With the theme ”SingHealth Nurses, Sparkle On!”, the party accorded star treatment to the nurses who are hailed as shining examples in their workplaces and celebrated their achievements and commitment to saving lives and healing people.

Nurses received star treatment from Minister and SingHealth management

The party got off to a rousing start when a group of nurses made a grand entrance on trishaws gamely ridden by Guest of Honour Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Prime Minister’s Office and Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress, as well as SingHealth’s Group CEO, Professor Tan Ser Kiat and Deputy CEO, Professor Ivy Ng. Much to the delight of all the nurses at the party, Mr Lim also serenaded them with the evergreen song ”You Light Up My Life” as a tribute to these modern-day “Florence Nightingales” who touch many hearts and make a difference to the lives of patients through their tireless service.

The star treatment did not end there. As a show of appreciation of the nurses’ hard work, several SingHealth’s senior management, doctors and staff took turns to man the various food stalls, preparing and serving the nurses mouth-watering treats such as local favourites like mee siam, kuey pie tee, satay and even Mexican wraps. Mr Lim also got into the action and rolled up his sleeves to dish out colourful “mountains” of ice-kacang to nurses who crowded around his stall. He was joined by Dr Della Lee, Chairman of D.S. Lee Foundation, who together with the Lee Foundation have been strong supporters of SingHealth’s nursing initiatives over the years.

“Our nurses definitely deserve today’s celebrations. They are integral to the success of SingHealth and embody fully the spirit of our staff motto of putting patients at the heart of all we do. We are proud of their achievements in so many aspects of healthcare, from patient care and community outreach efforts to continuous learning and creation of new knowledge through research. This party is a way for us to thank them for their excellent service, dedication and commitment,” said Professor Tan Ser Kiat, Group CEO, SingHealth.

Earlier in the morning, Mr Lim made a special effort to walk around Outram Campus and visit nurses at SingHealth institutions like Singapore General Hospital, Singapore National Eye Centre and National Heart Centre Singapore. He gave out boxes of cakes to the nurses who were unable to join in the celebration party due to work duties.

Nurses – The pride of SingHealth

In keeping with the party’s theme to recognise the star performers, deserving nurses from the various SingHealth institutions were presented with awards and scholarships. Mr Lim gave out the SingHealth-Lee Foundation Excellence in Nursing Award – the highest honour for nurses in SingHealth – to 13 nurses for their outstanding work performance, dedication and passion. Another 11 nurses received the Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing Scholarship from Dr Della Lee, which will enable them to fulfil their academic goals and pursue further education in areas that contribute significantly to patient care and management in Singapore.

(Please refer to Annex A for the list of award recipients.)

Special mention was also made of Madam Lim Swee Hia, Director of Nursing for Outram Campus, who was recently appointed Adjunct Associate Professor by one of Australia’s leading universities, Curtin University of Technology, at its School of Nursing and Midwifery. This is yet another achievement in her distinguished nursing career that spans 40 years.

Said Professor Tan: “Swee Hia is an excellent example of how the nursing profession has been elevated over the years through greater learning opportunities. I hope many nurses will be inspired to follow in her footsteps and further their vocation. SingHealth will support them fully in realising their potential in their chosen path through continuous training and education.”

Other highlights at the party included the distribution of hampers to elderly residents from home for the aged and the annual SingHealth Talent Competition, which saw nurses pitting their skills in songs and dances.

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Annex A

SingHealth-Lee Foundation Excellence in Nursing Award

The SingHealth-Lee Foundation Excellence in Nursing Award was initiated in 2004 and has been made possible by the generosity of the Lee Foundation. It is SingHealth’s highest honour for nurses, recognising outstanding nurses for their excellent work performance, dedication and passion.

The award is open to any nurse in SingHealth who has had at least three years of nursing experience. Nurses can be nominated by all staff of SingHealth, including their subordinates, peers, supervisors and non-nursing colleagues. Nominated nurses are expected to have good work performance, make significant contributions to the organisation, and actively participate in community services. They are also role models in going the extra mile in their work.

This year, 13 nurses will be receiving the award. Each will receive a plaque, a collar pin and a $2,000 cash prize.

The winners are recognised in 3 categories, as follows:

Nursing Leaders Category
· Chua Siew Mui, Senior Nurse Educator, Singapore General Hospital
· Ong Lay Teng, Nurse Clinician, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
· Kaneswary D/O Kandasamy, Nurse Manager, Changi General Hospital

Registered Nurses Category
- Lew Lian Choo, Senior Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Agnes Ngoh Soh Heng, Senior Staff Nurse, SingHealth Polyclinics
- Amy Ong Su Ting, Senior Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Siah Chiew Jiat, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Chong Lai Foong, Senior Staff Nurse, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
- Gillian Wee Hwei Li, Senior Staff Nurse, National Heart Centre Singapore

Enrolled Nurses Category
- Puspha D/O Meenachi Sundaram, Principal Enrolled Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Manogary Thangavelu, Principal Enrolled Nurse, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
- Loh Khuan Tai, Principal Enrolled Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Tan Meu King, Senior Enrolled Nurse, National Cancer Centre Singapore

Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing (IAN) Scholarship

The Alice Lee Institute of Advanced Nursing (IAN) Scholarship was established in 2005 to encourage and support SingHealth nurses who wish to realise their academic goals at local and overseas universities. The scholarship allows SingHealth nurses to undertake their undergraduate and post-graduate education (e.g. Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees) in areas that will make a significant contribution to patient care and management in Singapore.

A $10 million donation from the Lee Foundation in 2004 towards the Alice Lee IAN made it possible for SingHealth to grant the scholarships to its deserving nurses.

This year, SingHealth is giving out 11 scholarships to nurses across its institutions. Nine of these nurses will be pursuing their Bachelor’s degree, while two will be embarking on their Master of Nursing degrees.

The scholarship recipients are:

Basic Nursing Degree Scholarship
- Mohamed Farnil Bin Mohamed Fahmy, Senior Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Tan Si Lin, Staff Nurse, Singapore National Eye Centre
- Noel Loke Wi-Soon, Senior Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Andrea Choh Chau Lin, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Lim Yee Ting Ethel, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Lilis Irwani Bte Mohamad Yusri, Senior Staff Nurse, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
- Loi Foo Chin, Staff Nurse, Changi General Hospital
- Soh Chia Yee, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital
- Chuah Pei Fen, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital

Masters Nursing Degree Scholarship
-Gan Pei Ying, Staff Nurse, Changi General Hospital
- Sin Irene, Staff Nurse, Singapore General Hospital

For media enquiries and interviews, please contact:

Ms Yip Pei Shang
Corporate Communications
Singapore Health Services
DID: 6557 4950
E-mail: yip.pei.shang@singhealth.com.sg

About Singapore Health Services (SingHealth)

SingHealth is the largest healthcare group in Singapore, offering a complete range of multi-disciplinary and integrated medical care. The group consists of 3 Hospitals, 5 National Specialty Centres, and a network of 9 polyclinics. We have a faculty of internationally qualified medical specialists and are also well equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment medical technology. We are dedicated to providing quality healthcare that is affordable and accessible to our patients. Through clinical excellence, commitment, and collaboration, we aim to be the trusted leader in healthcare for our patients, partners, staff and the community.

Members of the SingHealth group:

Hospitals:
Changi General Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital and Singapore General Hospital

National Specialty Centres:
National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Dental Centre of Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, National Neuroscience Institute, and Singapore National Eye Centre