Neighbourhood Health Service 10th Anniversary
Published: 05 Sep 2016
NUS medical students conduct free health screening and door-to-door checkups for the elderly and lower-income residents of rental flats at Taman Jurong. The annual Neighbourhood Health Screening (NHS) – now into its 10th year – sees students working with grassroots to help link these residents to healthcare providers.
The NHS has grown from the initial 240 student volunteers to a force that comprises 677 students and healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses, social workers, phlebotomists and dentists. It has evolved from volunteers going from door to door with clipboards, pens and paper in 2007, to methodically organised health screenings conducted at a designated venue within short walking distance of the rental flats now. Additionally, student volunteers use ipads to gather and compile residents’ medical data from previous screenings even as they distribute educational material on common health conditions.
The area’s MP, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam paid a visit to observe and interact with volunteers as well as residents. NHS takes place on 3 – 4 September at Taman Jurong, and subsequently on 1 – 2 October at Marine Terrace.
