arm fat is a physiological issue, not a failure of willpower or fitness,” said Dr Puah.
The clinic’s data points to a broader shift: arm concerns are no longer a secondary consideration for patients but a leading driver of body sculpting consultations among women in Singapore, particularly during the perimenopausal transition.
Note on methodology: Figures are drawn from self-reported enquiry records logged by Amaris B. Clinic between 1 January and 30 June 2026 and reflect enquiries at this clinic only; they are not a population-representative survey of Singapore women.
Hashtag: #MedicalAesthetics
https://www.amaris-b.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amaris-b.-clinic/
https://www.facebook.com/AmarisBClinic/
https://www.instagram.com/amarisbclinic/
https://www.youtube.com/amarisbclinic
https://www.tiktok.com/@amarisbclinic
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
ABOUT AMARIS B. CLINIC
Founded in 2004 and led by Dr Ivan Puah, Amaris B. Clinic is a Singapore-based medical aesthetics and cosmetic surgery practice. Its services span facial and body sculpting, including liposuction, gynecomastia surgery, and fat grafting, alongside non-surgical treatments such as Ultherapy Prime, biostimulator injections, and hair loss therapy.
Amaris B. Clinic’s Signature Treatments
-
Liposuction -
Lipedema Surgery -
Vaser Liposuction -
Gynecomastia Surgery -
Accessory Breast Removal -
Corrective Surgery -
Fat Grafting -
Sports Aesthetics
ABOUT DR IVAN PUAH
Dr Puah, an MOH-accredited liposuction doctor with extensive training in various cosmetic procedures, is committed to providing personalised care with an artful eye and proven medical techniques.
- Dedicated surgical training in gynecomastia surgery in San Francisco
- Chairman of the Lipo Peer Review Committee in Singapore
- Trained in Vaser liposuction (fundamental and hi-definition) in Colorado and Argentina
- Trained in syringe liposculpture, fat grafting, and thread lift from renowned French plastic surgeon, Dr Pierre Francois Fournier
- Appointed trainer by Allergan and Merz for fellow doctors on cosmetic injectables
- Designated trainer for PDO thread lift and Picolaser from Venusys Medical
- Graduate Diploma in Family Dermatology from NUS
- Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture from TCMB
- Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine from LKCMedicine, NTU
Media OutReach
SPEAKIN SPIRE Brings Industry Expertise Directly Into Education To Prepare Asia’s Next Generation of Job-Ready Talent
Flagship Regional Launch in Singapore Brings Together Academic, Corporate and Policy Leaders, with a Focus on Internships Through SPIRE Partner Companies.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 August 2026 – SpeakIn, Asia’s largest on-demand thought leadership and capability-building platform, today announced the flagship regional launch of the SpeakIn Asia Institute for Industry Readiness and Employability (SPIRE) in Singapore. SPIRE is a dedicated institution designed to connect students and aspiring professionals with accomplished industry leaders, entrepreneurs, coaches, and subject-matter experts through structured learning, mentorship, industry-connect programmes, and workforce-readiness initiatives — and by connecting students to real employment and corporate internships, not just training.
“Every young person deserves the opportunity to learn from those who have already achieved excellence in their chosen field. Talent is universal, but opportunities for mentorship and industry exposure are often unevenly distributed. SPIRE is our commitment to making that access available at scale and to lead to tangible internships and possibly, full time roles, ” said Deepshikha Kumar Anand, Founder of SpeakIn.
What SPIRE Will Deliver
SPIRE works with government bodies, schools, colleges, universities, associations, NGOs, and employers to integrate industry engagement into education and skill development. Its offerings include:
- Curated industry-connect sessions with business leaders and domain experts
- Employability and workforce-readiness programmes
- Career guidance and future-skills training
- Leadership and entrepreneurship learning modules
- One-on-one coaching and mentorship through SpeakIn’s FindACoach™ platform
- Global workforce readiness initiatives for students and young professionals
Building the Bridge to Employment
A defining feature of SPIRE is its focus on outcomes, not just training. Students who complete SPIRE’s readiness programmes specialise into one of three career tracks — Marketing, Engineering, and Operations & Administration — chosen specifically so that the skills they build map directly onto real, hireable roles.
SPIRE partner companies commit to a minimum of two internship placements per cohort for SPIRE-certified students in their relevant track, with decisions on whether a placement is paid, and whether it is extended into a full-time role, remaining entirely at the company’s discretion. This ensures that SPIRE’s promise goes beyond a certificate — offering a genuine, curated pathway from classroom to career. With the launch, SPIRE will also announce two anchor government partnerships currently under development. The first, an Industry Connect Module for government school students in Delhi, aimed at providing meaningful exposure to careers. The second, an MoU signed under the Government of Telangana – the Telangana Global Workforce Readiness Initiative, which seeks to prepare aspiring overseas workers for opportunities across international markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
Flagship Regional Launch in Singapore
SPIRE’s regional launch is marked by an invitation-only leadership roundtable in Singapore on 22nd October 2026, convened under SpeakIn’s Asia Dialogues Forum. The roundtable, themed “Talent by Design: How Singapore Is Building the Workforce of Tomorrow, ” brings together senior business leaders, policymakers, education leaders, and industry experts shaping the future of work across Asia.
Singapore has made one of the world’s most deliberate investments in human capital, with initiatives such as SkillsFuture 2.0, the Forward Singapore agenda, the transformation of ITE, and stronger industry-academia collaboration redefining how talent is developed. The closed-door dialogue will explore how Singapore can continue building a future-ready workforce, strengthen education-industry partnerships, accelerate lifelong learning, and sustain its global talent advantage in an AI-first economy — the same principles underpinning SPIRE’s regional model.
Why SPIRE Matters
Across Asia, students increasingly require access to practical knowledge, mentorship, and industry networks that complement formal education. SPIRE has been created with a simple belief: every learner should have the opportunity to engage with people who have built successful careers and can help guide the next generation. By making industry expertise — and genuine employment pathways — more accessible, the institution aims to strengthen employability, confidence, and career readiness for young people across diverse backgrounds and geographies.
Built on Over a Decade of Research and Development
SPIRE is the latest initiative from SpeakIn, which was founded in 2016 on the belief that access to knowledge should not be limited by geography, hierarchy, or circumstance. Over the past two decades, SpeakIn has built Asia’s largest on-demand thought leadership and coaching ecosystem, connecting more than 31,000 curated experts, coaches, and industry leaders with over 3,500 enterprise clients across more than 30 countries. Its clients and partners include leading corporations, educational institutions, government agencies, and professional bodies. SpeakIn is also the creator of FindACoach™, Asia’s largest ICF-partnered coaching platform, and the Asia Dialogues Forum, which convenes leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society across the region. In Singapore, SpeakIn has engaged with public institutions including the
People’s Association, Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) Singapore, and other capability building organisations on development, and future-readiness sessions. These experiences have helped shape the institutional model that SPIRE now brings to markets across Asia, beginning with this flagship regional launch.
Hashtag: #SPIRE #SpeakIn
https://www.speakin.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/speakin
https://twitter.com/speakin_global
https://www.facebook.com/Yourspeakin
https://www.instagram.com/speakin_official
https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakInYT
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About SpeakIn
SpeakIn is Asia’s largest on-demand thought leadership and capability-building platform, headquartered in Singapore with a deep and founding presence in India. Founded in 2016, SpeakIn connects more than 3,500 enterprise clients across 30+ countries with a network of over 31,000 curated experts, coaches, and industry leaders. SpeakIn operates through its flagship expert network, FindACoach™, the Asia Dialogues Forum, and the SpeakIn Asia Institute for Industry Readiness and Employability (SPIRE). SpeakIn is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and an ICF Global MoU Partner.



