We are living in unpredictable times. Our lives in Singapore, like the rest of the world, have taken many twists and turns due to the challenging upheavals caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a medical school, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine’s (NUS Medicine) response has been manifold. Our recent graduates, who will have to wait till next year for their Commencement, dived right into the wards after their exams, due to the pressing needs of the country. Many students have also stepped up and volunteered in various medical and nursing roles during the crisis. We have taken the role as public educator, with our COVID-19 Chronicles cartoon series and our COVID-19 webinars, which some of you have been watching.
Similarly, our doctors and scientists are working tirelessly at the forefront of this worldwide COVID-19 battle. Our infectious disease expert, Professor Paul Tambyah leads a donor-funded research in the protection of healthcare workers from emerging infections including SARS CoV–2, the cause of the COVID-19 disease. We are proud that our researchers have developed three novel nasopharyngeal swabs used in COVID-19 testing to help Singapore be self-sufficient in face of a global shortage.
We are deeply grateful for the various support from government-funded research initiatives, foundations and donors for our pandemic efforts. But there is still much we can do, both now and for the future. Hence, we are launching a fundraising appeal for our CoGive-19 Pandemic Fund, which will be used for research in infectious diseases (not limited to SARS CoV-2) as well as to support our more vulnerable medical and nursing students, whose family incomes have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
About 1 in 6 medical and nursing students face financial difficulties each year, even before COVID-19 struck our shores. We expect these numbers to increase as the economy worsens. The School is committed to ensuring that no deserving student is denied a medical education due to financial constraints. Your gift will allow us to train and educate the next generation of competent and caring doctors and nurses that Singapore needs. It will also allow our researchers to focus on initiating and driving life-saving research programmes.
For those who would like to give, please click “Give Now” or you can download the gift form and email to giving_med@nus.edu.sg. Your generosity and contribution to this fund will make a difference that matters, especially during these very challenging times.
It will be a while before things return to any kind of “normalcy”. In the meantime, do keep safe and my warmest wishes to you and your family’s best of health.
Message from Professor Chong Yap Seng (Dean, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine)
