A Real Page Turner

For Dr Ginny Quek, Associate Consultant, Sengkang Community Hospital, becoming a doctor was an unexpected calling. When the Pangandaran tsunami hit Indonesia back in 2006, Ginny's church was heavily involved in the rescue and aid missions. While she was too young to be physically involved, growing up on stories and update reports on humanitarian work inspired Ginny to pursue a career in medicine so that she could similarly aid others.

After her residency, Ginny joined the SCH family at Bright Vision Hospital in 2018 in order to pursue her interest in family medicine. BVH was a learning experience for Ginny, as a bright-eyed doctor new to the world of healthcare. During a stint in the hospice wards, Ginny and her team was entrusted with a palliative patient who was guarded and distrustful towards them due to his poor experiences with previous medical teams. His surly demeanor often led to raised voices and brusque conversations with the team. Slowly but surely, Ginny eventually managed to win his trust for him to open up about his fears and worries to the team, allowing them to help address some of his underlying psychological issues. It was a bittersweet moment for Ginny when he finally passed on peacefully.


Through all the ups and downs, Ginny is quick to reaffirm her dedication and has no regrets pursuing family medicine. "I am thankful to have started my family medicine journey at SCH 'cos honestly… I wasn't very sure what I wanted from my medical career! So this is actually a place where I feel very comfortable and happy working in. There is a lot of fulfilment in being able to collaborate with other allied health professionals and working in a team."


This collaborative effort was undoubtedly put to the test when Ginny and her colleagues had to deal with the pandemic starting 2020. It was a huge challenge for Ginny, but also reaffirmed her passion and conviction to fulfil her calling as a doctor.


"COVID-19 truly made me realise how much healthcare workers put themselves in the line of fire even when faced with uncertainty. While I always knew that we have to be prepared to answer the call of duty during a health crisis, seeing my colleagues around me unflinchingly putting themselves in the line of fire and answering the needs of the nation in those critical first few months was a humbling feeling. It really isn't easy putting aside your personal worries and concerns for the greater good and to carry out your duties and responsibilities as a doctor."


As the battle against COVID-19 raged on, Ginny still found the time to engage in her love for books – and also as a form of self-care. Boasting an impressive book collection as a self-confessed 'book-aholic', Ginny reads all sorts of books – from medical textbooks  to fiction books and even graphic novels  – but the Sherlock Holmes series still remains her favourite read. "Being able to delve into a book and immerse in the adventure within really helps to take your mind off the stress of the present," Ginny shared.


After all the challenges she has faced thus far, Ginny remains optimistic and determined to chase her passion. "Being a doctor is a very privileged position because strangers let you into their lives and you are given an opportunity to educate and empower them and hopefully bring about change that could impact them in the long run. I really enjoyed learning about the different patients I meet, not just as a patient but also as an individual. I also enjoy the intellectual challenge of being a doctor and how I have to constantly renew my mind and knowledge Also, as cliché as it sounds, I like to believe that I am making a difference to the patients that I care for!"

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