Neighbourhood Health Service: A Weekend of Service in Toa Payoh
Published: 04 Nov 2025
Organising committee members with project mentor Dr Goh Lay Hoon (second row, third from left) at the Neighbourhood Health Service event held at Toa Payoh Central Community Club on 25 and 26 October 2025.
The Neighbourhood Health Service (NHS) project, a collaboration between the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University (LKCMedicine), successfully concluded a two-day health screening event at Toa Payoh Central Community Club on 25 and 26 October 2025. The event marked a key milestone in NHS’ ongoing efforts to bring preventive healthcare closer to Singapore’s communities. From the first residents who arrived at registration early in the morning to the last who completed their journey in the late afternoon, the day was filled with meaningful encounters, conversations, and care in motion.
This year’s screening focused on the Toa Payoh precinct—the project’s first foray into Singapore’s central-northern region and its first collaboration with NHG Health. This expansion reflects NHS’ long-term vision of building bridges across all three healthcare clusters, so that they can continue reaching diverse communities and better meet residents where they are.
Student volunteer introducing healthcare resources to an event participant.
The screening comprised multiple stations run by NHS volunteers in collaboration with community and institutional partners. These included:
- Triage (by NHS volunteers)
- Profiling (by NHS volunteers)
- HbA1c testing (by SG Diagnostics)
- Frailty screening (by NHG Health)
- Dental screening (by NUS Dentistry)
- Vision screening (by SP Optometry)
- Audiometry (by 20dB Hearing Singapore)
- Cancer screening referrals (by Singapore Cancer Society)
- Social work consults (by NUS Social Work)
- Doctor’s consult (by volunteer doctors)
- Healthier SG (by Agency for Integrated Care)
- Digital Literacy (by SG Digital Office)
- Health Screening Summary (by NHS volunteers)
A key addition this year was frailty screening, introduced in partnership with NHG Health through its Be Fit, not Frail (BFF) programme. This initiative enables early identification of at-risk seniors and connects them to personalised interventions at Active Ageing Centres (AACs) and Community Health Posts (CHPs). The collaboration aligns with NHS’ resident-centred approach and strengthens continuity of care beyond the screening itself.A follow-up programme will commence in the coming months, during which the NHS committee will be reaching out to residents whose results suggest a need for closer support, as well as those who may face barriers—be it mobility, finances, or social isolation— to connect them with suitable resources and follow-up care.
Student volunteers speaking to event participants.
In total, 314 residents participated in the screening. The initiative was made possible through the efforts of over 200 volunteers, comprising medical, nursing, and allied health students from across Singapore, as well as community volunteers from the Toa Payoh Central grassroots team whose warmth, patience, and teamwork carried the heart of NHS throughout the weekend.
The NHS committee also had the honour to host NUS Medicine faculty guests, including Adj Prof Lau Tang Ching (Vice-Dean, Education), Adj A/Prof Derrick Lian (Asst Dean, Students), Dr Lee Zi Yao and Dr Kristy Fu (Health, Humanitarian & Leadership Programme Co-Leads, NUS Medicine). They were joined by faculty from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, including Prof Joseph Sung (Dean), Assoc Prof Faith Chia (Vice-Dean, Education), and Assoc Prof Yusuf Ali (Vice-Dean, International Relations).
Faculty members from NUS Medicine and LKCMedicine, NTU together with Neighbourhood Health Service organising committee members.
Working alongside healthcare and community partners, the collective dedication ensured a smooth and meaningful experience for every participant—from station flow to one-on-one interactions—reflecting the heart of NHS’ mission to serve with empathy and inclusivity. The event demonstrated how community partnerships, student leadership, and inter-professional collaboration can strengthen preventive health and promote well-being at the grassroots level and beyond.
