• 10,000 smiles collected for the President to mark the 10th anniversary of President’s Challenge
• SingHealth institutions undertook a range of healthcare-inspired community outreaches to support the charity

SingHealth today presented His Excellency, President S R Nathan, with a cheque for $300,000 at the closing ceremony of the four-month long fun(d) raising project, “Healthcare, I Care!” undertaken for this year’s President’s Challenge. The total donation exceeded the set target by 50 per cent. 

In addition, to mark the 10th anniversary of the charity, SingHealth collected 10,000 smiles of patients, hospital visitors, beneficiaries and staff, brought on by sincere and meaningful deeds by its healthcare staff, captured in candid photos. The best smiles were assembled into beautiful collage, which was unveiled today by the President with the help of children from Mainly I Love Kids (MILK) and Beyond Social Services.

During the four-month long project, staff from SingHealth institutions, including SGH, SNEC and NDC, also volunteered their time and energy to offer free health screenings and services as well as run a host of health-inspired activities for beneficiaries (see Annex I).

“Healthcare, I Care!”, now in its 6th successive year, represents SingHealth's contribution to President's Challenge initiative, meeting the needs of beneficiaries in tangible ways and doing what SingHealth does best: Delivering quality healthcare.  From 2004 to date, SingHealth institutions have raised more than $1.6 million in funds.

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ANNEX I: SingHealth Institutions’ Community Efforts for President’s Challenge:

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital  – Taking the Boys to Town
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) arranged for a special evening out for the children from Boys’ Town. KKH treated 60 boys to attend the premiere of the Michael Jackson movie “This is It” on 28 October 2009, to bring cheer to their lives and a smile to their faces.

Singapore General Hospital – “Wheel” Power

On 7 November, 14 beneficiaries from the Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore (MDAS) aged between 9 and 42 years of age, along with 30 Singapore General Hospital (SGH) staff volunteers tried to outwit each other in a friendly competition, requiring both brain and “wheel” power.  The games ranged from wheelchair bowling, pin the tail on the donkey, spell with your eyes, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” and many more. 

Animal Olympics were the main fun-raiser on the day. The game is the brainchild of allied health staff who designed the giant board game with the beneficiaries in mind, after visiting MDAS and assessing the beneficiaries’ abilities.

The caregivers were not neglected.  The mothers left their children in the care of the volunteers while they took a few hours off to learn the art of jewellery making, taught by SGH Work Life Unit staff. Both volunteers and beneficiaries enjoyed the camaraderie of participating in these activities. 

National Dental Centre of Singapore – Smiles Fit for the President

The National Dental Centre of Singapore (NDC) is embarking on a year-long community outreach programme together with the Singapore Dental Health Foundation (SDHF), which will see 100 seniors fitted with new dentures.

Organised by NDC and SDHF and sponsored by Vertex-Dental and Faith Dental Laboratories, this community outreach aims to restore the oral health-related quality of life of 100 elderly residents of some 20 welfare homes associated with SDHF, including Bethany Methodist Nursing Home, Bukit Batok Home for the Aged, Jamiyah Nursing Home and Lin Kwang Home.

Currently five volunteer dentists from SDHF are involved in this project, two of whom also practice at NDC.

NDC and SDHF decided to embark on this campaign because dental healthcare in welfare homes is still an area of need.1 In addition, studies have shown that people with considerable tooth loss who do not have access to dentures reported the poorest oral health-related quality of life.2 Quality of life is impacted as patients without support from dentures may find their facial muscles sagging and may experience difficulty with simple daily activities, such as eating and speaking.

National Heart Centre Singapore – A Happy Heart & A Happy Mind

15 staff from the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), including Acting COO, Mr Malcolm Koh, spent time with 70 elderly folks from the Yong-En Care Centre on 31 October 2009. The outreach revolved around mental health and physical well-being. NHCS staff conducted easy-to-do exercises, played games to hone participants’ cognitive skills, celebrated birthdays, and treated the elderly to a scrumptious lunch. The team handed out goodie bags at the end of the event, bringing smiles to the elderly beneficiaries.   

National Neuroscience Institute – Dealing with Dementia

National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) raised awareness among caregivers of people affected by dementia that managing and caring for their loved one is not just about feeding them medication.  There are many other psycho-social issues that come along with the condition, which if managed properly can help to improve the quality of life of the dementia sufferer and the caregiver.  The educational talk, held at St Andrew’s Community Hospital, guided caregivers on how to cope with these issues.

Singapore National Eye Centre – Eyeing Diabetes

Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) joined hands with the Diabetic Society of Singapore to drive awareness of the link between diabetes and blindness. This is fitting, as very often, blindness and sight impairment from diabetes do not command as much public attention as other diabetes-related complications, such as kidney failure and dialysis, leg amputations or heart attacks.

On World Diabetes Day (14 Nov), SNEC offered free health screening to people aged 45 years and above, including elderly residents from community centres. Held at the Bishan Community Club, some 1,000 people turned up to have their blood sugar and pressure checked as well as to undergo screening for diabetes-related complications and eye checks by SNEC volunteer doctors and nurses.

SingHealth Polyclinics – High Spirits & High Tea

SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) visited Bethany Methodist Nursing Homes on 19 November 2009 to spread the Christmas cheer early this year. The outreach revolved around physical well-being and fun activities. SHP staff organised a series of simple games, light physio exercise as well as a host of entertainment activities, including balloon sculpting for the close to 300 residents. Those unable to make it to the celebrations were visited on the wards so no resident was left out of the festivities.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Ms Nicole Lim

Group Communications

Singapore Health Services

DID: 6557 4924

E-mail: lim.nicole.natalie@singhealth.com.sg