$3m successfully raised for drug to treat baby with rare disorder

​A five-month-old boy named Zayn was diagnosed with Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy at about five weeks old, which placed him at risk of immobility or even death. The infant remains at NUH, although he has been moved from the paediatric intensive care unit to the high-dependency unit. Zayn’s parents successfully raised the $3 million needed for the drug Zolgensma.

240 assisted living flats in Queensway to be launched next month

​About 240 community care flats in Queensway would be launched in November’s Build-To-Order exercise. In a joint statement, the Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Health and Housing & Development Board noted that the new community care flats would be situated within the Health District @ Queenstown, a programme that will support residents in leading healthier and more productive lives. The district is where Housing & Development Board, National University of Singapore, healthcare partners such as National University Health System and local grassroots organisations work together to pilot new strategies to create a built environment that promotes healthy living and active and healthy ageing. The statement also mentioned that the new project’s proximity to Alexandra Hospital means medical and healthcare services could be incorporated into care services for residents. Channel NewsAsia also noted that residents can enjoy convenient access to Alexandra Hospital, National University Hospital and Queenstown Polyclinic.

• TODAY, 27 October 2022, 240 community care HDB flats for seniors to be launched in Queenstown in November BTO sale
  
• CNA, 27 October 2022, What you need to know about the new assisted living HDB flats in Queenstown for seniors
  
• ZB Online, 28 October 2022, 女皇镇下月推出240个社区关爱组屋单位 (HDB launches 240 units of assisted living BTO flats in Queenstown in November)
  
• 8world, 27 October 2022, 女皇镇社区关爱组屋 约 240 个单位供申购 (About 240 units of Queenstown assisted living HDB flats are available for purchase)
  
• Berita Mediacorp, 27 October 2022, Apa yang perlu anda tahu tentang flat mesra warga emas di Queenstown (What you need to know about the new assisted living HDB flats in Queenstown for seniors)
  
• Newsfounded, 29 October 2022, About 240 assisted living HDB flats for seniors to be launched in Queenstown in the November BTO exercise
  

Is snacking necessarily bad for you? How can you cut down if you’re trying to lose weight?

Various experts weigh in on snacking, including Prof Tai E Shyong, Centre Director of National University Health System (NUHS) Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management; Dr Serene Wong, Consultant with Alexandra Hospital’s Chronic Programme; Toh Hui Moon, Senior Clinical Psychologist at National University Polyclinics (NUP) and Lynette Goh, Principal Dietitian from NUP.

They provided insight and advice on why people feel the need to snack, the reasons for sweet or savoury cravings, whether snacking is necessary at all, how to minimise snacking, and tips to snack smarter.

National Day Awards 2022

​The Singapore National Day Awards honour individuals for their service and contributions to Singapore. This year, a total of 6,258 individuals in 21 award categories received National Day Honours. These included several recipients from National University Health System, National University Hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Alexandra Hospital, National University Polyclinics and NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. 

• The Straits Times Online, 9 August 2022, Public Service Star
  
• Lianhe Zaobao Online, 10 August 2022, 2022年国庆奖章名单 (2022 National Day Awards)
  

House Brands: Should I Make the Switch?

​In this episode of Talking Point which focused on house brands, Ms Lynette Goh, Principal Dietitian, NUP, discussed the nutritional value of three common grocery items – rice, eggs and milk – offered by house brands and branded options. Comparing three different brands, she found that the products from house brands and branded options are generally nutritionally on par.

• Talking Point 2022/2023 S1E13 House Brands: Should I Make the Switch?

Clementi Polyclinic to move to new site with larger space

​Clementi Polyclinic would be moving to a standalone site at Commonwealth Avenue West by 2027. The new building would be larger than its current premises and offer a wider range of medical services, including those catered to seniors. Dr Anandan Gerard Thiagarajah, head of Clementi Polyclinic, said that having its own space would also allow the polyclinic to better control the flow of patients, which is especially important in pandemic situations. SMS (MOH and MCI) Janil Puthucheary revealed the location of the revamped polyclinic on 1 Jun during a tour of the current premises. He also announced that the brand new polyclinic in Taman Jurong would be located on Corporation Drive, the site of the former West Point Hospital. 

Similar stories:

• ST Online, 1 June 2022, Clementi Polyclinic to move to Commonwealth Avenue West by 2027
  
• Lianhe Zaobao, 2 June 2022, Clementi Polyclinic to move to new site nearby in 2027金文泰综合诊疗所2027年搬往附近 达曼裕廊新综合诊疗所设在康裕医院旧址 
• TODAY Online, 1 June 2022, Clementi Polyclinic to be redeveloped at new site 650m away from current location
  
• CNA Online, 1 June 2022, Clementi Polyclinic to be redeveloped at new site 650m away from current location
  

Hot In The City

Straits Times reported that doctors have cautioned the public against heat-related health risks as Singapore would be facing weeks-long heat and drier weather that was expected to persist till September. Healthcare providers, including the National University Polyclinics (NUP), observed an increase in patients with heat-related injuries and have been seeing a rise in patients with mild conditions such as heat rashes and eczema flare-ups.

A/Prof Jason Lee from Department of Physiology, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, urged that outdoor workers, which include cleaners and construction workers, should be given more rest breaks, cooling options and shelter.

Several experts shared tips to avoid heat stress as well as common treatments for heat injury cases. These included Dr Keith Ho, Head, Urgent Care Centre, Alexandra Hospital and Senior Consultant, Emergency Medicine Department, National University Hospital, and Dr Loh Jun Hao, Family Physician, Jurong Polyclinic, NUP.

• Straits Times Online, 25 May 2022, Singapore doctors caution against heat-related health risks as mercury rises

• The New Paper, 25 May 2022, Singapore doctors caution against heat-related health risks as mercury rises

• Asia News Day, 25 May 2022, Singapore doctors caution against heat-related health risks with sweltering heat expected for rest of the month

More NUP Polyclinics to offer mental health and geriatric services

​Three more National University Polyclinics (NUP) would offer psychiatric services for mild to moderate forms of common mental health issues and would also help relieve the increasing load at hospitals. Meanwhile, the Jurong and Pioneer polyclinics would offer geriatric services probably from September, as more family physicians and nurse care managers are being trained on how to identify and manage frailty in seniors. The programme was initiated by Dr Lydia Au, head of geriatric medicine at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital. The programme began in Bukit Batok Polyclinic and then Choa Chu Kang Polyclinic in 2019. Alexandra Hospital in early 2021 started a similar programme in Queenstown Polyclinic and Clementi Polyclinic. From July 2019 till March 2022, the programme had completed the assessment of 300 patients. These plans, which National University Health System briefly shared to mark the World Family Doctor Day on 19 May, were in line with the preventive healthcare strategy known as Healthier SG that the Ministry of Health announced in March.

• Straits Times Online, 26 May 2022, More NUP polyclinics to offer mental health and geriatric services

• Lianhe Zaobao, 19 May 2022, Page 10, 200 general practitioners in the West Region trained to care for the mentally ill patients, 西部全科医生受训照料精神病患

• Lianhe Zaobao, 19 May 2022, Page 10, 200 general practitioners in the West Region trained to care for the mentally ill parents, 医院助评估  家庭医生及早辨认老人病

• Asia News Day, 18 May 2022, More NUP Polyclinics to offer mental health and geriatric services

• 8world, 18 May 2022, NUHS to get more GP trained in geriatrics and mental health

国大医学组织推行灵活工作安排 让医护人员兼顾工作家庭 (NUHS implements flexible work arrangements, allowing healthcare workers to juggle career and family)

​National University Health System has been named one of The Straits Times' "Best Employers in Singapore 2022" for providing employees with flexible working arrangements that help them balance work, family and personal responsibilities, while maintaining career development opportunities.

 The article featured Ms Liew Ming Lee, Senior Staff Nurse, National University Polyclinics, who left nursing in 2015 but re-joined National University Polyclinics in 2019 as an admin staff. Ms Liew's calling to return to nursing came when she was posted to support at the Swab Isolation Facilities during the COVID-19 outbreak. Being a registered nurse, she felt that she should be practising and putting to use her licence and knowledge. Ms Liew's supervisors supported her decision and prepared her for the transition to return to clinical practice by sending her for relevant courses and in-house trainings. Ms Liew is currently a Care Manager at Bukit Panjang Polyclinic. She works within a medical team that attends to patients with chronic diseases.

Ms Jancy Mathews, Chief Nurse, National University Polyclinics, said that National University Polyclinics hopes that all employees will be able to reach their full potential and that they are supportive of Ms Liew to return to the clinical position.

The article also featured Ms Jamie Tan, a staff nurse with National University Hospital's Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, who pursued a career in events management after her nursing diploma, but decided to sign up as an nursing volunteer at the Tuas South Community Care Facility during the COVID-19 pandemic. With support from her nursing lead at Community Care Facility, Ms Tan has joined National University Hospital's Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute for two years, enthusiastically involved in the care of young patients.   

What not to eat when you are down with Covid-19

Dietitian Bernice Tan from NUP gave expert advice and tips on diet and food intake in a feature write-up by ST LIFE! on self-care post and in the midst of COVID-19 infection. She recommends that patients have a healthy balanced diet to boost energy and facilitate speedy recovery. She also offers practical advice for people who want to manage their diets well, while recovering from the virus.

Ms Tan suggests that people who are struggling to eat their usual food portions can have healthy snacks two to three hours after their main meals, to make sure they are getting enough nutrients. She also offers more tips on foods to avoid.

NUH, St Luke's Hospital and Alexandra Hospital to implement next-gen EMR

​Healthcare IT News reported that National University Hospital, Alexandra Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospital are set to move to a new electronic medical records system called the Next Generation Electronic Medical Record (NGEMR) on 26 February. An integrated system that will harmonise processes across St. Luke’s Hospital, National University Health System and National Healthcare Group, NGEMR will enable more efficient care management and delivery, help to bring down costs and the need for repeat tests when patients switch providers. It was first set up at the JurongHealth Campus in April 2020, followed by a second round of implementations at National University Polyclinics between September and November 2020.

丑去来寅来人益健 牛奔虎跃春愈新 (Usher in the Year of the Tiger with good health)

Dr Alexander Yip, Gastroenterology Consultant at Alexandra Hospital, provided advice on what types of food are good for a healthy gut to usher in the lunar new year.

Ms Lynette Goh, Principal Dietitian at National University Polyclinics, also shared advice on how to safely handle and store leftover food from the new year feasting.

Covid-19 ‘virtual wards’ allow more patients to recover at home

Dr Stephanie Ko, Consultant, Division of Advanced Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital (NUH), said that the National University Health System (NUHS) COVID-19 Virtual Ward has helped more than 500 patients so far, saving 3,500 bed days since September 2021. The Virtual Ward has enrolled several Omicron cases and it is prepared to help with bed capacity if the COVID-19 surge hits. Dr Ko explained that treatment is similar to a COVID-19 treatment facility or hospital – with doctors and nurses doing ward rounds daily or every other day through teleconsultation and to ensure that patients measure their vital signs routinely.

Around half of the NUHS COVID-19 Virtual Ward patients were referred from one of NUHS cluster's three hospitals – NUH, Alexandra Hospital or Ng Teng Fong General Hospital –  after a period of hospital stay. The other half were referred directly from community providers such as National University Polyclinics or the Case Management Task Group at Ministry of Health, for patients who were at home and wished to continue recovery at home rather than go to a facility.

• The New Paper, 4 January 2022, Covid patients not eligible for home recovery can now do so with 'virtual wards'

• Berita Harian, 6 January 2022, ‘Wad maya’ bolehkan pesakit Covid-19 pulih di rumah di bawah pemantaunan (‘Virtual ward’ allows Covid-19 patients to recover at home under monitoring)

• GoodyFeed, 6 January 2022, Thereare now ‘Virtual Hospital Wards’ for some COVID-19 patients

向女皇镇综合诊疗所医护人员致谢 (Thank you to the medical team at Queenstown Polyclinic)

​A patient wrote in to compliment three staff members from Queenstown Polyclinic – Dr Joyce Pang, Ms Arumugam Kunavathy, and Ms Chng Ling Li – for their excellent service and patient care. The patient has also felt that the service attitude of doctors, nurses, and other staff in public hospitals and clinics has been consistently improving over the years.

Get tested for hearing problems at 3 community clinics

​Three community hearing clinics have been set up in a pilot scheme by NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Hospital and Singapore General Hospital to make it more convenient for people to seek hearing services. The clinics located at Pioneer Polyclinic, Tiong Bahru Community Health Centre and SingHealth Tower leverage a new boothless method that eliminates the cost of sound-proofing rooms. The creation of the clinics also aligns with Singapore's strategy of shifting emphasis away from hospital care.

Mediacorp Channel 8 news and Lianhe Zaobao featured Dr Jenny Loo, Chief Audiologist, National University Hospital, who shared that hearing impairment can lead to cognitive decline, dementia, depression and other problems, and it should not be ignored. The boothless method uses relatively simple equipment to replace the traditional way of hearing test, and the results are the same. She added that the new clinics help to reduce waiting time for patients from about two to three months to one month for the hearing services.

Prof William Hal Martin, Professor of Otolarngology and Public Health, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, said that with the enhanced cost effectiveness and portability of the new devices, hearing care can be made more accessible

Two National University Hospital patients shared their positive experience from the community hearing services at Pioneer Polyclinic.

• Lianhe Zaobao, 27 October 2021, Page 6, 听力测试与佩戴助听器服务走入邻里 社区听力诊所助年长者耳听八方 (Hearing test and hearing aid service walks into neighbourhood; Community hearing clinics helps seniors hear from all directions)
• Mediacorp 8world, 26 October 2021, 年长人士今后可在邻里接受听力测试 (Seniors can take hearing tests in the community)
• Channel 8 news, 26 October 2021, 6.30pm & 10pm, 年长人士今后可在邻里接受听力测试(Seniors can take hearing tests in the community)
• CNA, 27 October 2021, Singapore Tonight, 10pm, Boothless method brings affordable testing to those with hearing problems
• Suria news, 26 October 2021, 8pm, 3 klinik pendengaran masyarakat mudahkan warga emas dapatkan pemeriksaan pendengaran (3 community hearing clinics make it easy for seniors to get hearing checks)
• Berita Harian Online, 26 October 2021, Golongan bermasalah pendengaran boleh jalani ujian pengesanan di tiga klinik masyarakat dalam skim perintis (The hearing impaired can go for hearing tests at three community clinics under pilot programme)
• Capital 95.8FM news, 26 October 2021, 6pm, 本地医院试行新技术 无需隔音室就能进行听力检测 (Local hospitals implement new hearing test method without need for sound insulated rooms)
• Tamil Murasu, 27 October 2021, Page 2, செவி ஆற்றல் பிரச்சினை உள்ளோருக்கு சிறப்பு ஏற்பாடு (People with hearing issues can get diagnosed at three community clinics in pilot scheme)