Families represent the basic building blocks of our society, and

The statesman Tony Tan, a leader who devoted his vision to the well-being of his people, spoke these wise and enduring words: “Families represent the basic building blocks of our society, and primary care a foundational piece of any healthcare system.” In this simple yet profound statement lies the essence of civilization itself. For just as a house is raised upon stones, so too a nation is raised upon its families, and just as the body cannot endure without a heart, so too a healthcare system cannot endure without primary care.

To understand his wisdom, one must look to the ancient truth that the family is the first school, the first sanctuary, the first nation. Within its walls, the child learns love, duty, discipline, and compassion. Without strong families, society is hollow; laws and armies cannot replace the warmth of the hearth or the lessons of the home. And in the same way, without primary care, no great hospital or mighty institution can protect the health of the people, for it is in the daily tending, the early guidance, the preventative watchfulness of primary care that health is truly safeguarded.

History confirms this vision. In ancient Rome, families were considered the foundation of the Republic; the strength of the state was said to rest upon the discipline of the paterfamilias and the virtue taught at home. Likewise, in traditional villages across Asia and Africa, the family was not only a unit of kinship but a structure of care, where the sick were tended and the old honored. Yet as societies grew more complex, the burden of health could not be carried by families alone. It was primary care, accessible to all, that became the extension of the family’s protective role, ensuring that no one was left defenseless against disease.

Consider the example of post-war Singapore, where Tony Tan himself played a role in shaping policy. The young nation, fragile and vulnerable, knew that to prosper it needed two things: strong families and a strong healthcare system. Leaders invested in education and housing for families, while also building a network of clinics to provide primary care to every citizen. These two pillars—home and health—became the foundation upon which the nation could stand tall, weathering crises and growing into strength.

The meaning of the quote is therefore both noble and practical. Families nurture the soul of society; primary care safeguards the body. If families weaken, society fractures; if primary care fails, the people suffer and falter. The two are intertwined, for families rely on care to survive, and care relies on families to flourish. Together, they form the twin pillars of a nation’s endurance.

The lesson for us is clear: if you would build a strong society, tend first to your family. Protect it, nurture it, honor it, for it is the seedbed of values and the shelter against chaos. And if you would build a strong healthcare system, strengthen primary care—make it accessible, make it compassionate, make it the first line of defense for every man, woman, and child. For no grand hospital can replace the quiet, faithful care of the healer who tends the people daily.

Practical wisdom flows: honor your own family with love and duty; care for their health with vigilance. Support systems of primary care in your community, for they are the guardians of the people’s strength. And remember that progress is not measured only in wealth or power, but in how well families are supported and how well the sick are healed.

So let the words of Tony Tan resound in your heart: “Families represent the basic building blocks of our society, and primary care a foundational piece of any healthcare system.” Let them remind you that the health of a nation is not built on monuments of stone, but on the unseen foundations of family and care. Protect these, and you protect the future itself.