Public Health Screening 2013
Published: 07 Oct 2013
“Keeping Fit, Living Healthily”
PHS 2013 returns to Toa Payoh HDB Hub with a new screening test to combat urinary incontinence
The eighth instalment of free public health screening by the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine made a return to Toa Payoh HDB Hub over the first weekend of October. This year, a new health screening test combating urinary incontinence has been added. Administered through a questionnaire, the test aims to help identify older citizens with bladder problems. This involuntary leakage affects one out of 10 people aged 65 and older. If left untreated, it could cause rashes, skin infections, anxiety as well as depression.
Gracing the annual event was Guest-of-Honour, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary (Health). Delivering his speech, Associate Professor Faishal commended the student and doctor volunteers for their impressive efforts in encouraging the public to remain healthy and helping to reduce the burden of chronic diseases in our community. He also emphasised on the vision for all Singaporeans to have access to a healthy lifestyle so that healthy living becomes natural and effortless for all. This is also in line with PHS 2013’s theme of “Health Begins with You”. Associate Professor Faishal said: “Our health is a collaborative responsibility and I would like to commend all of you here today for being responsible for your health.”
At the heart of the event were over 700 volunteers who took time out of their curriculum to reach out to the community.
Project director and Phase III medical student, Gabriel Tan, shared the goals of PHS 2013: “This year’s PHS is geared towards both primary and secondary prevention. We have screening tests as well as an exhibition centre involving many different partners and sponsors. We also recognise that PHS has always been and will continue to be an important platform for both medical professionals and students, as well as nursing and pharmaceutical students to help them hone their interpersonal skills and put into practice some of their medical knowledge in the field.”
Volunteering for the third consecutive year formerly as a volunteer and now a committee member, Phase III medical student Zan Ng said: “Because of this reach as well as the potential impact it can have on residents in Singapore, I choose to continue to be involved in PHS every year.”
Student volunteer Jared Ryan Durnford echoed Zan Ng’s sentiments: “For the 3rd year students, this is our recess week. So firstly I do have some free time. More importantly, in the wards you get to interact with patients on a one-to-one basis, but here, you get to help out the community at large.”
Doctor volunteer, Dr Ryan Yak stressed the impact and significance of PHS: “For us, it may be just an afternoon or a day. But to a patient, it could make a whole world of difference between an undiagnosed condition and a condition that’s picked up early on screening and could be life-changing.”
“Public Health Screening should continue to be an annual event,” said Mdm Mariam Lawi, one of the beneficiaries at the event. She attended the screening for the first time with her husband who also acknowledged that students benefit by volunteering in this event as they learn and gain hands on experience in the healthcare industry
The two-day free screening drew over 1,400 members of the public.
