3
annual flagship events
Issue 51
Aug 2024
STUDENT MATTERS
PHS Annual Screening Opening Ceremony
Since 2004, the Public Health Service (PHS) has been a preventive arm of the NUS Medical Society. It is one of the largest student-led health screening projects in Singapore.
PHS has since expanded beyond an annual screening to offer different lines of services that match the evolving healthcare needs of the citizens. Some of these include an increased range of screening modalities, public health education and follow-up initiatives.
PHS strives to achieve these aims in accordance with our motto “Promoting Health, Spreading Awareness” by firstly, reinforcing positive health behaviour using a population-based approach, and secondly, spreading awareness of the need and means to look after one’s own health via health education. Through working in synergy with national public health initiatives such as Healthier SG, PHS strives to make public health readily accessible for everyone in our community, ensuring that nobody is deprived of their right to primary healthcare.
PHS’ vision is to be a transformational student-led health service. In alignment with this aspiration, PHS has three organisational aims:
|
1. |
To raise public health awareness and inculcate a sense of personal responsibility for one’s own health. |
|
2. |
To form an effective bridge to integrate individuals into the local healthcare system. |
|
3. |
To provide an avenue for NUS Medicine and other healthcare students and alumni to collaborate and serve the needs of the community. |
All smiles from participants of UHF 2024!
Public Health Service Flagship Events
Public Health Screening
PHS annual health screening will be held at The Frontier Community Club, Boon Lay, 17 and 18 August 2024.
Public health screening, held in August every year, aims to make healthcare accessible for underprivileged individuals, ensuring that they receive the care they require without a cost barrier.
PHS also aims to educate citizens about the importance of regular healthcare check-ups and preventive medicine. Modalities and screening services include Phlebotomy, FIT, Doctor’s Station as well as an educational health exhibition.
The screening exercise has traditionally been held in the west. In 2024, it will be held on 17 and 18 August at The Frontier Community Club and Jurong Medical Centre in Boon Lay.
PHS has also expanded to include a wider range of screening modalities to address different health concerns. These include but are not limited to women’s health education and dental screening.
Young Health Ambassadors’ Programme
Our next keynote outreach programme is the Young Health Ambassadors’ Programme (YHAP). It is a month-long programme to train youths to become Health Ambassadors. They champion healthier practices amongst their communities. We hope to foster a more tightly knit bond between Junior College and Polytechnic students from all walks of life and other like-minded individuals from different schools, educational tracks and ages through group projects, learning journeys and our new innovation challenge!
YHAP 2024’s topics were especially pertinent to youth today, where speakers and guests discussed issues like nutrition, sleep, exercise and mental health. More significantly, YHAP 2024 “Empowering Tomorrow’s Health Advocates” not only achieved great outreach, but also nurtured a fresh batch of health advocates for tomorrow.
UHF 2024 Bone Marrow Donation Drive.
The Inaugural University Health Fair
This year, PHS introduced our newest event, the University Health Fair (UHF). UHF 2024 was held in the Medicine+Science library in NUS from 22 to 26 January 2024. UHF stemmed from a crucial problem: that there has been a lack of efforts aimed at promoting health amongst university students. Hence, the objective of UHF was clear—to raise awareness on health issues germane to university students today. A myriad of organisations were invited to set up booths at the fair. Organisations like Alcoholics Anonymous (helping individuals recover from alcoholism) and WeCare (solving addiction related problems) advocated about key health issues seen in young adults today.
Moreover, to empower young adults today to make an impact on society in terms of healthcare, the Singapore Red Cross and the Bone Marrow Donor Programme were invited to run a blood donation drive and educate participants about bone marrow donation respectively.
PHS Celebrates Our 20th Anniversary
Promoting health, spreading awareness since 2004
As PHS transitions into our 20th year, we would like to thank everyone for their continual support. While the PHS vision has not changed, the ways that we fulfil it certainly have.
PHS will continue to adapt and innovate to meet the shifting needs of Singaporeans. This year will be no different. At the heart of everything we do, PHS will continually strive to improve and promote the health of the local community.
More from this issue
