Media Articles

November 2019

Two new polyclinics to open in Kaki Bukit and Tengah by 2025

Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor shared more details about Tengah Polyclinic at a community event in Bukit Batok on Saturday, 23 November 2019. The new polyclinic will be part of an integrated development with public housing and a neighbourhood centre, located along Bukit Batok Road. It will provide services including chronic disease management, childhood developmental assessment and women’s cancer screening. Disease prevention, dietetics, psychology and diagnostic services will also be available at the polyclinic, which will be operated by National University Polyclinics (NUP). Construction is expected to commence in 2021 and when completed, the polyclinic will serve the residents of the Tengah area, as well as those in new Housing Block developments around Bukit Batok West.

No detail is too small

IThis article features Sister Diana Ong, Nurse Manager, Jurong Polyclinic, who is involved in the development of the upcoming Bukit Panjang Polyclinic, which will open in 2020. She shares about what her role entails and what her career in nursing has been like thus far.

Docs involve patients in clinical process to spur lifestyle changes

In conjunction with World Diabetes Day, NUHS shared several of its initiatives across its member institutions to improve diabetes care. One of them is the Year of Care programme, which involved transforming consultations into meaningful dialogues to motivate diabetes patients to self-manage their condition. Patients will also receive their test results prior to appointment, enabling them to take control of their lifestyle habits. Since being piloted at NUH in 2018, the programme yielded positive results which was shared during the NUHS media briefing last week.

The same model of patient care is also being carried out at the polyclinics setting. NUP has rolled out a trial, in which patients at two polyclinics will receive their test results prior to consultation and be empowered to self-manage diabetes. NUP will review the success of the trial before a possible expansion to all six of its polyclinics.

In addition, NUHS is also helping general practitioners (GPs) to improve their clinical outcomes through a programme that allows the GP clinics, which usually operate in silos, to keep track of patients’ progress and compare the data with other clinics. The GPs can also share with one another the problems they face and work together to resolve them.

武吉巴督东成为第八个失智友善社区 (Bukit Batok becomes the eighth dementia-friendly community)

NUP in collaboration with the Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC) developed healthy recipes that are good for the brain and can help seniors prevent dementia. At HeARTS!, the health and wellbeing carnival organised by Bukit Batok East grassroots and Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) on 3 November to promote active ageing and awareness of dementia, NUP Senior Dietitian Janie Chua and the students of SHATEC conducted a cooking demonstration for the seniors to share the recipes.

July 2019

Five nurses get President’s Award for their contributions

Ms Jancy Mathews, Chief Nurse, National University Polyclinics was one of five nurses to receive the highest honour in the local nursing profession, the President’s Award for Nurses at the Istana on Wednesday, 24 July 2019. Established in 2000, the President’s Award for Nurses recognises nurses who have been exceptional in patient care, leadership, mentorship, research and administration, and engage in continual learning to develop the nursing profession and nurture young nurses.

June 2019

MOH to ban key source of artificial trans fat in food like cookies and pizzas from June 2021

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Home Affairs Amrin Amin announced that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of artificial trans fats, will be banned as an ingredient in all foods sold in Singapore from June 2021, as part of ongoing efforts to encourage healthier eating habits among Singaporeans. Ms Lynette Goh, Principal Dietitian, National University Polyclinics, weighed in on the harms of trans fat and why it is important to remove it from our diets.

端午节吃粽子，怎么吃较健康？(How do we eat dumplings more healthily during dumpling festival?)

In a two-part series, Ms Lynette Goh, Principal Dietitian, National University Polyclinics, shares about the nutritional content of various types of dumplings and how we can eat them in a healthier way, especially for people with chronic health conditions.

Get help early for chronic respiratory disease

Dr David Tan, Head, Pioneer Polyclinic, sheds light on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disease that makes it hard for a person to breathe. Although it was the 10th leading cause of death in Singapore in 2017, it is often mistaken for asthma and can easily go unnoticed. He shares ways in which COPD can be managed and reinforces the importance of early detection to preserve one’s quality of life.

May 2019

Bigger polyclinic, new nursing home at Jurong health hub

SMS Lam Pin Min announced the redevelopment of Jurong Polyclinic, which will be ready by 2025 and will be located with a nursing home to cater to Jurong's population that is older than the national average. Dr Lam also announced some changes to strengthen CHAS.

March 2019

如何吃较健康？(Bread spreads – how do we eat them in a healthy way?)

Ms Ng Su Yi, Senior Dietitian, NUP, talks about the nutritional values of the different types of bread spreads, highlighting the healthier options and suggesting other nutritious alternatives.

March 2019

如何吃较健康？(Bread spreads – how do we eat them in a healthy way?)

Ms Ng Su Yi, Senior Dietitian, NUP, talks about the nutritional values of the different types of bread spreads, highlighting the healthier options and suggesting other nutritious alternatives.

February 2019

肉干吃不完，可用来炒饭 (Leftover bak kwa can be added to fried rice)

In the third and final part of this series, Ms Lynette Goh, Principal Dietitian, NUP, shares a “Fruity Bak Kwa Fried Rice” recipe and offers some other ideas on how one can use leftover bak kwa in preparing various dishes.

肉干正确吃法； 各种肉干营养不同 (Correct way of eating bak kwa; the different nutritional values of bak kwa)

In the first part of this series, Ms Lynette Goh, Principal Dietitian, NUP, shares about the nutritional content of bak kwa, explaining that it is high in fat, sugar and sodium. She highlights that different types of bak kwa have different nutritional values, and that one should always eat it in moderation.

November 2018

3-part series on healthier salads

Ms Lynette Goh, Senior Dietitian, NUP, shared a three-part series on eating healthier salads. In the first part, she shared that whether a salad is healthy depends on the ingredients and dressings used and provided tips on how to choose healthier ingredients. In parts 2 and 3 of the series of articles on eating healthier salads, she shared the things to look out for when preparing salads for the elderly and a recipe for making a healthier salad.

August 2018

New painless jaundice test for newborns in polyclinics

Newborns who are two weeks old or younger with jaundice are now tested at the National University Polyclinics (NUP) using Transcutaneous Bilirubin (TcB) measurement – a non-invasive and painless jaundice screening method. Blood tests through heel pricks would no longer be necessary for most of these babies, saving them much discomfort and reducing parents’ stress and anxiety. Time taken for the TcB measurement is also much shorter. This TcB initiative is a collaboration with NUH’s Department of Neonatology, which has been using TcB measurements since 2010.

More regular foot checks for diabetics

Article talks about what polyclinics are doing to catch diabetic foot problems early and prevent amputations. Mr Tan Liang Sheng, senior podiatrist from Bukit Batok Polyclinic, NUP, shares about what the polyclinic does to make it more convenient for patients to attend the diabetic eye and foot screening sessions, what his role entails and what some of the challenges are in trying to change patient behaviour.

哪类人不宜吃榴梿

In part two of the article on the nutritional content of durian, Ms Chow Li Ming, Dietician, NUP, highlights the groups of people with certain conditions who should avoid eating durian, and shares tips on how to control our intake.

榴梿不宜多吃： 10核相等于一碗白饭

Ms Chow Li Ming, Dietitian, NUP, shares about the nutritional content of durian an the importance of eating it in moderation.

Shin Min Daily News, 2 August 2018, Page 6

July 2018

岗位有变 仁心依旧

Mdm Chua Chew Tee, a digital archival assistant from Choa Chu Kang Polyclinic, National University Polyclinics, was an award recipient of the Healthcare Humanity Awards in April this year. While her primary duty mainly involves scanning of medical documents in patient records, Chew Tee goes the extra mile to assist patients when necessary. One such incident was when she assisted a patient who accidentally soiled himself while waiting for his turn in the polyclinic. Seeing that the patient was alone, she attended to the patient, accompanying and aiding him while he washed up. Her efforts were recognised by many patients, and she received the Healthcare Humanity Awards together with 92 other recipients.

Lianhe Zaobao, 10 July 2018, Page 9

June 2018

鳄梨有益脑和眼 (Avocados are beneficial for eye and brain health)

In part two of the article on the health benefits and different ways of eating avocados, NUP’s Senior Dietitian, Lynette Goh shared a simple and healthy avocado recipe. 

Shin Min Daily News, 13 June 2018

鳄梨 好处多吃法多! (Avocados – their many health benefits and the different ways of eating them)

NUP’s Senior Dietitian, Lynette Goh talked about the many health benefits of eating avocados, the different ways of doing so and groups of people who should refrain from eating avocados. 

Shin Min Daily News, 12 June 2018

May 2018

公共泳池游泳 易感染手足口症? / 手足口症症状消失后 仍能传染他人

Dr Ruth Zheng, Family Physician Consultant, National University Polyclinics, provided expert comments on Hand Foot Mouth Disease, if it easy to contract Hand Foot Mouth Disease while swimming in public pools and if people infected with Hand Foot Mouth Disease may still be contagious after symptoms disappear. 

Shin Min Daily News, 28 and 29 May 2018

January 2018

New Polyclinic serves Jurong residents

Pioneer Polyclinic was officially opened by Minister Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Health on Saturday, 27 January 2018. With this new polyclinic, residents of Jurong West now have more convenient access to quality care closer to their homes. An art mural, a collaboration between NUP and its community partners, was unveiled, and a Kids’ Work Experience programme was conducted to expose young children to the various jobs and roles in healthcare. Mr Cedric Foo, Adviser, Pioneer GROs and Mr Patrick Tay, Adviser, Boon Lay GROs also attended the Official Opening.

The Straits Times, 28 January 2018, pA15
The Straits Times, 27 January 2018, pA2
Lianhe Zaobao, 28, January 2018, p4
Shin Min Daily, 28 January 2018, p4
Tamil Murasu, 28 January 2018, p2
CNA Singapore Tonight, 27 January 2018
Channel 5 TV News, 27 January 2018
Channel  8 News Tonight, 27 January 2018
Suria TV News, 27 January 2018
Vasantham TV News, 27 January 2018
938Now, 27 January 2018
Capital958, 27 January 2018
WarnaFM, 28 January 2018

October 2017

总裁刘以仁：服务西部百多万人口. NUP涵盖各年龄段医疗需求

In his interview with Zaobao, Dr Lew Yii Jen, CEO NUP, touched on a wide range of topics, including his vision for NUP, serving the healthcare needs of the population in the Western region of Singapore, collaborating with other institutions within the NUHS to provide more coordinated care, as well as developing future-ready healthcare professionals. He also talked about working with NUS Medicine to enable medical students to have earlier exposure to Family Medicine.

Lianhe Zaobao, 4 October 2017, p06

August 2017

The Heart of Service

As part of NUP’s recruitment campaign, Dr Chua Ying Xian was profiled and he elaborated on his experience as a family physician at Pioneer Polyclinic and why it is rewarding.

The Straits Times, 26 August 2017, Careers in the Public Sector, pC24

July 2017

New Polyclinic in Jurong lives up to its Pioneer name

The first brand new polyclinic to open in more than 10 years, Pioneer Polyclinic features several pioneering features. These include an automated pharmacy registration process, and a system to pair its patients with chronic diseases, like diabetes, with a dedicated care team to improve patient care. Dr Lew Yii Jen, Chief Executive Officer of National University Polyclinics said that the polyclinic will be ramping up the number of care teams to take care of as many as 30,000 patients with chronic conditions in about three years' time.

The Straits Times, 27 July 2017, Home, pB6
Lianhe Zaobao, 28 July, p6

Media Releases

7 August 2018

Non-invasive and Painless Jaundice Screening for Newborns in Polyclinics

Click here to view PDF 

27 January 2018

Pioneer Polyclinic Officially Opens

Click here to view PDF 

18 January 2017

Reorganisation of Healthcare System into Three Integrated Clusters to Better Meet Future Healthcare Needs

Click here to view PDF